Follow the leader. Elder/organizer/teacher Julia Haogak Ogina leads the female drum dance at huqqullaaq drum dance practice in Cambridge Bay. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo
ᒪᓕᒡᓗᒍ ᓯᕗᓕᐅᖅᑎ. ᐃᓄᑐᖃᖅ / ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨ / ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨ ᔪᓕᐊ ᕼᐊᐅᒐᒃ ᐅᔩᓇ ᑐᕌᖅᑎᑦᑎᕗᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᒧᒥᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᕼᐅᖅᑯᓪᓛᖅ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ .
ᐃᔭᐃᔮ.
ᕼᐅᖅᑯᓪᓛᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ. ᐱᓯᐅᔪᑦ ᖁᕐᓗᖅᑑᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᓯᕗᕚᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᓱᓕ ᐆᒪᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑐᓴᖅᓴᐅᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒫᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᓐᓇᕐᓄᑦ.
ᔪᓕᐊ ᕼᐊᐅᒐᒃ ᐅᔩᓇ ᐊᒻᒪ ᔨᐊᕆ ᐳᒡᓕᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑏᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓯᕐᓂᑦ. ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓂᒃᓴᐅᔪᒥ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᓘᒃ ᓄᕗᓕᒐᖅ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ. ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓂᑦᑎᐊᖑᕗᖅ ᓂᐱᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᕼᐃᕐᓂ (ᐱᓰᑦ) ᓯᕗᕚᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᒪᐃᔪᔅᒐᓴᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒐᓴᕐᓄᑦ.
Drum dancer and teacher Jerry Puglik is dressed in Inuinnait style, teaching youth how to huqqullaaq at the drum dance practice in Cambridge Bay, on Tuesday, Nov. 9. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo
ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᖅᑎ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨ ᔨᐊᕆ ᐳᒡᓕᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᓐᓇᑦ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᕈᓯᖏᓐᓂ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂ ᕼᐅᖅᑯᓪᓛᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᐃᑉᐹᓂ, ᓄᕕᐱᕆ 9 –ᒥ .
ᐃᙱᕐᓂᖅ, ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᒧᒥᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓂ ᑐᓂᓯᒋᕗᖅ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᓂ ᑕᐅᑐᙳᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᓈᓇᑦᑎᐊᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᑖᑕᑦᑎᐊᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓯᕗᕚᑦᑎᓐᓂ–ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᖅᓯᒪᕙᓚᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐆᒪᕙᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂ.
ᐱᓰᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐊᖑᓇᓱᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᒌᓄᑦ ᐃᙱᖅᑕᐅᒐᔪᒃᐳᑦ. ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑐᙵᓱᒃᑎᑕᐅᕗᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᕼᐅᖅᑯᓪᓛᖃᑎᒌᒥᑦ ᐊᐃᑉᐹᓂ 7 ᐅᓐᓄᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ.
ᖁᐊᓇ ᕼᐊᐅᒐᒃ.
Quana Mom! I’m not too small to dance and sing, right? Mother Denica Nahogaloak assists two of her children to huqqullaaq drum dance during a practice on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021 in Cambridge Bay. From left, Okheena Ronald Kupeuna, 7, and little sister Palungayak Kyra Kupeuna, 2, are eager to sing and drum dance. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo
ᖁᐊᓇ ᐊᓈᓇ ! ᒥᑭᓗᐊᙱᑦᑐᖓ ᒧᒥᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᙱᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᕼᐃᓖ ? ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᑎᓂᑲ ᓇᕼᐊᒍᓗᐊᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂ ᕿᑐᕐᙵᒥᓂᑦ ᕼᐅᖅᑯᓪᓛᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐃᑉᐹᓂ, ᓄᕕᐱᕆ 9, 2021 –ᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ, ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ, ᐅᒃᕼᐄᓇ ᕌᓄᑦ ᑯᐱᐅᓇ, 7, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓇᔭᑯᓗᐊ ᐸᓗᖓᔭᒃ ᑲᐃᕋ ᑯᐱᐅᓇ , 2, ᖁᕕᐊᑉᐳᑦ ᐃᙱᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ .
Iyayiyaa.
The Huqqullaaqatigiit drum dance group is in full swing in Cambridge Bay. The songs of our Copper Inuit ancestors still live on and still echo throughout our land of the Inuinnait.
To sing and to dance in Cambridge Bay. Here is Sam Anayoak Jr. practising his drum dance skills, and he’s getting better at it. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo
ᐃᙱᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒧᒥᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ. ᐅᓇ ᓵᒻ ᐊᖓᔪᐊᒃ ᓄᑲᖅᖠᖅ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᔪᒥ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔪᙱᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᕗᖅ .
Julia Haogak Ogina and Jerry Puglik continue to teach the drum dance and songs. The Municipality of Cambridge Bay has been supportive over the years by providing space to practice for all ages at the Luke Novoligak Community Hall. It is the perfect place where the acoustic sounds of the pihiit (songs) of our ancestors can be heard for miles and for years. Singing, drum dancing and sewing the dance outfits also gives mothers a vision of our grandparents and ancestors — how they dressed and how they lived.
ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒥ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᔪᙱᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓕᓴᕋᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᕼᐅᖅᑯᓪᓛᖅᑎᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᐱᕼᐃᓂᑦ ᓯᕗᕚᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᐅᓇ ᐃᓄᑐᖃᖅ / ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨ ᔪᓕᐊ ᕼᐊᐅᒐᒃ ᐅᔩᓇ ᐃᙱᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓯᕐᓂ ᐅᓪᓘᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᒥ ᐆᒪᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥ. ᐃᒃᓯᕚᖅᑐᖅ ᕼᐊᐅᒐᖕᒥ ᓂᑰᓪ ᐅᐃᓪᑳᒃᔅ–ᖑᕗᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᔪᕈᖓ, 8–ᓂ–ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ ᐊᕝᕙ ᕕᓕᐳᕋᓐ–ᐅᐃᓪᑳᒃᔅ. ᐊᕝᕙ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓇᓱᐊᕈᒪᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐱᔪᒪᕐᔪᐊᖅᑐᖅ. ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᕗᖅ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᑦᑎᐊᑦ ᐊᑖᑕᑦᑎᐊᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᒥ ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ .
Practising how to beat the drum is one skill to easily learn as you huqqullaaq pihiit of our ancestors. Here is Elder/teacher Julia Haogak Ogina singing the songs of the days of hunting and living off the land. Sitting beside Haogak is Nicole Wilcox and her niece, eight-year-old Avva Villebrun-Wilcox. Avva wanted to try to learn how to beat the drum at a young age. So determined. It is more special when the parents and grandparents of a child come with them to the practices. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo
Songs of healing, hunting and family are often sung. Everyone is welcome to join Huqqullaaqatigiit on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the hall.
Quana Haogak.
