Magazines - Tribal Art Winter 2009

By Sven Haakanson Jr. and Amy Steffian, Alutiiq Museum

Introduction
Less than twenty years ago, the Sugpiaq people of the Kodiak Islands, Alaska, remembered little about the making of their traditional masks and rituals associated with them. Today this has changed, thanks to a growing awareness of Sugpiaq culture, a strong desire to learn about the past, and a pair of museums that found common ground. Locally known as the Alutiiq, the Sugpiaq people’s latest journey with their masks is just beginning.
In a brightly lit gymnasium in the island’s tiny rural village of Akhiok, a crowd sits on folding chairs. Neighbors and family members visit among the piles of damp coats as children race between the rows of spectators. It’s early spring in Alaska and the community has gathered for a performance by their youth dance group. As the rhythmic pulse of skin drums begins, a line of students appears in traditional dress. Each wears an ankle-length black robe embellished with strips of white ermine fur and beaded fur tassels. The dancers form parallel lines, swaying to the heartbeat-like sound. From their midst, a young man appears wearing a wooden mask. Barefoot, he sings, crouching, jumping, and weaving around the room as he recalls a hunting trip with a personally composed song. His powerful performance quiets the audience. Adults stop chatting. Children stop playing. Everyone watches, transfixed.