Hivshu Robert Peary began his life in Siorapaluk, Greenland, the northernmost community in the world and when he speaks of his people's history he makes clear the ties that bind one people spread across so vast a distance as the Arctic of Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland. He tells of a time when his ancestors were living near where the village of Kaktovik, Alaska, sits today when they divided up to fish for arctic char and salmon. A group that he refers to as "The Elders" began to move east until they reached Greenland.
white They brought their songs and dances, some of which are still performed today in each nation.
"I was raised up among hunters, telling me the stories, and then the white man took me away from my parents when I was 9 years old," Hivshu says. He was first sent to a boarding school not too far from the village, but at the age of 12 was sent to Denmark. "They were trying to teach me the life of the man." Hivshu questioned what he was being taught should replace his own life. "I was trying to tell teachers, 'you were teaching us from one man's way of understanding. My knowlege and wisdom is 50,000 years old from my ancestors.'
"'I am trying to tell you that but you don't believe me, you want to stick with the book and tell what it is about. When it is not right, I cannot take it as something I want to keep, so you keep it, I go home, be among the people, my people, learn more about the wisdom of life, because I was supposed to tell the stories and sing the songs.'"
When he first learned to dance as a young man, Hivshu, who is now 54, kept it secret, but then decided he needed to go before the very people who had sought to take his culture from him.
"I began to understand that the white man never understood our dance. It is very important for me to tell the white man why we are doing that. We are not cultural clowns. When they want festivites, to have entertainment, 'you entertain us and we'll eat.' I don't do that. You can get some other people who are entertaining.'
"'I am telling about life. I'm telling and dancing and singing about life. It's too important for me. When you are eating, just talking to each other. It will be like I am talking to no one at all. If you are not listening, I go. Try another to entertain you while you are eating.'"
In 1999, Hivshu met "some scientists" from the University of Copenhagen who wanted to rewrite a book about his people that was done in the 1930's. He told them the book was not accurate. They asked him to spend a year-and-half working with them, but he told them a year-and-half would not belong enough.
In 2002, he began to work with the scholars on the book. He is living in Sweden to complete the book, because, he says, if he goes home he will be out hunting and fishing and will never get it written.
Hivshu gets his name from his great-grandfather, the polar explorer Admiral Robert E. Peary, who had two son's with Hivshu's great-grandmother.
After he danced, Hivshu spotted a young man named Shane from Canada's Northwest Territories who he had seen perform the night before with the Inuvialuit Drummers Dancers. He walked over to him and draped his arm over his shoulder. "I'm proud of you," he said. "He's young, look at him. He's young, keeping our traditions and songs and dances. He's a perfect example of young people trying their best to keep our ancestors way of life. Eighteen years old and he wants to dance his way of life, to understand life is dancing and singing. and telling the people, the beautiful dances of our people, our ancestors, life and universe.:
"That's my culture," Shane beamed. "It was my grandfather's that made me start dancing. I love it."
Shane, performing with the Inuvialuit Drummers and Dancers.
Inuivialuit drummer, Phillip Elanik.
The Kuugmiut Dancers from Wainwright, Alaska - Betty Ann Bodfish, Ardyce Nayakik, Iqaluk Nayakik and her very popular daughter, Raquel.
McRidge Nayakik and Iqaluk Nayakik, Kuugmiut Dancers, Wainwright.
Jimmy Kagak drums for Kuugmiut Dancers.
After their performances, Wainwright and Inuvialuit gathered together in the middle of floor to do an invitational dance. All present were invited to join them.
In this picture there are faces from Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland, all dancing together.
Three Russian Inuit girls, dancing in front of the Wainwright Drums.
Afterward, Hanne Qvist and Leif Immanuelson of Nuuk performed on the fiddle and according. Leif is originally from Kangersuatsiaq in north Greenland and only recently moved to Nuuk. He learned to play the accordion as child and notes that there are several accordion and fiddle players from his village.
The instruments were introduced to them by commercial whale hunters. "They wanted to teach us how to polka," he explains. Even as the whale hunters introduced the new instruments, a zealous priest went through the village, gathered up all the Inuit drums and burned them.
Leif is proud that, at this ICC, he beat his traditional drum in the opening ceremonies. When he first learned to drum, he would perform only with a mask on his face. "Now I am more confident. I drum in the open," he says.
Soon, many in the crowd spun about the floor in a vigorous square dance.
Jack Hopstad, fiddler - Alaska's Kuskowkwim Fiddle Band. Here, he plays the lonesome "Eagle Island Blues," an Athabascan love song written by a trapper wintering on the Yukon River's Eagle Island. He is missing the woman he loves.
As I listened to the longing that came out of Jack's fiddle, I found myself missing her, too.
Three little girls, loving the Kuskokwim Fiddle Band.
Anthony Shields, base guitarist for the Kuskokwim Fiddle Band.
Kuskokwim Fiddle Band lead guitarist Bobby Gregory puts his whole soul into the classic, "Take the Ribbon From Your Hair." Each time he repeated the verse,
I don't care what's right or wrong,
I don't try to understand.
Let the devil take tomorrow.
Lord, tonight I need a friend...
he brought the crowd to a cheering scream.
When he sang it, everyone could understand.