Anchorage, Alaska
Destination nº11.
A summer visit to Alaska, home to the Yup'ik people, where Grandmothers Rita and Marie live. Glaciers have been receding and there is a lot of pressure to start fracking in this natural paradise.
Rita Blumenstein and Marie Meade are members of the Yup’ik tribe and live in Anchorage. Both are recognized keepers and instructors of native languages and traditions. Master Rita from a very early age were able to see the light and knew that she was destined to be a healer. Master Marie is an instructor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she teaches Central Yup’ik language, Yup’ik orthography and Alaska Native dance classes. Masters Rita and Marie have been working together for more than 20 years. Over that time have they adopted many cultures and used technology to spread their wisdom. Nevertheless, their roots will always lie within the Yup’ik heritage.