INGALIK INDIANS

THESE FOLKS ARE NORTHERN ATHAPASKANS AND THEIR WORLD VIEW IN WHICH ALL OBJECTS HAD A SPIRIT OR WORLD VIEW. IN THE BEGINNING PEOPLE, ANIMALS AND INANIMATE OBJECTS LIVED TOGETHER AND SHARED . LATER THEY SEPARATED AND COULD NOT COMMUNICATE. PEOPLE WERE DEPENDANT ON ANIMALS AND KEPT IN GOOD TERMS WITH THEM WITH THEM. INCREASE CEREMONIES WERE PERFORMED TO ATTRACT GAME AND ENSURE A STEADY SUPPLY- THEY SANG SONGS . THEY ALSO SANG SONGS FOR GOOD HUNTING AND FISHING LUCK, CURE ILLNESS AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE SPIRITS. NEARLY EVERYONE HAD SHAMANIC POWER. AMULETS ARE BITS OF BONE, FEATHERS WERE WORN BY ALL. THEY HAD A RICH MYTHOLOGY AND THEY HAD A PROMINENT NUMBER - #4.

IN 1845 THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PRIESTS ARRIVED AMONG THE INGALIK AND BAPTIZED 437 INDIANS, ALTHOUGH CHRISTIANITY WAS SUPERFICIAL TO THE INDIANS. BY 1887-1888 ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES WERE ON THE YUKON AREA. TODAY THE INGALIK ARE NOMINAL CHRISTIANS. THE INGALIK WORLD WAS CREATED BY DENATO, A FATHER FIGURE. MANY BEINGS INHABITED THE INGALIK WORLD. GUYEP WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS SPIRIT OF DEATH. ANIMALS AND SALMON PEOPLE SPIRITS WERE COMMON.

THE INGALIK PARTICIPATED IN THE CEREMONIES AND OWNERSHIP OF SONGS AND PARTICIPATED IN THE CEREMONIES AND OWNERSHIP OF SONGS. THEY PARTICIPATED IN THE SUPERNATURAL WORLD. SHAMANS WERE POWERFUL AND DERIVED POWER FROM THE DREAMS - OR ANIMAL SPIRITS. POWER COULD BE GOOD OR EVIL. THE PRIESTS VIEWED SHAMANISM AS PAGAN. THE SHAMAN COULD ATTRACT FISH AND GAME AND ENSURE SUCCESS IN WARFARE. BY 1930'S IT WAS NO LONGER A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THEIR CULTURE AS PRIESTS ERADICATED IT.

THE INGALIK HAD 7 CEREMONIES WHICH ENSURED PLENTIFUL FOOD SUPPLY. THE FALL DOLL CEREMONY PREDICTED GAME SUPPLY. A BLADDER CEREMONY WAS DONE ANY TIME IN WINTER FOR OFFERING ANIMAL BLADDER TO INCREASE THE GAME. MIDWINTER THEY HELD A POTLATCH FOR THE DEAD. THEY HONORED THE DECEASED AND THEY HAD FOUR CEREMONY OF GIFTS AND CLOTHING TO GUESTS. AFTER POTLATCH THERE WERE ANIMAL CEREMONIES. A SERIES OF SYMBOLIC AND IMITATIVE DANCES AND SINGING INTENDED TO ENHANCE THE GAME SUPPLY. HOT DANCE WAS AN EVENING OF DANCING ON THE 4TH NIGHT OF THE POTLATCH OF THE DEAD. SPRING MASK DANCE WAS GIVEN FOR GUESTS FROM ANOTHER VILLAGE WITH FEASTS AND GIFTS TO ANOTHER VILLAGE. A PARTNERS POTLATCH WAS DONE ANYTIME TO BRING PRESTIGE TO A VILLAGE. THE DOLL AND BLADDER CEREMONY ENDED IN THE LATE 1800'S.

THEIR GIFTS INCLUDE MASKS, BOWLS, AND CEREMONIAL OBJECTS, CLOTHNG MADE FROM CARIBOU SKINS. PORCUPINE QUILL, AND FEATHERS AND DENTALIUM SHELLS DECORATE CEREMONIAL CLOTHING. THEIR POTTERY IS INCISED. THE WOMEN WERE TRADITIONALLY TATTOOED WITH SHORT LINES. MEN HAD LIP PLUGS.

THEY WERE USED FOR MEDICINE AND ANIMALS THERAPY. SOUL LOSS REQUIRED SHAMANISTIC THERAPY. HE WOULD USE SPIRIT HELPERS. SUCKING, AND BLOWING TO EFFECT A CURE. THEY BELIEVED THAT WHEN A PERSON DIED THEY LOST THEIR SPIRIT. THEY HELD A 4 DAY SINGING AND DANCING CEREMONY. THEN THEY BURIED OR CREMATED THE DEAD. THEY BELIEVED THEIR SPIRIT TRAVELED TO THE UNDERWORLD, TAKING FOUR DAYS. CLOSE RELATIVES MOURNED. WITH THE INCREASE CEREMONY THE COMMEMORATION WAS A PRINCIPAL FEATURE OF THE INGALIK CEREMONY.

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