Teresa Pingayaq instructs a student while another observes. She taught Mount Edgecumbe High School students how to make Yupik/Chupik head dresses. (KCAW photo/Enrique Pérez de la Rosa)

Mount Edgecumbe High School students spent this week learning traditional crafts from great Native Alaska artists from across the state. They created drums, head dresses, bentwood visors and learned to sing and dance Yupik songs. On Wednesday, these artists joined volunteer disk jockey Dave Sam on his show, Indigenous and Other Expressions, to talk about their time teaching at Mount Edgecumbe. You can listen to their conversation below.

Steven Blanchet sang Yupik & Inupiaq songs while instructing students traditional dancing during founder’s week at Mount Edgecumbe High School. (KCAW photo/Enrique Pérez de la Rosa)
John Pingayaq shows a group of Mount Edgecumbe High School students the art of Yup’ik/Chupik drum making. He also taught them how to make dance fans. (KCAW photo/Enrique Pérez de la Rosa)
Elaine Kingeekuk taught students how to make St. Lawrence Island Yup’ik gut baskets during Founder’s Week at Mount Edgecumbe High School. (KCAW photo/Enrique Pérez de la Rosa)