The Messenger Feast or Kivgiq, Kevgiq (''Kivgiġñiq'' in
Iñupiaq dialect of
North Slope Borough
The North Slope Borough is the northernmost borough in the US state of Alaska and thus, the northernmost county or equivalent of the United States as a whole. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,031. The borough seat and largest city i ...
,
[ Iñupiaq Knowledge and Skills](_blank)
/ref> ''Kivgiqsuat'' in King Island King Island, Kings Island or King's Island may refer to:
Australia
* King Island (Queensland)
* King Island, at Wellington Point, Queensland
* King Island (Tasmania)
** King Island Council, the local government area that contains the Tasmanian is ...
Iñupiaq, ''Kevgiq'' in Yup'ik
The Yup'ik or Yupiaq (sg & pl) and Yupiit or Yupiat (pl), also Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Central Yup'ik, Alaskan Yup'ik ( own name ''Yup'ik'' sg ''Yupiik'' dual ''Yupiit'' pl; russian: Юпики центральной Аляски), are an I ...
), is a celebratory mid-winter festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
in Alaska traditionally held by Iñupiaq ( Tikiġaġmiut, Nunamiut
The Nunamiut or Nunatamiut ( ik, Nunataaġmiut, , "People of the Land") are semi-nomadic inland Iñupiat located in the northern and northwestern Alaskan interior, mostly around Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska.
History
Early Nunamiut lived by hunting carib ...
...) and Yup'ik
The Yup'ik or Yupiaq (sg & pl) and Yupiit or Yupiat (pl), also Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Central Yup'ik, Alaskan Yup'ik ( own name ''Yup'ik'' sg ''Yupiik'' dual ''Yupiit'' pl; russian: Юпики центральной Аляски), are an I ...
peoples after a strong whale harvest.[Hiroko Ikuta (2007)]
Iñupiaq pride: Kivgiq (Messenger Feast) on the Alaskan North Slope
Études/Inuit/Studies, vol. 31, n° 1-2, 2007, p. 343-364.
The event died out early in the twentieth century, when Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
missionaries in the area tried to eliminate traditional ceremonies. Shamanistic
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
rituals are no longer practiced, although some elders have information about these rites. Song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
and dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
have continued to be celebrated by Alaska Natives.
It was named for the two messengers sent to invite the guest village to the festival. Two Messengers (''kivgak'' dual ''kivgaq'' sg in Iñupaq; ''kevgak'' dual ''kevgaq'' sg in Yup'ik) would travel from host village to another village to invite the people to the Kivgiq.
Since the late 20th century, this festival has been held almost every year, but "officially" is held every two or three years in late January or early February. It is called at the discretion of the North Slope Borough Mayor. Kivgiq is an international event that attracts visitors from around the Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
.
Iñupiat people had celebrated Kivgiq for many centuries. However, the earlier representations of Kivgiq were discontinued in the early 20th century due to social, economical, and environmental pressures.
In 1988, after a lapse of more than 70 years, the modern Kivgiq was reconstructed. It is intended to inspire each Iñupiaq with an even stronger collective identity and enhanced ethnic pride.
See also
*Nalukataq
Nalukataq (, ''naluk-'' 'to throw it underhand; to toss it up' + ''kataq'') is the spring whaling festival of the Iñupiat of Northern Alaska, especially the North Slope Borough. It is characterized by its namesake, the dramatic Eskimo blanket t ...
*Bladder Festival The Bladder Festival or Bladder Feast (''Nakaciuq'' "something done with bladders" or ''Nakaciuryaraq'' "the process of doing something with bladders" in Yup'ik), is an important annual seal hunting harvest renewal ceremony and celebration held each ...
*Yup'ik dancing
Yup'ik dance or Yuraq, also Yuraqing (Yup'ik ''yuraq'' sg ''yurak'' dual ''yurat'' pl) is a traditional Inuit style dancing
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. Th ...
References
{{coord missing, Alaska
1988 establishments in Alaska
Festivals in Alaska
Inupiat culture
Recurring events established in 1988
Tourist attractions in North Slope Borough, Alaska
Yupik culture