March 1, 2018: Free screening and discussion of 'The Drums of Winter,' documentary about Yup'ik culture

Attend a free screening of The Drums of Winter, a documentary by Sarah Elder, Leonard Kamerling and the people of Emmonak, on Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Rasmuson Hall, Room 101. The film will be followed by a discussion featuring Dr. Walkie Charles, Alaska Native Language Center, UAF, and Marie Arnaq Mead, Alaska Native Studies, UAA.

Dance was once at the heart of Yup'ik Eskimo spiritual, social and economic life. It was the bridge between the ancient and the present, the living and the dead, and a person's own power and the greater powers of the unseen world. In The Drums of Winter, the Yup'ik people speak about how their history, social values and spiritual beliefs are woven around the songs and dances that have been handed down to them through the generations. This feature-length documentary, produced collaboratively with the people of Emmonak, Alaska, presents the spiritual world of Yup'ik dance, music and reciprocal gift-giving, a world closed to most outsiders.

For more information, contact Libby Roderick at eroderick@alaska.edu or (907) 786-4605.

February Archive