Arts and Entertainment

Photos: 2013 Alaska Federation of Natives Quyana

FAIRBANKS -- Never been to the annual Alaska Federation of Natives conference? Think about it as you might a state fair. There are booths selling clothes, handicrafts and fried food. Old friends reunite. And like a state fair, there are always a few politicians politicking.

The daily schedule at AFN always addresses some heavy topics, including alcoholism, health care, domestic violence and subsistence. While the mood during the day isn't exactly somber, it certainly isn't anything like the mood at Quyana, the evening dance celebrations.

At Quyana, everyone seemed to forget the heavy topics of the day for a moment, reveling in the heartbeat of the drums. Dance groups from across the state filled the stage with joyous sound and energy. Groups like Barrow's Suurimmaanitchuat (which means "I don't give a darn") and Copper River's Ahtna Heritage Dancers, a group of students dressed in moose-hide outfits, filled Fairbanks' Carlson Center with the sounds of drums and song.

Each group invited the audience to join them on stage for a few songs, and when the stage was full, as it was every time, people danced in the aisles. Parents brought their children on stage, and the kids were so into it that they didn't understand why they couldn't dance along with every song. Quyana continues at 7 tonight in the Carlson Center. Tickets are $10 for general admission.

Loren Holmes is multimedia editor at Alaska Dispatch. Email him at loren(at)alaskadispatch.com and follow Dispatch on Instagram.

ADVERTISEMENT