Culture Camp

Part of the reason that we’ve been putting off this blogpost is because Culture Camp was such a big project, it’s difficult to summarize…

In a nutshell, working alongside the Junior Council, we put on a 2 week summer camp that revolved around cultural preservation of Accompong Maroons. Here’re some key facts to help better understand the camp:

-Indigenous groups worldwide are seeing their unique cultures and traditions disappear within two generations, largely due to globalization and influences of Western culture. Experiencing this firsthand in Alaska, we also see this in Accompong.

-Many experts believe that this loss of identity is much of the cause of the rampant social ills found in many of these indigenous communities.

-In attempt to revitalize Native culture and traditions in Alaska, culture camps are practiced throughout the state, bringing younger generations and older generations together in a structured format to teach and share skills, knowledge, and traditions that otherwise would be lost.

-We decided to do this here in Accompong.

-We had roughly 60 students attend ages 9-20.

-All classes taught were focused on Maroon culture: Traditional Drum Building, Traditional Cooking, Ambush, Abeng Making and Blowing, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Drumming, and Traditional Singing and Dancing.

-All classes were taught by community experts and elders from Accompong.

-A history lesson was also taught each morning by local elders.

-Seeing an 83 year old man show a 15 year old teenage boy how to build a traditional drum is emotionally moving.

-Watching an elderly woman lead a traditional song and dance with a group of high school students of whom most likely never would have paid attention to her otherwise, who probably were ignorant to the wealth of knowledge only she knows… this can bring tears to your eyes.

-Witnessing some of the youths in our community pick up and learn skills that not even their parents can do is powerful.

-Reviving a lost culture, reclaiming a unique identity, empowering a people –even if for just a small moment in time- is one of the greatest things we’ve been a part of since stepping off the plane in Kingston.