Agayuliyararput/Our Way of Making Prayer

Kegginaqut, Kangiit-llu/Yup'ik Masks and the Stories They Tell

Ann Fienup-Riordan, Marie Meade, Ann Fienup-Riordan

• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780295998664
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Native American Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

Drawing on the remembrances of elders who were born in the early 1900s and saw the last masked Yup'ik dances before missionary efforts forced their decline, Agayuliyararput is a collection of first-person accounts of the rich culture surrounding Yup'ik masks. Stories by thirty-three elders from all over southwestern Alaska, presented in parallel Yup'ik and English texts, include a wealth of information about the creation and function of masks and the environment in which they flourished. The full-length, unannotated stories are complete with features of oral storytelling such as repetition and digression; the language of the English translation follows the Yup'ik idiom as closely as possible. Reminiscences about the cultural setting of masked dancing are grouped into chapters on the traditional Yup'ik ceremonial cycle, the use of masks, life in the qasgiq (communal men's house), the supression and revival of masked dancing, maskmaking, and dance and song. Stories are grouped geographically, representing the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and coastal areas. The subjects of the stories and the masks made to accompany them are the Arctic animals, beings, and natural forces on which humans depended. This book will be treasured by the Yup'ik residents of southwestern Alaska and an international audience of linguists, folklorists, anthropologists, and art historians.

1. Kalikat Ikirrluki

Paul John-ankuk Andy Paukan-aaq-llu qalartellrak kegginaqut taicimallratnek Asaacaryamun Sheldon Jackson Museum-aamek 1989-aami.

Paul John, Nunakauyaq, April 1994

Cali-llu tuatnamacimcetun, piciryararkiumacimcetun, man’a maa-i kiingan nutemllarmun tangrruteksaguskevvut yuraq umyuaqelriani, ellarpallraam yui tamaq’apiarmeng yuraucirluteng ellmeng pimeggnek. Tamaani-llu ellarpall’er man’a kassugluku eglertellriartaitellruyaaquq, tengssuutetaitellrani, phone-artaitellrani, satellite-artaitellrani-llu. Qaillun nunarraminek tuaken cayarani aperturyarturciigatellruyaaqaa yuum yaaqsilrianun. Tuaten pisciigatellrung’ermi Agayutem tua-i piciryararkirluta cakuciungramta yuurcetellruyaaqelliniakut tuaten cayarangqelliniluta. Maa-i mat’um nalliini tangrrutngurtuq kiimi nutemllarmun mat’umun yuraq man’a.

Andy Paukan, Negeqliq, April 1994

Tamana pitekluku makut teggnerraat tua-i ikayuqluki qanertekluki makut maani ciuliamta a

kut piliallrit atullrit ataam makunun ayagyuanun tangercelluki. Ellaita iingitgun tangercelluki teggnernun makunun nalqigucelluki qayuw’ atutullrit, qayuwa-11’ piliaqetullrit. Tua-i nalqigcesqumaluki taumek ayagnillruukuk Tim Troll-aq-llu.

Tua-llu ayagniqatallratni yuarluta naken tamakunek yugtarnek pilianek ut’ruciyuumallemtenek. Tua Sheldon Jackson-aamek uumek niilluta tamaani yugtaat amllerrniluki. Tua-i 1989 Mountain Village-ami festival potlatch-aqataata tuani tamakut yugtaat nasvagyugluki kinguliamtenun makunun. Waniwa-11’ una wani [Paul John] tuani uitallruuq tamakut nasvallratni. Nallunriciiqaa kingunermini camani tamakut taikata qaill’ auluklerkait.

Ukugnek ta

aam teggenregnek Wassilie Evan—tayima allragni yuunri

lullruuq taun’ angun—una-llu Willie Beans Mountain Village-armiu, teggenruagnek, Kuigpagmi-llu piliallrit tamakut kegginaqut atutullrit, cat piliallrit nallunrilagneki tua-i maliklukek Sitka-mun atraullukek. Tuan’ atraqatallemteni camek nalluyaaqukut qayuwa eglertellerkamten̄ek. Ta

aam Peter Corey-m ciuniurluta, Tim Troll-aq malikluku, ciunerluta museum-aamun atraulluta. Tua-i itramta imumun Sheldon Jackson Museum-aamun narrlullagyaaqua, ta

aam-qaa makut maani maa-i tangrrarkaput. Cunawa elliviatni camani, storage room, nutaan amlleq yugtaq, Yupiit a

kut ciuliamta piliarit uitalriit nalluluki nurcillagyaaqlua.

Nutaan tua-i malrugni erenregni tuani taumi storage room-ami yuvrillruukut tamakunek yugtarnek Kuigpagmiutarnek cen̄amiutarnek-llu yuarluta. Taukuk tuani Wassillie Evan-am Willie Beans-am-llu tangerrluki tamakut elitaqnaurakek, una-gguq uum piklinia aterpaggluku-llu ciuliaq tauna. Uum-gguq una piliaqellinia elitaqaa-gguq. Tuaten malrugni ernerrluta, piyulkegnek ta

aam elkenka tua-i ut’rutarkaurrluta Mt. Village-amun. Qayutun, hundred cipluku canek pilinguanek kegginaqunek ciuliamta-ll’ a

kunek atutullritnek ut’rutellruukut tuani.

Malruk ta

aam ut’rucullerput Peter Corey-m pillruakut ut’rucesciigatnilukek. Tamaaken nuniitnek anesciigatnilukek. Uum wani Irurpiim, niitnaulalria Kuigpagmi, angalkullrem tamaani, cauyaanek ut’rucugyaaqluta, tua-i kingunranun tamaavet kinguvrinun-llu tangercecugyaaqluku taun’ cauyaq, pisqellrunritaa. Navriuteklermegteggu ecia qagertellrulliniatgu. Cimingnaqsaaqluku-llu tua elluamek cimirpek’naku. Tua-i tauna pitekluku ayaucetellrunritaa. Uum-llu cali Wassilie Evan-am, Anguyagpiim, elitaqluku taum tangtullruniluku Irurpiim cauyaa. Cauyaq tauna angellrunrituq. Angssiyaagpek’nani. Epukegciqapiarluni ta

ken yugmek, nasqurluni, tallirluni, irurluni-llu qukamikun ta

aam qupumaluni. Kegguteruarluni-llu avatek tamarmek. Tauna elitaqellrua Irurpagmun cauyaqniluku.

A

na cali egan, Tuutalgarmi egaciarat qikumek piliaruluni. Ecuilngurmek qikumek piluteng egacitullrulliniluteng tamaani. Ang’uq egalvall’er. Tauna cali ut’rucugyaaqluku, tua-i ut’rutesqevkenaku navegciqniluku eglerrnginanrani. Tamakut-gguq qikut, qikumek tangerqerluni tua-i pililaagyunaituq. Ta

aam-gguq cat qikut ilait tua-i ak’anun piutulit, tamakut-gguq ta

aam nakmikluki tamaa-i egacitullruut tuaten. Tuani Ecuilnguum iluani tamakucirtangqelliniluni. Taumek picirluta ut’rucullruyaaqerput tauna ut’rutesqellrunritaa.

Kuigpagmiullrem angalkum Irurpagmek pilallrata cauyaallran ayuqii. Cauyam teguyaraa yuguaruluni qilui alaunateng, aqsiigken-llu ukimallran avatek ungungssim keggutainek kapusvikumalutek. Cauyam-llu qamani iluan avatiini ciissiruartarluni paralucetun ayuqellrianek tamaa-i-gguq taum angalkum tuunrai. Willie Beans-aaq-llu piuq elliin tangvallruniluku tauna angalkuq tuunrillrani una cauyaq aturluku. Beans-aaq-llu piluni, “Caqerluta eglerrnginanemten̄i angyakun Kuigglualegmi niitellruaqa cauyallrani. Niitellruarput cauyallrani aturluni tuaten. Kuigpiim akiani akma uitallruuq ellii wangkuta-llu ukalirnerani, taugken qastuluni niitnaqluni. Taq’aqami atunermek nepliraqluni.” Jackson-aam una cauyaq pilqaa Qaluyaanek. Heye-aq-llu cali ayuqiinek pillruluni Kusquqvagmek 1900-aam ayagnengaarallran nalliini. Tamarmek Jacobsen-aankuk Nelson-aaq-llu waten aqsamegnegun qanrualegnek keggutelirlutek pilianek pillruuk, Nelson-aaq-llu qanlliniluni uum canguam yua waten keggutelilrianek qanengqerrarkauniluku. Sheldon Jackson Museum, Sitka

Drum like that belonging to the Yukon angalkuq Irurpak (Long Legs). The handle is a human figure with the body cut open to expose the internal organs, and the opening is lined with animal teeth. Inside the rim are wormlike figures said to represent the angalkuq’s helpers. Willie Beans remembered Irurpak’s using a similar drum in a healing session. He also recalled, “At one time when we were traveling with a boat, at Kuigglualek I heard him drumming. We could hear his drum and him singing. He was on one side of the Yukon River, and we were on the other, but we heard him very clearly. When he finished a song he would make a sound.” Sheldon Jackson Museum, Sitka, IIS171 (49.5 cm diameter)

Tua-i akwaugarpak, ernerpak, unuaqu-llu tuaten umyuarteqluta uum wani kingunrani (Paul John) 1996 Yup’ik Festival-aaqata tamakut ut’rutarkat kegginaqut kinguliamten̄un tangrresqelluki, makunun-llu teggnernun cali kangiit qanrutkesqelluki kinguliamten̄un, taun’ umyuaqluku tauna tuani ataam tuani Tuksugmi piyugyaaqluta. Tua-i una ciuliqagtekluku piyullrinek pikumta assinruciquq. Ayuqluku Kuigpagmek Kusquqvagmek-llu caliarit tamakut quyurrluki nasvagyugyaaqluki. Tamaa-i paivngarilliniut. Naken pillerkait nallunrircetai uum [Ann Fienup-Riordan]. Tamakunek akwaugarpak select-aararluta atrautarkanek piniartukut. Taumek ta

aam qanrutamci.

Paul John

Makut maani wangkuungramta mikelnguaraput taringesqumaaput ciuliat catullritnek. Tua-i-wa maa-i watua wangkuungramta irniaput, tutgaraput, kinguqlirkait-llu ciuliameng callritnek, tua-i-w’ nallullrat man’a elpekesqumayaaqngamegteggu, wangkuta waten pitarilriani makut maa-i ak’a ciuliamta atullrit tangrresqumaaput. Cali-llu man’a yuraryaraq arulairesqumavkenaku cali nutem avaken ciuliamten̄ek pikngamteggu, imutun tua angelriaruluku cakneq yuraryaraq man’a avaken ciuliamten̄ek atulriaruan.

Cali man’ yuraq pitekluku yuut waten quyurtaalallrat nunanun, tuani tua-i yurarvigkaatni waten ullagaluki naken quyurtaalallrat ikayuurpalliniuq. Ilakuyucim imutun nallunriutekelriatun ayuqluku. Tua-i ilakuyutnguqapiaralliniluni yugnun avaken ayagluta ciuliamten̄ek. Cali-llu ilakuyutnguami tungayiit, ilakutat nalluyaaqerraarluk’ waten yuraq pitekluk’ quyurtaqata nallunriraqluki. Tua-i ilakuyutngulliniami man’ yuraq avaken ayagluni, pimiutauluni, kenkutauluni.

Quliriqaqernaurtua ilakutellrata yuut tua-i-w’ ayagneqelriatun ayuqiitnek. Tamaani yuut ayagassuutaicaaqellruut makunek cukaluteng ayagalrianek. Una-ll’ cali waten ciuliamten̄ek ayagluni qaneryaraq: Ella-gguq allamek yuituq. Tamakut ella allamek yuitnilallermeggni, man’a maa-...