Here are some notes from my friend Asikłuk:
"Tatqiġġuuq suli nuiḷġaaqami auraġnaġiaylaitchuġġuuq. Siqiñiġmiñ iŋaiġuti’ami, ukiuq takiraqtuq. Aasriiñ siqiñiq nuiḷġaaqami auraġnaġiaġaqtuġġuuq. Iñuich niqaiqsuat auraġnaġiaqman quyaraqtuq. Aasriiñ auraġnaġianġitman, taragguuq nagliksaaġaqtut, iḷaŋich kakkaaqhutiŋ. Taimani taatnaqhutiŋ ittuatlaiññiqsuat. Taatna niqi katinniuraqługu ataramik piraqniqsut.”
"There are four days in December when the sun will be completely gone from the sky in our area [Northwest Alaska]. After these four days, our people watch the night sky to see if the moon comes up first, our people know that the winter will be long. Summer will be late if the moon comes up first. If the sun comes up first, the people will be happy. They know that there will be an early spring. Winter will be short and summer will soon be there. Food supplies are usually short by the beginning of spring so an early spring is an event to be happy about. It will mean that the birds and the fish will soon be in our area for us to hunt and catch. In the event that winter will be prolonged, we take extra caution to ration our winter supply of food during the second half of the winter season. We make sure that we do not starve before summer comes.”
Minnie Gray and Ruthie Sampson
Atautchikun Gazhee (We are celebrating Gazhee together)!
Our ceremonies and celebrations are sacred. My great-uncle shared about Gazhee which was a seven-day event around this time of year. Ceremonies evolve over time, and we do not want to forget our connections to our ancestors. Today we remember Gazhee by singing to the Winter Solstice Siqiñiq (Sun). Though the ceremony has changed, it is not forgotten. Today, we feel our ancestors present, and we look forward to a new year with family and friends.
Every year on the Solstice, Asikłuk, his wife Amy, and The Pavva Iñupiaq Dancers have a small ceremony to watch the sun rise from the UAF Troth Yeddha' campus.
