Today, Oct. 14, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Community organizations and tribal partners have organized Bethel’s third annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center that will include yuraq performances, a Native foods potluck, and more. The celebration will run from noon to 8:00 p.m.
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kuskokwim Campus Native Arts coordinator Golga Oscar and librarian Theresa Quiner with the Kuskokwim Consortium Library came on morning show “Coffee at KYUK” to discuss the details.
Read a transcript of the conversation below. It’s been lightly edited for clarity and flow, and may contain transcription errors.
Mathew Hunter: Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and all of Bethel is invited to take part in a community celebration at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center today, from noon to 8 p.m. Here to speak about this celebration with KYUK’s MaryCait Dolan are Theresa Quiner of the Kuskokwim Consortium Library and Golga Oscar, Native Arts Coordinator at the University of Alaska [Fairbanks], Kuskokwim Campus.
KYUK (MaryCait Dolan): Good morning Golga and Theresa, thanks for joining us today on “Coffee at KYUK” to speak about this year's Indigenous Peoples’ Day community celebration, which will be starting up in just a few hours. What can you tell us about this year's celebration?
Theresa Quiner: Thank you so much for having us. Yeah. So this is the third year that the Kuskokwim Campus [KuC] has had a day-long celebration at the cultural center on Indigenous Peoples’ Day. And so the way the day is formatted is we have a lot of different activities happening throughout the day. The festivities will start at noon today, and we'll start with a benediction from the [Orutsararmiut Native Council] Traditional Chief Louis Andrew, and after that, the dancers from the Ayaprun school will perform. And immediately following that, we're going to have a Native foods potluck, and that's open to everybody in the community. The people at KuC will be making some food like fry bread and some moose stew. And we encourage people from the community to bring their favorite dish to share if they're able to, but everyone's welcome to come. And so, yeah, we'll, you know, start at noon, and there'll be stuff happening all day.
Golga Oscar: Yeah, and following that, there's going to be an Elder wisdom talk. And we've invited three Elders from the Akulmiut region, two from Kasigluk and one from Atmautluak – of them from Agnes Berlin and Dora Wassillie, and the third one is Nicholai Pavila Sr.
KYUK: Nice. And so they'll just be sharing their stories and their wisdom?
Oscar: Yeah, yeah, pretty much their knowledge about the history as well as the way of living, and how Yuyaraput, the Yup’ik way of living is living in a positive way.
Quiner: And this is something that is put together by the Center for Alaska Native Research Be Well program. And so I think there will be a theme of – because October is also Substance Abuse Awareness Month. I think the Elders will be talking about kind of how culture can help keep people away from using substances, that kind of thing. I don't think that will be the entire center of the talk, but I think that there will be a theme running throughout that. So yeah, we're really glad that those Elders will be coming in. Following that, KYUK has always used this as an opportunity to showcase some of the awesome material from the KYUK archive. MaryCait, do you know, like, have you guys picked the videos that you're going to share yet?
KYUK: You know, I don't know for sure what we will be showing, but the KYUK archives are just such a gold mine of so many incredible old videos and segments from KYUK news bits and just really documenting Bethel and the region over the past 50 years. So I know in the past, we've shown some of our Elder interviews from the “Waves of Wisdom” series. I wouldn't be surprised if those are some of the ones that we pick out, but it's always really cool to share those, especially with people who have connections to the people in those videos. Definitely check it out. It's a really cool way to see into the history of KYUK and the region and to just hear, especially since there will be elders sharing their knowledge, to kind of compare, like maybe how that knowledge has changed or adapted over the years from an interview that was maybe given in the 1980s or the 1990s and to continue that conversation about how knowledge is being shared and documented.
Quiner: And as the librarian at the college, I'm so glad you guys have been working so hard for years to digitize all of those videos and make them available online for people that aren't aware there's so much of that content is available through the American Archive of Public Broadcasting online, and it's just, you know, KYUK has documented so much of the history of the region, and it's really amazing that that's preserved and available to anybody through the internet. It'll be great to showcase that at the Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration today.
KYUK: Yeah, absolutely. And just a quick plug, if someone did not know that. If you visit KYUK’s website on the side, you can click on a little button that will take you to a page that explains how to search through the archives on your own.
Oscar: Yeah. The archive website offers so much videos of ancestral knowledge, and most of the videos contain culturally rich content, culturally relevant information that has to do with grass weaving, explanation of parka –
KYUK: Yeah. So definitely stop by the archives showing at the celebration today, if you want to kind of get an idea of what that looks like. But what else is there at the cultural center today, Theresa?
Quiner: Yeah, so from [3 p.m. to 5 p.m.], there will be a few different things going on at the same time. You guys will have the archival stuff showing in one section of the cultural center, and then the AVCP Healthy Families organization will also be doing hands-on activities like they have in the past. There's definitely going to be akutaq making, and that's a very popular activity, especially with kids. We always see a lot of happy, smiling kids with purple hands walking around and big purple lips. I love it, and they usually make quite a bit of akutaq, so that people who, you know, don't make some can also just eat some. So that's a lot of fun. And then I'm not sure what crafts they're doing, but they'll be doing a variety of, you know, hands-on activities for all ages. So that's definitely a good opportunity for families to come down after school and participate in the celebration.
KYUK: One thing I am really excited to see at the celebration this year that I think is new, is the native arts fashion show, right? That hasn't been done before.
Quiner: That is new, yeah.
Oscar: Theresa and I came up with it, and it's one of the things that I really wanted to pursue, especially within the community of Bethel. The reason why I wanted to pursue it is because I want to let a lot of people be inspired by Indigenous clothing. And part of that, it doesn't only have to be fancy parkas or parkas in general, but it can also be any fashion, native fashion, clothing, such as qaspeq, jewelry wear. But yeah, I'm very excited.
KYUK: And with that, is it open to anyone who wants to show up with their piece of clothing, to show it off?
Oscar: As long as it emphasizes our own, the aspect of native culture, yeah.
Quiner: And one thing Golga suggested is, if anybody does have, you know, some really fantastic jewelry that they've made or something. He recommends that they wear black so that the jewelry really pops. You know, when you're walking across the stage, we have been encouraging people to sign up for the fashion show ahead of time, but if you show up with something that you'd like to showcase, just find Golga or I, because we'll want to just collect a little bit of information about who the artist was, who the maker was, you know, the who the model is, and where they're from. You know, we'll just want to collect a little bit of information prior to the fashion show.
KYUK: I think that'll be so spectacular. Are there any pieces you're showing off, Golga?
Oscar: I'm planning on showcasing my two pairs of thigh-high mukluks that I created between 2020 and this year. One of the pieces are fully designed, and the front of it's just beautiful. I mean, it's fully geometric design that uses my maternal side of the family's design. Another one is just simple. It's just all plain spotted seal skin, simple.
KYUK: I'm excited to see those. I wanted to ask as well about the theme for this year's event – to do great things despite challenges
Oscar: Pingnatagyaraq.
KYUK: How was this theme chosen for this year?
Oscar: Me and Theresa kind of discussed about what is the meaning of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and the way that I view it is, as Indigenous people we want to do great things for everyone. We want them to do great things in life, pushing them towards their greatness.
KYUK: Theresa, do you have anything to add?
Quiner: No, just it's a day to celebrate, like the joy and beauty of, you know, Indigenous people and so, you know, we just always want to have a theme that really celebrates that. And Golga came up with a couple of different ideas, and we brainstormed with some people on campus, and we all just really liked this one. So to do great things despite challenges, is the theme for today.
KYUK: Yeah, I'm a big fan of that, and I just love how this celebration, I mean, I've lived in Bethel for going on three years now, so this will be my third time attending the celebration. But it's just so special to have such a concentrated group of people doing important work in the community to recognize this day and to also bring the community in to celebrate it. It's a really great time. I love watching and hearing the yuraq. I love eating the food. I love just celebrating everything. It's a really great celebration,
Quiner: Yeah, and it's a great way for like, you know, myself, I'm not Alaska Native, I'm not from the region, but I love being a part of it every year, because it's, you know, we're all part of the community. And it's, you know, a great way for people who are maybe newer to the community too, to come and just see, like so many, different aspects of the culture, and to hear the language and to see the dancing and to eat the food. So we just really encourage – a lot of people have the day off today. So we hope that people come and just hang out all day. People can come and go, but we'll have activities going all day, from [noon to 8 p.m.].
Oscar: If you know anyone that wears any Indigenous-based accessories or clothing, please encourage them to sign up for the fashion show, because I would love to see the wear, the creation. Because it doesn't only inspire me, but it also inspires the majority of the community members within Bethel, as well as those who are non Bethel residents.
KYUK: Absolutely,
Quiner: and we will also have an Indigenous Peoples’ Day March at 5:30 [p.m.], the teens, the TWC teens, acting against violence. Group puts this together every year. And so again, from three to five, when we have a variety of different activities happening, we will also have materials out to make posters for the March. So at 5:30 [p.m.], people will walk from the cultural center down to Watson's corner and back. We encourage people to wear their regalia, wear something they're proud of, to make a sign, and to participate in this March. And during that time, we will transition the space and the cultural center over for the evening performances, because there will be dancing and there will be the fashion show. And so yeah, we encourage people to come and participate in the march as well.
KYUK: So the Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration happening today from noon to 8 p.m. at the cultural center. Are there any last details that we want to include for anyone interested in attending?
Quiner: Well, one last detail is that the Southwest Alaska Arts Group (SWAAG) gift shop will also be open from noon to 6 p.m., so you can also come and purchase something beautiful on Indigenous Peoples’ Day and support a local artist.
KYUK: Absolutely. Well. Thank you, Teresa and Golga for coming on the show today. I know I'm really excited to head on over and experience all there is to experience.
Quiner: Yeah, definitely quyana for having us.
Oscar: Thank you, quyana.
Mathew Hunter: That was KYUK’s MaryCait Dolan speaking with Theresa Quiner and Golga Oscar about today’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day Community Celebration. Stop by the cultural center today from noon to 8 p.m. for food, crafts, and more. Thank you.
