Gambell celebrates Yupik Days
The John Apangalook School was filled with stories, laughter, and music last week, as Gambell celebrated its 46th annual Yupik Days. The event opened on Wednesday with a welcome lunch and Elders’ remarks and ended on Friday with a reindeer feast.
People of all generations attended—from infants to elders—and during Atuq, people of all generations danced. In addition to the feasts and dancing, there was a traditional clothing fashion show, an elder’s story time, a Yupik spelling bee, and a documentary featuring members of the village.
Students and adults from Golovin and Savoonga also attended.
The fashion show was a particular hit. Teacher Janine Banguanga said her first graders loved the event. “Especially when their classmates would come out of the door, they would cheer,” said Banguanga.
Shem Rose Koonooka, one of the members of the Yupik Days organizing committee, emceed the fashion show. Beulah Nowakahok, Wanda Slwooko and Harriet Penayah helped judge the event. They said it was hard to choose winners, but they looked at whose clothing was most traditional.
“Doesn’t matter who they are, what they wear,” said Koonooka, “as long as they value our tradition.”
This year’s theme was “Yesterday, Today, Forever Our Culture Lives.”
Yupik Days began in 1979, when third and fourth graders went above and beyond with a social studies lesson on the past and present, according to a history written by founder Anders Apassingok. School staff began planning a Yupik Days celebration to “keep children aware of their traditional way of life in our community.” Students wore traditional clothing to school and there were short presentations on Yupik words and traditional activities in class.
The festivities grew from there, and at one point Yupik Days was celebrated for five days. It is always hosted around this time of year. Koonooka said planning begins two or three months in advance.
Slwooko and Nowpakahok reminisced on old Yupik Days events during Elders’ Breakfast. Nowpakahok’s husband Leonard was another founder. She said the celebration has changed a lot since it began.
“Now we got spelling bees and Bingo and whatnot,” said Nowpakahok. The two spoke about the loss of Yupik language since their childhood. Slwooko used to teach the language, while Nowpakahok was part of the team which recently completed a Yupik translation of the Bible.
“When we tell stories, we have to tell them in English,” Slwooko said.
Nowpakahok added, “We still like Yupik Days. Especially the dancing.”
Koonooka, who also teaches Yupik at the school, said that this year, her students had been learning a lot of the language.
“Their parents have been telling me that they’re so thankful that their kids have been using a lot of Yupik words at home, which is amazing,” said Koonooka.
She said some of her students understand almost everything she says in Yupik. “I keep telling them, just keep trying. Even though you make a mistake, you learn.”