The dancers in this short video are 6th grade students at Tikigaq School in Point Hope, Alaska, an Inupiat village 200 miles above the Arctic Circle. They are performing traditional songs and dances, passed down through the generations, sung in their native language.
The annual school Christmas program in Point Hope is a little different than in most communities. Yes, there are seasonally popular songs and carols, but many of them are sung in Inupiaq, the language of the Tikigaqmuit, the Inupiat Eskimo people of this small whaling community on the edge of the Chukchi Sea. There is also lots of drumming, singing and dancing performed according to traditions that extend back in time beyond memory. The drums – which resonate much more loudly than one might suspect them capable of at first glance – are made from material such as the membrane of sea mammal organs stretched over wooden frames. The beautiful mukluks (boots) many of the participants wear are hand sewn from seal, caribou, beaver and other natural materials.
The dances celebrate the past and the present. Aaka Irma (Irma Hunnicutt), who volunteered her time to come to our school and teach the students these dances, has an honored place as an elder in this village. Although the students speak mainly English in their day-to-day lives, these celebrations give them the opportunity to honor their language and heritage. This is a place where traditions are still passed down generation to generation; where some of the clothing and much of the food is still provided by the surrounding land and sea; where traditions are alive and vibrant and honored.
On this occasion, the students and Aaka Irma invited their classroom teacher to dance with them.
CutterLight 
Great dancing, Bar!
🙂
That was beautiful, thanks for sharing. I actually teared up a little bit, and they are not even my kids haha! I really liked how their teacher wasn’t afraid to jump right in.
We are really proud of these kids, and honored to be a part of this community.
It’s amazing that they still sing and talk in their native language even while speaking English in day-to-day situations. They must have an amazing language teacher!
The students here are fortunate in that they don’t wait till high school to begin studying Inupiat. They start in pre-school, and receive lessons every day. Also, many of the adults still speak the language.
That was great! Thanks for sharing something I’ve never seen before. 🙂
Thanks Pam. Yes, this video is not our usual type of post, so we’re glad some of our regular readers found it interesting!
It was totally awesome! Ive never met a teacher who is totally involved with her students! by embracing their culture and learning, we need more teachers like you and Jack!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Nellie. We feel very lucky to be in such a great village!
This is great!
Reblogged this on Homahota Consulting LLC and commented:
It’s so exciting to see the Tribal youth involved in their culture and language!
Glad you found the video, Traci! Thanks for the reblog, too. The other very cool thing is that many of the elders are fluent in the language and still use it. There’s a lot of effort going on to get the language down and pass it on – as well as the dances and songs. It’s exciting to see!
I love how immersed you both are in that community. What you have accomplished there is rare I think.
When we moved up from California, this is the kind of experience we were hoping to find. Thanks for reading and commenting, Jesse.
I am excited to be entering a similar situation in Cambridge Bay. It will be fun to share some cultural differences and similarities of a similar people!
We’re looking forward to hearing about your next chapter!