Ulukhaktok Western Drummers and Dancers

Ulukhaktok Western Drummers and Dancers

“EVERY CULTURE HAS A DRUM. THAT’S WHAT CONNECTS YOU TO THE UNIVERSE, TO EVERYTHING THAT IS ALIVE. THE ANIMALS HAVE A HEARTBEAT, THE LAND HAS A HEARTBEAT, THE OCEAN HAS A HEARTBEAT, THE SKY HAS A HEARTBEAT. WHEN YOU START HEARING THE DRUMS, IT CONNECTS YOU TO EVERYTHING. IT REJUVENATES YOU. THE SOUND, THE HARMONY, THE BEAT TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY.”

- Mary K. Okheena

Dorian Kuneluk, David Ekpakohak, Troy Kataoyak, Lucas Kitekudlak

Anyone who has travelled the Inuvialuit Settlement Region will speak highly of Ulukhaktok. Its people and culture come with a reputation for friendliness and strength. But that kind of internal spirit, in a remote community of 400 people, takes effort to develop and maintain.

The Ulukhaktok Western Drummers and Dancers exemplify the history and culture of the people, and they carry on a tradition that stretches back in time across the Western Arctic and into Alaska. But keeping the culture of drum dancing alive was thanks to a small group of Inuvialuit in the late 20th century who couldn’t resist the beat.

Sisters Helen Kitekudlak and Mary K. Okheena recounted their families’ experience rejuvenating the Inuvialuit style of drum dancing in Ulukhaktok.

To pass time together in the early 1980s, Agnes Nanogak Goose and Jimmy Memogana, Helen’s father, began trying to remember the old Inuvialuit drum dance songs and would sing together. Jimmy made a makeshift drum, and the two got more into it when they could hear the beat.

Helen Kitekudlak

Mary K. Okheena

Above photos by Topsy Banksland

From there, they wanted to reconnect with other people in the Delta, as the culture of drum dance had become weak and rarely seen.

A group of Delta drummers and dancers visited Ulukhaktok in the ‘80s and spread some of the historical songs of hunting and happiness. That spurred more people in the remote Arctic community to become interested, and the group started to form.

“Our families used to visit each other a lot,” said Helen. “I remember them always having tea before bedtime. My parents’ house happened to be a popular place to gather before bed.”

One night, they started to sing, and before long, everyone joined in. It suddenly became the way to spend quiet nights in Ulukhaktok, and so the Ulukhaktok Western Drummers and Dancers came to be.

TODAY, THE INUVIALUIT STYLE OF DRUM DANCE IS ALIVE AND WELL IN ULUKHAKTOK, CONNECTING CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS TO THOSE WHO ARE LONG LOST, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.

Mistina Ekpakohak in front of Dorian Kuneluk, David Ekpakohak, Lucas Kitekudlak and Billy Goose

Most of the group’s songs are ancient, with their exact origins difficult to trace. The Inuvialuit style of drum dance dictates that the women don’t move their feet while doing their graceful arm movements, and the men drum from behind.

Hunting inspired many songs, as people would celebrate their catches through music and dance. All of the Ulukhaktok songs are meant to uplift and be cheerful. Some tell stories of hunting, but all are positive. Some have no words – just “ayayas” – while others have words corresponding to movements.

Mary had learned the central style before the western Inuvialuit style of drum dance. They differ in the beats, length of songs, subject matter and how they are performed.

“My mom loved the beat,” recalls Mary, whose mother was primarily a central-style dancer. “After we did some (western-style) songs with my dad, my mom would join in and she would start singing and I’d start drumming following her, and then she’d start laughing and say, ‘Not like that. You have to go sexy.’ Then she’d grab the drum from me and show me how it’s done with the movements and little jumps, which I’d copy.”

Karen Kitekudlak

In the early 2000s, the group faced internal struggle, with some members wanting to change dances or songs. This can be considered disrespectful, as the songs are meant to be performed in honour of the originators, and in the same style as the people who created them.

A new generation began to grow into the Ulukhaktok Western Drummers and Dancers, and among them was Karen Kitekudlak, daughter of Helen. She took the reins of the group and united the members going forward. Justin Memogana now leads the group and Bree Memogana is the lead female singer and dancer.

Today, the Inuvialuit style of drum dance is alive and well in Ulukhaktok, connecting current and future generations to those who are long lost, but never forgotten.

Darian Kuneluk, David Ekpakohak, and Troy Kataayak

Susie Memogana

I’m carrying on what my grandparents passed down. I started around 1995 when they were doing it at the learning centre here. We started off with practices once a week, and from there I kept going.

Sometimes, it feels heavy on my shoulders, and then once I start drum dancing and towards the end, it feels like a big weight has been lifted off. It’s a stress reliever for me.

Hopefully it carries on as the generations go on.

Lucas Kitekudlak

My great-grandfather used to always drum dance, and there are not many people drum dancing anymore. It’s a great tradition.

It makes me happy and feel free. All the stresses go away.

Troy Kataoyak

Once in a while, when you have a crappy week at work or this and that, drum dancing helps alleviate all the stress. You don’t need to keep it bottled up inside. It’s a connection to the past.

Mistina Ekpakohak

Drum dancing is my culture. My grandparents used to dance. It makes me feel better.

David Ekpakohak

My culture means everything to me. It means a lot to pass it down generation to generation.

When I drum dance, I feel so lifted and happy. It feels really good on the inside.

Bree Memogana

Drum dancing got me out of my dark place.

After my daduk and my mom passed away after each other, and then my nanuk passing away, I was in a really dark place. That’s when I quit showing up to the practices for so long, just doing my own thing and being bad.

Justin (Memogana) made me go back up. He said, “You’re not quitting.” So I went up and caught back on right away. I was at the point where I was starting to forget everything, the songs, the dances. And then I’ve just kept going from there.

Karen Kitekudlak

Everything about drum dancing just feels right.

Even before we perform, I get so nervous. I have a ball in my throat and I start sweating, especially if we are performing for dignitaries or cruise ships. But as soon as that first drum beat, that first note comes out, it just feels so right. It creates balance.

Billy Goose

The group was starting to die down a while ago, and the thought of that was bringing me down. My nanuk, Agnes Goose, whom I’m named after, was one of the dancers here, so I’d love to keep the culture going.

It takes my mind off the things that worry me throughout the world. There are so many things that make me worry, like how we’re going to adapt to travelling and time on the land because of global warming. Drum dancing makes me feel warm inside and cared for.

Spirit of the Song

On the way to our drum dancing excursion on the land with the Ulukhaktok Western Drummers and Dancers, Dorian Kuneluk’s skidoo caught fire and couldn’t be put out.

It burned to the ground, but that didn’t seem to dampen his mood.

“It was really sad, but I just kept smiling,” said Dorian. “It’s replaceable. It isn’t hard to buy a new one. It was scary at first but when I got off the skidoo, I just kept smiling and laughed, made jokes about it. It’s all good.”

After making sure the fire was out and everyone was okay, he hopped on a different sled and we rode out to Martha’s Lake to fish, hunt and dance.

Drum dancing always lifts his spirit.

“It makes me happy every time I’m down. Every time I’m mad, I always go drum dance. It makes my heart feel better, takes all the pain away.”

Always Ready for an Impromptu Goose Hunt

Hunters by nature, the Ulukhaktok Western Drummers and Dancers came prepared on their drum dance outing.

Dorian Kuneluk first spotted a small flock of geese on the ride out. When the group reached Martha’s Lake, David Ekpakohak started calling them, and the flock circled overhead.

The hunters grabbed their guns, while the rest of the group crouched, watched and smiled.

Though no geese were hit, the event was a sign of the real start of spring, and was one of the first geese visits to Ulukhaktok of the season.

In the Arctic, there’s never a wrong time to hunt geese.