Stebbins Yup’ik Beats
A film by Bjorn Paje.
This film explores the origins of Stebbins Yup’ik songs, their composition and performance, and the community’s unifying efforts to uphold their traditions and invite other villages to participate in their celebrations. This film features interviews with village elder Morris Nashoanak Sr. and Blaine, a Filipino teen who recently moved to Stebbins.
This film was created at See Stories’ Professional Development Retreat for Educators in Homer Alaska, in June 2024 as part of the Digital Storytelling as a Culturally Responsive Teaching Tool course.
Classroom Guide
Essential Questions
- How do the music and dance in this video reflect the cultural values and traditions of the Yup’ik people?
- In what ways does community participation play a role in the preservation and performance of Yup’ik musical traditions?
- Why is it important to maintain and share Indigenous cultural practices, such as those shown in the video, today?
Standards
- Geography: A1 “Students should be able to analyze and explain how human and physical features influence history, culture, and the interdependence of places and regions.”
- Cultural Standard E.2 “Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between their local environment, cultural traditions, and the use of natural resources.”
Workshop Info
These films were created at See Stories' Professional Development Retreat for Educators in Homer Alaska, in June 2024 as part of the Digital Storytelling as a Culturally Responsive Teaching Tool course.
More videos from this workshop:
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Land Acknowledgement
This video was filmed on Yup'ik/Cup'ik Land. Learn more about land acknowledgements at native-land.ca.