Mary Mike, St. Marys, October 1994

Yuramek ciumek pilartut uksuarmi, aug'umi cauyarvigmi-gguq atungluteng. Ukut-llu tua-i taqngameng, mat'umi tua-i ayagnirlaryugnarqut taukut Amigtulirmiullret, arulamek. Tua-i taugken arulamaluteng, tuar wangni arulamalalriit. Caliluteng-llu-w tuaten muragnek pilaameng, kegginaquliluteng. Unuaquaqan tua-i atakumi arulaurnaurtut.

Kegginaqulgiyuunateng allanret. Taukut taugaam nunalget kegginaqurluteng arulaaqluteng apalluqluki tamakut kegginaqut. Canguat pinguat yuarutnun apalliutaqluki.

Nangniillratni cunaw'--yuirulluteng, yuut nalaurluteng imkut ellangellemni ilaklallrit qasgimtellallret tamaani. Amllerpek'nateng taukut kegginaqullermeggni alairilriit. Imkut-wa aturlalteng mingugluki uiterinqiggluki nutarrluki aturngalkait tuani allanek pilivkenateng. Tuani taugaam ciungani allanek pilillrulriit. Iternaurtukuk inglerem qaug'um acia patumaluni cingyaamek. Cunaw' tua-i kegginaqunek imalek. Allanret tekipailgata patumaurluki.

In the fall during what people called "the time for drumming" men would begin singing, doing the yuraq dancing first. After that part of the dance cycle, probably around February, at Amigtuli people would start arulat [motion dances accompanied by songs with verses]. This dancing extended for a long time, because men would also be making masks. Every day they would dance in the evening.

The guests never brought masks with them. Only the host village would dance with masks, which had songs composed specifically about them. Appropriate lyrics would reflect what the masks depicted.

Evidently it was the last masked dancing in that area. Many elders I saw participating in ~asgiq events had already died. At that time a few shamans presented their masks. It appeared that they repainted masks that they had presented before instead of making new ones. Before that time they presented new masks each time. The space under the bench was covered with cloth. Evidently, behind it were many masks. They kept them covered before the guests arrived.

Mask Detail and Main Gallery Information

Based on the exhibit curated by Ann Fienup-Riordan