For generations, Eskimo dance has been an important and enjoyable part of Yupik and Iñupiaq social life. It builds relationships among people and between humans and animals. The concept of good performance in Eskimo dance is related to their view of society, in which every person has a meaningful role in their particular niche and contributes to build the community. Themes of dances often draw on imagery and pragmatic activities in daily life. Understanding animal movements in Eskimo dance requires one to have the ability to recognize inter-species sociality between humans and animals. It represents embodied knowledge developed over a lifetime of practice. This presentation explores how knowledge embodied in Eskimo dance derives from their involvement in a continuous process of life experience and social memory in the Arctic.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Burma (Myanmar) has been in the news with the trial of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Edith Mirante, author of two books on Burma and director of Project Maje, a Burma information project, will speak about the current situation, Cyclone Nargis, 2007's Saffron Revolution, and relations with neighboring China and India, as well as evolving US policy. Mirante reveals the courage of Burma’s people and how our own country’s actions and individual involvement can affect their plight.
To find out more about Edith Mirante, please view the following websites:
Down The Rat Hole
Burmese Looking Glass
Update on Burma (You Tube)
How Things Are In Burma
More on Edith Mirante
Co-sponsored by the International Student Association, The Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program, and the Dickey Center
