Create a Yup’ik Dance Fan
When Molly travels around Alaska with her mother, she learns about Alaska Native traditional songs and dances. In another Alaska Native culture, Yup’ik dancers move their arms and bodies to illustrate the lyrics of the dance. They use Tegumiak, which are dance fans that show off beautiful movements during ceremonial dances. During the Yup’ik winter ceremony called Kelek, dances are performed that honor animals. The Tegumiak flow with the arms of the dancers and help tell stories about nature, animals, and the Yup’ik people. Yup’ik Tegumiak dance fans are decorated with furs and feathers.
Here’s how to refer to Yup’ik dance fans:
- Tegumiaq: dance fan (singular)
- Tegumiak: dance fans (pair)
- Tegumiat: dance fans (more than three)
Find out how you and your child can make your own Tegumiaq for dancing below.
Materials
Directions
Cut a large hole, about 5 inches in diameter, at the center of a paper plate.
Punch holes along the outside of the paper plate, about an inch apart. If you don’t have a hole punch, you can make the fan by taping feathers or paper cut into feathers to the paper plate.
Punch a second row of holes along the inside of the paper plate — creating stacked pairs of holes.
Push a feather into the top hole and out the bottom hole.
Continue adding feathers. Yup’ik dance fans traditionally have 5 feathers in each fan.
Feathers, furs, and fans can help tell stories, too, as you learned by making your own Yup’ik Tegumiaq using informational text. Quyana — Thanks for making a dance fan with Molly!
Explore Further
Make two Tegumiak — one for each hand — and try performing a dance. Now think of a story that you want to tell a friend or family member. Can you tell that story as a Yup’ik dance? Write down the steps to your dance so others can follow along.
Help your child continue learning about the different types of Yup’ik dance fans. After searching for images of Yup’ik dance fans, use assorted materials to create another type of dance fan. Then, record how you made it by taking photos or making a video that you can share with family and friends.
We hope you had fun together! Snap a photo of you and your child doing the activity and share it with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. We’d love to see how it turned out!
Want more “Molly of Denali” activities? Check out the Make Spiced Oatmeal Muffins recipe and the Make a Beaded Necklace craft to continue the fun!
Author: 
Arts