For my musical trip, I decided to take a trip back to where I attended high school, Utqiagvik, Alaska. Also known as Barrow, my family and I have lived there for roughly 7 years and I have seen and listened to some great Iñupiaq music and performances. Living there gave me a great opportunity to see the value and cultural significance of music and dance. During any get together or celebration, multiple dance groups perform to drummers. While the music I have listened to does not necessarily speak any words but if they did it was usually Iñupiaq. It is made up of mostly chants and dance moves.
The above video is at a celebration called Kiviq. This is a gathering and celebration that occurs every other year where a bunch of different cultural groups meet. All the other villages of the North Slope are invited to several days of singing and dancing, and sharing of food. Mostly, it means Iñupiat dance groups from all over the place, sometimes people even come in from Canada and participate (Wall, 2013). It is usually held in the high school gym as it is a great way to get many people seating with the bleachers.
The positioning of people also matters in how they are trying to portray their story. That is also a major aspect is the storytelling of it all and sharing of knowledge. The dancing is performed mainly by the guys beating the drum and singing and the dancers in front performing the moves. The ladies stand and move their arms while bending their knees to the beat. The guys stand and move their arms and occasionally stomping their feet to the beat of the drum (Jackson, 2017). The music relies heavily on the beat of the drum and the speed of it.
This music will sound different as it has been around for a very long time and does not need to meet any western music standards, has it evolved? yes. But the way these songs are performed and the instruments have stayed the same. At UAF, we have dance groups like Inu-Yupiaq which combines the Iñupiaq and Yupik dance styles and RSS is a big supporter and host of that group. Overall, Iñupiaq music delves into the relationship between storytelling and celebration and if you ever get the chance to go to Barrow during Christmas or 4th of July, that is when they have some of the bigger celebrations and opportunities to see dance groups other than Kiviq every other year.
Wall, Daniel, and Danielwalldammit. “KIVGIQ!!!” Northierthanthou, 2 May 2013, northierthanthou.com/2013/05/02/kivgiq/.
I absolutely love Alaska Native music and dancing, the performances are amazing to me I think because it is so different from what my normal music is. I think next time making it could be cool to see if there are big comparisons between different tribes music, or even looking in Native American in places like the lower 48s music! Good job!!
I really enjoyed your description of Iñupiaq music and its role in storytelling and community. The focus on drumming and movement to convey stories without words is fascinating, and I agree with your appreciation for how these traditions stay connected to their roots while subtly evolving.
It might also be interesting to explore how rhythm and tempo vary to express different themes or how Iñupiaq music compares with other indigenous Alaskan styles, like Yupik dances. Great job capturing the essence of these traditions!
This was really cool! Growing up in Alaska and hearing Alaska Native music from time to time, it was nice to learn a little more about Inupiaq music. Something worth looking at would be timbre of the music, in my opinion the drums and vocals give the music a warm, rich and powerful feel to it.
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I absolutely love Alaska Native music and dancing, the performances are amazing to me I think because it is so different from what my normal music is. I think next time making it could be cool to see if there are big comparisons between different tribes music, or even looking in Native American in places like the lower 48s music! Good job!!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your description of Iñupiaq music and its role in storytelling and community. The focus on drumming and movement to convey stories without words is fascinating, and I agree with your appreciation for how these traditions stay connected to their roots while subtly evolving.
ReplyDeleteIt might also be interesting to explore how rhythm and tempo vary to express different themes or how Iñupiaq music compares with other indigenous Alaskan styles, like Yupik dances. Great job capturing the essence of these traditions!
This was really cool! Growing up in Alaska and hearing Alaska Native music from time to time, it was nice to learn a little more about Inupiaq music. Something worth looking at would be timbre of the music, in my opinion the drums and vocals give the music a warm, rich and powerful feel to it.
ReplyDelete