Yupiit Yuraryarait: Yup'ik Ways of Dancing

by Ann Fienup-Riordan, James H. Barker, Theresa Arevgaq John

Overview

Far more than just a dance, the dynamic choreography of the Yup’ik provides an illuminating window into the morality, social organization, and colonial history of this indigenous people. In Yupiit Yurayarait, anthropologist Ann Fienup-Riordan begins with a brief historical overview of the colonization and development of Alaska from the Yup'ik point of view. Then, armed with oral history testimony spanning thirty years, she shows how singing and dancing are interconnected and imbued with meaning in this complex ritual. Accompanied by one hundred and fifty original photographs, this volume marks the first in-depth look at the Yup’ik people through the lens of interpretive dance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602231306
Publisher:	University of Alaska Press
Publication date:	07/15/2011
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

James Barker is a documentary photographer and author of Always Getting Ready: Yup’ik Eskimo Subsistence in Southwest Alaska.

Theresa Avregaq John is associate professor of Alaska native sutides and rural development at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Table of Contents

Yuarutma Mengyaraa / The Beginning of My Song
Acknowledgments by Ann Fienup-Riordan
Foreword by Theresa Arevgaq John
Introduction by James H. Barker
Yup'ik Contributors

Yuarutem Agenra / The Song's Chorus
Yup'ik Dancing is Like Akutaq: A Rich Mixture
A Land of Dancers
The Moral Foundations of Yup'ik Dancing
Song and Dance through the Seasons: The Traditional Cycle of Ceremonies

Apalluan Ciuqlia / First Verse
Everything Dances
Powerful Songs, Past and Present

Apalluan Kinguqlia / Second Verse
The Missionary View
The Return of Dancing

Pamyua! / Its Tail!
Why We Dance
From Hardship to Fulfillment

Notes
Glossary
References
Index