Arts & Culture

Yuraq dancers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks - Kuskokwim Campus honored their late director, Mary Ciuniq Pete, at the Cama-i Festival this year. 

At the last minute, Chefornak dancers canceled their appearance at last year’s Cama-i Dance Festival when Tribal Council President and drummer Walter Lewis died suddenly in a snowmachine accident. This year, Cama-i dedicated the gathering to Lewis’ memory. 

This year’s Cama-i theme was “Together We Dance As One.” The unifying message inspired artist Sivaluaq Jerry "Bucket" Lieb to design the festival’s spirit mask around the story of how people gave up fighting to dance and sing. Lieb told KYUK the story behind the image.

Chevak never stopped dancing. When the missionaries came, the villagers buried their drums, later unearthing them to continue their dance tradition. This year’s Cama-i’s Living Treasure, Cikiigaq Joe Ayagarak Jr. of Chevak, inherited that tradition. In the 1980s he brought it to Kwethluk, where it’s continued ever since. This year, Ayagarak Jr. met his legacy on the Cama-i stage.

Friday begins the cultural explosion of the Cama-i Dance Festival. The dancing begins this evening at 5 p.m. at Bethel Regional High School and will last through the weekend until late Sunday night. Dance groups from across the region, the state, and the lower 48 are gathering to share dance, culture, tradition, and community. Across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, dancers are getting ready to take the stage.

January 19 marks a Russian Orthodox holy day. In Bethel, Russian Orthodox Christians commemorated the day by re-enacting the baptism of Jesus Christ on the frozen Kuskokwim River.