YURARYARARPUT KANGIIT-LLU: OUR WAYS OF DANCE AND THEIR MEANINGS A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By Theresa Arevgaq John, M.A. Fairbanks, Alaska May 2010 Theresa Arevgaq John © 2010 iii ABSTRACT The first purpose of this study is to describe the categories of dance. The second purpose is to describe how Yup’ik music and dance has played a functional role in organizing and maintaining various societal infrastructures (kinship, social, political, subsistence/economic, and spiritual) within the Yup’ik culture (Fienup- Riordan, 1996; John, 1996; Kingston, 1999; Mather, 1985; Wallen, 1990; Wolf, 1999). This study seeks to further understand this role and how it has evolved over time. The study utilizes an ethnographic methodology that includes historical and contemporary perspectives to describe Yup’ik music and dance categories and to explain how dance serves to organize various aspects of Yup'ik culture and societal infrastructure. Data includes interviews from Yup'ik elders and adults, fieldnotes, research journal entries, digital recordings, photographs, and observations of Yup’ik immersion school performers and rural community cultural events such as the Cama-i Festival. The study suggests that Yup’ik dance and categories are important elements of the multiple cyclic rituals. It adds to the present literature revealing that there are twenty different dance types and categories, and many of the rituals are lost except for the ciuqitet (common dances), nangerceciyaraq (the first dance), and iluriurucaraq (teasing dance) dances. iv The study also suggests that dancing is an essential part of the Yup’ik social infrastructure and that dancing is integral to the social system. This is demonstrated through six themes: Kinship, Physical/Mental Health, Form of Prayer, Spiritual Enlightenment, Leadership, and Teasing. I also argue that there is connectedness in dance, music, and stories that are part of our yuuyaraq (epistemic worldview). Yuuyaraq is defined as a way of being a human (Napoleon, 1991) or an absolute unified social web. This web is represented in our social infrastructures of kinship, health/physical and mental, form of prayer/rituals, spiritual enlightenment, leadership, and teasing. There is a relationship in storytelling genres in dance and oral stories that represent people’s historical and contemporary accounts, describing their social, cultural, and subsistence lifestyle. Interview participant data suggest these connections still exist in our society today. v Table of Contents Page Signature Page…………………………………………………………………………i Title Page………………………………………………………………………...........ii Abstract……………………………………………………………………………….iii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………...v List of Figures………………………………………………………………………..xii List of Tables………………………………………………………………………...xii Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………xiii Chapter 1 Ikirun: Introduction……………………………………………...…….1 Introduction…………………………………………...…………………………....2 Need for the Study………………………………………………………………....6 Research Purpose/Questions……………………………………………………….7 Definition of Terms………………………………………………………………...8 Significance of the Study…………………………………………………………10 Chapter 2 Nutemllarput (Our Very Own): A Yup’ik Epistemology……….……12 Introduction………………………………………………..………………….…..12 Upyutlemni (Getting Ready for It)……………………………………….….……15 Methodology of the Construction of the Yup’ik Traditional Knowledge System..20 Co-Existence with the Ellam Yua (the Creator)…………………………….……21 Ella Mamkitellrani (When the Earth was Thin)……………………..…………..23 Angalkuut (Shamans)……………………………………..………………………25 vi Shaman Masks in Agayuliyararput Ritual………………………………..……...27 Yup’ik Human Development Processes of the Mind………………………..……29 Awareness or Consciousness………………………………..……………………31 Senses………………………..……………………………………………………33 Raising a Proper Child………………………………………………..…………..34 Examples of Qanruyutet (Advice)………………………………………..………35 Qanruyutet, Qulirat, and Qanemcit: Yup’ik Pedagogical Tools Used in the Construction of Traditional Knowledge……………………………..39 The Powerful Mind…………………………………………………………….....43 Educating a Child’s Awareness……………………………………………..……44 Chapter 3 Literature Review…………………………………………….……....52 Introduction……………………………………………………………..………...52 Wallen’s Perspective………………………………………………………..…….54 Al’aq’s Perspective……………………………………………………..………...55 Fienup-Riordan’s Perspective: Boundaries and passages………………..………58 Al’aq’s Perspective………………………………………………………..……...59 Fienup-Riordan’s Perspective: The living tradition of Yup’ik masks: Agayuliyararput our way of making prayer…………………..……..61 Al’aq’s Perspective………………………………………………………..……...62 Kingston’s Perspective………………………………………………….………...64 Al’aq’s Perspective……………………………………………………………….65 Mather’s Perspective……………………………………………………..……….67 Al’aq’s Perspective……………………………………………………..………...68 vii Meade’s Perspective………………………………………………………..…….69 Al’aq’s Perspective…………………………………………………………..…...69 Stüssi’s Perspective…………………………………………………………...…..70 Al’aq’s Perspective……………………………………………………..………...71 Wolf’s Perspective…………………………………………………………..……72 Al’aq’s Perspective………………………………………………………..……...74 Elders and Kamerling’s Perspective…………………………………..………….74 Al’aq’s Perspective…………………………………………………..…………...76 KYUK Just dancing Perspective…………………………………………..……..77 Al’aq’s Perspective………………………………………………………..……...78 Summary…………………………………………………………………..……...79 Chapter 4 Methodology………………………………………………………....82 Introduction……………………………………………………………...………..82 Ethnography as an Indigenous Tool………………………………..…………….83 Challenges in the Western Construction of Ethnography…………………..…….83 Yup’ik/Indigenous Perspectives on the Narratives……………………….………88 Connections in Yup’ik/Indigenous and Western Narrative Ethnography…..…….92 Overview of the Study……………………………………………………..……..92 Setting……………………………………………………………….…………...93 Bethel…………………………………………………………………..……93 Emmonak……………………………………………………………..……..94 Toksook Bay……………………………………………………………..….94 viii Participants………………………………………………………………………95 Frameworks for Data Analysis and Interpretation………………………………100 Gee’s d/Discourse Theory……………………………………………….….100 Multiple Situated Identities in Yuraryaraq…………………………..…….103 Charmaz’s Constructivist Grounded Theory Method………………….….104 Research Data Collection………………………………………………………105 Limitations of the Study………………………………………………………..105 Benefits………………………………………………………….……………...106 Chapter 5 YURARYARARPUT: Our Ways of Dancing……………………......108 Introduction………………………………………………………………..……108 Socio-Linguistic Yup’ik Dance Terminologies……………………………..…..109 Six Key Entities in Yuraryararput………………………………………..…….110 Ciuliat (Ancestors)………………………………………………………….111 Angalkuut (Shaman)………………………………………………..………112 Cauyaq (Drum)……………………………………………………...……...114 Yuaruciyaraq (Yup’ik Dance Song Structures)………………………...…...116 Description of the Yup’ik Dance Music Structure Table….………...……...116 Yurarcuutet (Regalia)……………………………………………………….128 Yurarvik (Dance Location)…………………………………………...…….128 Yuraryaraput Table……………………………………………………...………129 The Origin of Kelgiryaraq (the Messenger Festival)…………………..……….133 Kelgiryaraq (the Messenger Festival)……………………………………...…...135 ix Curukaryaraq (Attack Ceremony)……………………………………..………..139 Kevgak (Messengers)………………………………………………………..…..139 Song Composition………………………………………………………..……...141 Tekiqata’aryaraq…………………………………………………………..……143 Ciuqiyaraq (Common Dance)……………………………………………..…….143 Nernerrlugcetariyaraq (Disrupting the Meal)……………………………..……143 Qavaruaryaraq (Family Motion Dance)………………………………..………144 Qavaruaryaraita Kangiit (Meanings of Their Dance Narratives)………….…..145 Kingullugciyaraq………………………………………………………..………147 Yuramek Upciyaraq (Planning Process for Dance)………………………..……148 Yuraqerraaq or Nangerceciyaraq (the First Dance)……………………..…..….149 Arnaqulluk: Jolene John…………………………………………...……….150 Lala Charles……………………….………………………………………..151 Nick Therchik, Sr…………………………………………………...………152 First Dance Song Composition………………………………………...…...153 Ciuqitet (Common Dances)…………………………………………….……….154 Chapter 6 Yup’ik Social Infrastructure Themes……………..…………………157 Introduction……………………………………………………………..……….157 I. Kinship: Ilakucaraq…………………………………………………...……..166 Overview of the Kinship……………………………………………..……..166 Participant Data……………………………………………………..………168 Related Qulirat……………………………………………………….….….169 x Related Qanemcik…………………...………………………….…….…….170 Related Dance Types/Categories…………………………………….….….171 II. Health/Physical and Mental: Anglanituut, nunaniryugluteng………..….172 Overview of Health/Physical and Mental………………………………….172 Participant Data………………………………………………………….….172 Related Quliraq……………………………………………………………..173 Related Qanemcit……………………………………………….…………..174 Related Dance Types/Categories……………………………….…………..174 III. Form of Prayer/Rituals: Agayuyaraugut, Kaigaciugut…………….…….175 Overview of the Form of Prayer/Rituals………………………...………….175 Participant Data………………………………………………...…………...176 Related Qulirat……………………………………………………...………176 Related Qanemcit………………………………………………...…………177 Related Dance Types/Categories……….…………………………...……...178 IV. Spiritual Enlightenment: Kenkuyutnguluni caituralrianun aipairutlerrnun-Ilu……………179 Overview of the Spiritual Enlightenment………………………...………...179 Participant Data……………………………………………………………..180 Related Qulirak…………………………………………………..…………181 Related Qanemcit……………………………………………………..……181 Related Dance Types/Categories…………………………………...………182 V. Leadership: Ciuliqagciyaraq……………………………………..….……..182 Overview of the Leadership………………………………..………………182 xi Participant