Unipkaaġusisuġuvik (the place of the future/ancient)

above:  the Kisaġviġmiut Traditional Dancers

It was the year 2016.  I was set to install an Ińupiaq ceremonial house, a Qargi, placed in the time/space between the hyper-hyper future and the super-super ancient.  It was called Unipkaaġusiksuġuvik (the place of the future/ancient) and was set to be installed on the entire fourth floor of the Anchorage Museum for two months, in which I would physically occupy the exhibition about 85 percent of all the Museum's opening hours. 

Part of the installation included benches, that would be traditionally on both sides of the Qargi.  We have traditional dances called bench dances, and we nowadays, we perform them on the ground, or on the edge of the stage, or most often, on chairs.  I thought it was amazing that we had near to original bench as the original benches might be, and I wanted to activate the space by forming a traditional dance group.

I put a post on facebook asking if there was anyone that knew how to drum, who knew old songs. People responded with a name of someone who lived in my same city of Anchorage, Isaiah Patkotak MacKenzie.  We chatted for a bit on facebook and then decided to have a phone call. 

Turns out he is my cousin.  And, he is 16 and still in high school.  On our phone call, there was this amazing energy, like it was meant to be.  We decided to meet up, and the Kisaġviġmiut Traditional Dancers was formed.  He is pictured above, in the middle, standing and dancing, leading everyone in the bench dances that we are learning, collectively.  I am dancing in the far back, on the bench.

We started practicing in the theatre of the Anchorage Museum before the exhibit was up.  We kept the dance group going for around four years give or take a year.  At the last year, I let go of my co-leadership position, and he led the group on his own.  

​Below is an interview about the exhibition.

We're All In This Together