@ALWAYSINDIGENOUSMEDIA
ART EXPRESSION THROUGH ART HEALS AND NOURISHES OUR COMMUNITIES AND OURSELVES.
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Art heals, nourishes, and strengthens community and culture. In an extractive economy, art is elitist, transactional, and hierarchical. This forces artists to prioritize the careerism, materialism, and cash value of their creations. A Just Transition rooted in Indigenous traditions returns to the sacredness of creation itself. That art is both a gift and a skill that needs to be accessible to all, rooted in community, and focused on teaching and self-expression.
MUSIC AND DANCE Traditional dance festivals in Alaska bring together dancers and spectators from across the state. These festivals range in size from the statewide AFN to the Teller Dance Festival which features dancers from local communities like Shishmaref, Nome, and Wales. Music is a powerful way to strengthen community and culture. Bands like Pamyua instill pride in their community, and festivals such as Rock Aak'w virtual festival feature Indigenous musicians and provide a crucial platform to elevate these groups.
TRADITIONAL ART Alaskan artists strengthen their communities by using art to educate community members and pass down culture. In Juneau, Planet Alaska, an Alaska Native woman-owned gallery, puts on many educational and community programs such as the Planet Alaska Plant Symposium: Stewards of the Land, which teaches traditional Tlingit plant knowledge. In Gambell, artist Lydia Apatiki created a St. Lawrence Island Traditional Sewing Curriculum that teaches traditional sewing and the related St Lawrence island Yu’pik vocabulary. Teachers purchase the curriculum online to use with their students.
