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
/ref> ''Kivgiqsuat'' in King Island 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 ...

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

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 spiri ...

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 repetit ...

and dance 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. 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.

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

See also

References