Alaska Life

Video: Alaska Native dancers at First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference

The Ovluaq Dance Group from Barrow performed at the 2014 First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference Wednesday, Oct. 22 in Anchorage, marking the end of three days full of music and dance, educational workshops, and words of inspiration. The bird dance, called Kaa Kaa, originally came from Russia as part of an exchange between Russian Eskimo dancers and a northern Alaska Eskimo dance group. Kaa Kaa, better known as the Raven Dance, was bartered back in 1988 as part of an effort to revive this nearly lost tradition of dance. The Alaska Native dance traditions of Barrow are carried on by the Ovluaq Dance Group through the knowledge passed on from the many elders in the area.

Watch this video on Vimeo or YouTube, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great videos. Contact Tara Young at tara(at)alaskadispatch.com.

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