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������ Festival of Native Arts kicks off Feb. 28

February 8, 2019

������ News

 

 

The cultural diversity of Alaska’s first peoples will take center stage at the 46th annual Festival of Native Arts, slated for Feb. 28-March 2 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Davis Concert Hall.

Doors will open to the public at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, and 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2. This year’s theme is “Together We are Rising.”

“The Festival of Native Arts is a piece of home for rural and Alaska Native students who live in Fairbanks,” said Timotheen Charles, student co-coordinator from Kasigluk. “The festival is a time for the community to gather and enjoy songs and dances that were passed down from generations and now live on through these performers. It is a time for us to listen to the knowledge they hold, the languages they speak, the stories they tell and the songs sung for us.”

This year’s event is dedicated to the late Mary Ciuniq Pete, who served as the dean of the ������ College of Rural and Community Development and director of the Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel. Pete, who died Nov. 17, 2018, is lovingly remembered for her heart-centered leadership and passionate advocacy for equal access to higher education for Alaska Native and rural communities. In her ������ leadership role, Pete created an educational environment that welcomed Alaska Native students and inspired them to overcome challenges and earn their degrees.


The Festival of Native Arts was established in 1973 as a way for Alaska Native students to share their lives and culture with each other, the campus and the Fairbanks community. Evening performances feature Alaska Native dance groups from across the state. Jewelry, kuspuks, traditional carvings, beaded slippers and other forms of traditional art will be featured on 30 artisan craft tables in the Regents' Great Hall and available for purchase.

“Festival is a time of bringing our people together to share our ancestors’ ways,” said Jazmyn Vent, student co-coordinator from Huslia and Ambler. “Being able to watch, learn, practice and perform our traditional songs and dances gives me a sense of pride, excitement, strength and honor. Our ancestors fought hard to keep these traditions and cultures alive. Here we are, resilient, indigenous and proud.”

In addition to the evening performances, the public is invited to attend free workshops from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28-March 1 at the Wood Center. Workshop topics include making Eskimo yo-yos, Iñupiaq and Yup’ik song and dance, Alaska Native languages, introduction to radio broadcasting, beading, and making akutaq (traditional ice cream).

The festival will also screen “,” an award-winning film by ������ student Joe ‘Waats’asdiyei Apayuk Yates, at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 1, in Wood Center Room E/F. The film documents how Yates and his wife are teaching their daughter their Yup’ik and Haida languages.

For more information, and a complete schedule of events, visit and , or call 907-474-6528. The festival will also be live-streamed at during the evening performances.