Alaska Natives are the northern people of the year at Riddu Riđđu 2017

A fantastic delegation of artists, activists and musicians will share knowledge, cultural activities and amazing art from their home place and their indigenous groups on Alaska.

Alaska Native peoples span a wide variety of complex cultures, languages and societies. Their life ways have been shaped and informed by a history of at least ten thousand years in their ancestral homelands that encompass 160 million acres (6.5 million hectares). While they are distinct from one another in their traditions and ways of knowing, they mutually uphold the values of respect, sharing and taking care of each other for the next ten thousand years. Although colonizing forces have had longlasting and severe impacts on the ability of our Native families and communities to perpetuate our cultural values and traditions, we are seeing a strong resurgance of cultural pride and the passing down of traditions.  As indigenous peoples have always done, we have now adapted to use all of the resources at our disposal to better serve our communities, while our Alaska Native values remain a driving factor.

During the festival days you can join workshops, concerts and art-in-progress to get to know them better. Saturday 15th of July is the official Northern People of the Year presentation, hosted by the delegation, where you as audience can experience a traditional ceremony of dance and song.  Afterwards there will be an open lavvu where you can meet the artists and guests from Alaska and taste local food from their areas.  

Read more about the artists below:

Allison Akootchook Warden will host a two hour course on the ways of life, song and dance of Alaska's Iñupiaq that is certain to get your feet dancing!  You will see images of traditional activities in her ancestral home of Kaktovik, Alaska and take part of a discussion on traditional and customary hunting, fishing and gathering.  She will also perform as the hip-hop artist AKU-MATU, known to give a a unique rap performance over beats that sample traditional Iñupiaq music, created by DJ WD4D.  Utilizing costumes, props and humor, you will be sure to meet the Ancestor from the Future!

Crystal Worl is Tlingit/Athabascan from Raven moiety, Sockeye Clan, from the Raven House. She will be working on a art-in progress painted mural on the Báldalávvus at Riddu Riddu. Her paintings will explore the relationships and bonds between her people, the land, and the animals. Audience are welcome. Festival goers of all ages are welcome to contribute to the community mural project by joining in for a chat and to paint themselves.

Marjorie Tahbone will show different techniques and symbols connected to the Kakiñiq (Iñupiaqe tattoo tradition) and demonstrate how traditional Inuit tattoos are done using a needle and thread. Traditional tattoos were nearly lost due to the influence of early missionary teachings. Today traditional tattoos are coming back and they hold many purposes. They promote healing from inter-generational trauma, and can symbolize and dedicate the passage of important life events, such as tattoos on the chin to commemorate a girl’s entrance into womanhood.  

Jennifer Andrulli, who is a healer and artist, will host workshops in the Riddu-eco garden. She is particularly concerned with nature's influence on human beings, and in the course she will share her plant knowledge and encourage the creative use of traditional plants.

Indian Agent is a musical cooperation between artists and musicians Yéil Ya-Tseen (Nicholas Galanin), OCnotes (Otis Calvin III) and Tyler Swan from Alaska. Historically, an «Indian agent» was an errands boy for the colonial power who with reckless violence, suppression and mass murder put great suffering on the indigenous peoples. To revolt these evil actions, the artists wish to give the term «Indian agent» new meaning. Their wish is that the music and art should spread positive energy, peace and light over human kind.  

Drew Michael, who is Yup’ik and Iñupiaq, was born in Bethel, Alaska. Drew started learning carving at age 13, learning from archeologist Bob Shaw, printmaker Joe Senungetuk, and contemporary Athabascan mask-maker, Kathleen Carlo. Drew focuses on how masks were originally used by Yup’ik people, for healing and telling stories of things unseen. Drew's work incorporates healing practices of the Yup’ik people and religious icons of European Christianity. The artist hopes to encourage people to find healing in ways that bring about balance in much the same way he has used these practices to find balance in his own life.

Quote from an Inupiat Elder, 

 “Young people must know that communities care about who they are as well as what they know. They must know that communities love them enough to share their greatest riches with them. They must know that their cultural heritage is linked, over thousands of years, to who they are today and who they will become.”

-Paul Ongtooguk, from "Alaska's Cultures, Education and Cultural Self–Determination"