This is a picture of a family from Gambell between 1921 and 1928. It was taken by Philip Reed during the time he was serving his military time. Gambell is a village on St. Lawrence Island with a Siberian Yupik community. The other village on St. Lawrence Island is Savoonga, which is also a Siberian Yupik community.
The earthquake of 1964 had a huge impact on the lives of those who were in the disaster. This natural disaster did not just take lives, but also took many valuables of the people. For instance small businesses, stores, and homes were claimed by the devastating shake. The earthquake of 1964 also known as the “The Big One” greatly affected the economy, but this did not stop the pounding hearts of the great Alaskans.
Native dancing has been around for many years. It is used as a way of communicating stories and feelings throughout Alaska. Alaskan native dancing brings the community together by providing a way to communicate and cooperate as a team to portray stories of the past and present. Alaskan Native people dance for many reasons, they dance to celebrate, tell stories, remember family, tell stories, and last but not least, good hunting.
Whale hunting is a prestigious tradition that Siberian Yup'ik and Inupiat take pride in, enabling them to build community and stregthen realtionships. After successful whale hunts, these northern nations have feasts that bring the people together. Each indivdual is valued for providing food for their entire community.
