Festivals
Feasts and ceremonial gatherings have always been integral to Native
culture. These are often occasions of both social and economic importance
to the community.
Although certain rituals are unique to specific cultural groups and
regions, many ceremonial traditions are common to all Alaska Native
communities.
Typically, these gatherings involve dancing and singing, feasting, a
gift exchange, and the wearing of clan regalia, which might include
elaborately ornamented tunics or robes, intricate headdresses or masks,
and jewelry or tattoos and body paint, depending on the traditions of
the particular Native culture.
Details
PhotoBy: Clark Mishler
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A pedestrian passes a mural in Juneau depicting animal spirits
The feasts and ceremonies are usually held
in qasgiqs, or community houses. Traditionally, many occurred during late
fall and early winter, after the necessary food had been gathered and stored
and before the winter solstice, "when the sun sits down."
The Messenger Feast of the Inupiaq is an example of a festival that was
an opportunity for distant kin to reestablish ties as well as to exchange
gifts and trade for food, implements or materials not easily available
nearby. Different Inupiaq groups took turns hosting the feast, which was
held in early winter.
