^B00:00:13 >> Stephen Winick: Welcome to the American Folklife Center's 2022 Home Grown at Home Concert Series. I'm Stephen Winick. For many years we've presented the Home Grown Concert Series featuring the best in folk music and dance from around the world. In Washington, DC, in the Library of Congress. But, in the year 2020 because of the global pandemic we shifted to producing an online video concert series, which we've been calling Home Grown at Home. Artists in whatever configuration they can safely play in, record a video concert for us and submit it to us for this series. So, now it's 2022 and this is our third year of Home Grown at Home Concerts, because we're still being cautious about bringing audiences together. We love to support and present indigenous artists in this series and this is our second year running in which we're presenting Inuit musicians. So this year it's a group based in Alaska and we are very proud to bring Pamyua into this series this year. So to get some more background and context for our concerts we interview the performers whenever we can and I am here today with members of Pamyua, Phillip Blanchett and Stephen Blanchett. So welcome Phillip and Stephen. >> Phillip Blanchett: Guyana. >> Stephen Blanchett: Hello, Guyana. >> Phillip Blanchett: Yeah thanks for having us. >> Stephen Winick: So, you're very welcome we love to have these conversations and one challenge I do have in doing these interviews, is pronouncing the names of bands and people from a wide variety of cultures. So do you want to pronounce your groups name to be sure that we have it right from the beginning? >> Phillip Blanchett: Well you had it perfect. The name of our group is Pamyua. And the p is a little deceiving, but it's pronounced more like a b in our language, Pamyua. So yeah you said it. >> Stephen Winick: You call it Pamyua, alright. >> Phillip Blanchett: You got it. >> Stephen Winick: So, if, yeah, great, thank you so much. So, while we're talking about the language and how things are pronounced, just tell us a little bit about Yup'ik. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah, well, yeah we come from the southwestern part of Alaska. We, known as the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, which is home to [foreign word], which is a town that we grew up in and about 57 villages that surround that hub, that regional hub. And that's home to the Yup'ik Inuit people, our language is called Yup'ik, our people are called Yup'ik. And it's part of the Inuit language family, which quickly it spans from like the kind of eastern part of Russia all through the southwestern part of Alaska, including the [foreign word] and Aleutic. Up in the [foreign word] area of Alaska. Over northern part of Canada with the Inuit Inuktitut. And then in Kalaallisut in Greenland. So that's home to the Inuit language family and so, which is a very closely related language. And so and which is kind of the basis a lot of our music. And kind of reaching into our cultural foundation, you know, one of our members is from Greenland. And so, you know, we love incorporating those traditional aspects of our Inuit brothers and sisters. >> Stephen Winick: Excellent. So in reading a little bit about your music I found out about the kind of song that people call drumsongs among the Inuit peoples. Could you explain a bit about the drumsong tradition, what that is? >> Phillip Blanchett: Yeah, you know, there's a lot kind of as difficult, I hate to say lost in translation, but it's the definitions are more of a conversation. Because in, when describing the music that we're inspired from, it comes from a tradition, a tradition of ceremony that involved, you know, dancing which is very still popular today in our culture, is our form of dancing. And those of course to dance you need something to dance to and so those are the songs that we, that inspire each song. Or, you know, each dance and the choreography is kind of painting the picture of what's being talked about in each song. And for, within our culture and actually all the Inuit cultures and most indigenous cultures, the most important accompanying instrument is the drum. And so we have our songs and our traditions are, we like to call them drumsongs. Because, you know, when we started years ago recording our music, it kind of, it just takes, it's a little bit out of context because you're missing the performance of the dancing and the ceremony of the event. Which makes it even more special. And, but when you're just talking about the songs themselves, we like to refer to them as drumsongs. Because of the relationship that it has to the tradition. >> Stephen Winick: So, what about the drums themselves? Are there different kinds and different sizes of drums for different dances and songs? Or is it a sort of standard drum that is used? >> Stephen Blanchett: There's a variety of drums of course. Different types of skins that you use on the drums. You know, traditionally with our drums we typically make them, the hoops out of like driftwood. And then the skin on there would be from membranes of like the, like the stomach lining of a walrus, or a whale, or a large seal like a maklak seal, the bearded seal. So that would be the skin on there. There's different ways of also drumming. Like so, if for instance in the Yup'ik culture we drum on top of the skin. Where [foreign word] culture they drum underneath. And it just creates a little bit of a different sound. And in some of the Greenlandic in the Canadian style drumming, the drums will look similar but the mallet, that drumstick will be different, which also creates a different sound. And a different way of hitting. And so, which changes the dynamics of the drum and the sound of the drum as well. So, and then you start getting into drum dancing, so there's drum dancing. And so, which are two different, two different things. But, yeah that's typically what our drums and a drumming style and the style of hitting. Yep. >> Stephen Winick: You could talk a little bit about, oh sorry. >> Phillip Blanchett: I want to say in North Korean land the rims, they have the small drums. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yep. >> Phillip Blanchett: Where it's bone, that is the, and polar bear as the skin. And so there's, depending on where, what part of the Inuit territory you're in, there's different, yeah like Steve said a different range of drums, but the Yup'ik drums are pretty similar size and design. But of course, you know, traditionally the handles, each one is made, you know, unique to, you know, the drum maker. And so you see a lot of the characteristics and Ossie, who's a member of our group, is a master drum maker. And he's made drums all over, like his drums are, is probably every school district in Alaska. And all over, all throughout Greenland and. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah you can't just go over to like Walmart or Target and buy a drum, or any music store at all. So these are handmade, handmade drums, so each one is very unique. And there's no like place that you can go and mass produce these types of drums. They're all just very very unique, which creates a really beautiful sound and tapestry of like sounds. And we were just at a event with, you know, you'll see in the video, with a bunch of drummers, it was amazing to hear the breadth of like the different styles of drums that we had there and it was, it creates an amazing symphony of music, which is absolutely powerful. And you can feel it resonating through your body and then hear it. Of course the sounds of these massive drums being, you know, hit, especially in the deeper part of the song where it starts really getting into the, you know, the tempo goes up, the intensity of the drumming increases and it creates a really powerful powerful experience for people. Not just sitting, us drumming, but dancers and then people watching. >> Stephen Winick: Yeah I would agree and I, you know, I know that the audience of this interview will also of course be watching the concert. And that was a great moment when you had a bunch of drummers together and that intensity really ratchets up and you can tell that there's a lot of skill and dynamics to playing those drums, that it's not just rhythm. But there's a lot of stuff going on in terms of where you're going to hit it and exactly how you're going to hit it that is changing the sound as they go. ^M00:10:07 >> Stephen Blanchett: Yep. >> Stephen Winick: So really a beautiful job done by a lot of drummers there. So thank you for that and for explaining that. So you've mentioned drum dancing and could you tell us a little bit about that also, I mean I noticed that in the UNESCO listing for Inuit drumsong and drum dancing, for intangible cultural heritage, they mention both for sure. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah. >> Stephen Winick: So explain what the drum dancing tradition is like. >> Phillip Blanchett: Well, you know, we've mentioned Greenland, Karina member of our group is from Greenland. And so we've been able to have a lot of experiences traveling throughout Greenland. And having cultural exchanges and our culture is so related and our language is, we can just sit for hours comparing notes linguistically in understanding deep rooted ways of understanding. And it's really fascinating to see and to talk about the ceremony, the traditional ceremonies that we do through dancing and through our art. In Alaska, because of contact, we still have the time of contact, we still have a strong connection with carrying on our drumsongs, drum dancing, our ceremonial traditions. And in Greenland they have a different style of drumming and celebrating. And their drum dancing is one of a popular form of dance of celebration. And they're, the singer is the drummer and the dancer. So they're hitting the drum and then there's a real beautiful way of singing, you know, speaking in the language, singing the songs and there's many, you know, unlimited amount of songs that, how they're performed. And there's, and in Greenland there's, you know, depending on if you're on the East Greenland, or South Greenland, or North, there's different styles and actually different size of drums. And in Canada it's almost like in some areas they do drum dancing where it's almost like a, almost like a perfect combination of, the drum sizes and drum shapes that we have in Alaska, with the drum dancing like in Greenland. And so they hit the rim of the, of the big drum and it creates a big resonant sound. And so it's just, yeah, yeah, it's a different experience and it's, you know, really engaging to watch. And I think that the style that we in Alaska, where we have drummer and singers and we have dancers, it definitely allows for a lot more participation. Because, actually the name of our group, Pamyua, refers to the tail end of the song, the encore section of the dance. And at that point that's when customarily anybody from the audience that feels moved can come join the dancers or the drummers and singers. And celebrate in that moment. And a lot of times it's so exciting at that, you know, it's the highlight of that piece. And so, it's going to say, again, Pamyua, again, so do it again. And so it continues that. And so there so much energy with that part of the, you know, our tradition and so that's where our name comes from, Pamyua. >> Stephen Winick: Great. So another thing I think our audiences will be really interested in is your masks in the video that you've, there's three great masks, I think there may be more, but the three that you all wear at once in one of the songs. Beautiful masks and I wonder if you could tell us a little bit about them? >> Phillip Blanchett: So, our mom is a big inspiration for us and she had worked many years working directly with elders and traveling to museum collections all around the world. Researching particularly masks, but also many different types of items from our people. And so one of the, it was a really successful project through the Smithsonian and the exhibit was called Agayuliyararput, which means Our Way of Making Prayer. And it's talking about the tradition of Yup'ik masks. And in our dancing the dancing tradition that we are from, it was a mask dancing tradition. And unfortunately through contact and colonization and assimilation and, it was the missionaries and the schools and the government that came into Alaska that prohibited so many of the practices of our people. And masks were one of the pinpointed things that were targeted to cancel out of our culture. And so, through years of adaptation and continuation of our identity, we've continued to drum and to sing. And to have aspects of our ceremonies. And the dancing is a part of that. Because there's a lot of social aspects that were not as threatening to the, to those so called authorities. But, masks were definitely the traditional mask masking and masking, using masks was severely impacted. And so, it's really important part of our work to be using masks as a part of our ceremonies and a part of performance. And including it as a part of our identity. And so it's really, it is an, a kind of an answer of us as individuals taking ownership of our identity and our ancestry. And taking what we do know about masks, our mask tradition and using it. And so we, just like traditional times we commissioned an incredible mask maker, a Yup'ik mask maker, his name is Drew Michael. And we worked with him for a particular masks, so that we could use them and continue to celebrate our beautiful heritage. >> Stephen Winick: They are amazing masks and I noticed the one that is all, it's a like a seal and the face is the belly, on the belly of the seal. Was that a traditional style that Drew drew from in Yup'ik culture, or do you know whether it's, whether there's a lot of sort of modern innovation in the making of these masks now? >> Phillip Blanchett: No the inspiration of the masks, there's, there's whole another, you know, wonderful discovery of what inspires these masks. But the masks, the Yup'ik traditional masks is so inspiring and there's these multidimensional elements of this relationship between human, human beings and our depiction of our human likeness. And with our relationship with animals. And these masks were a way to honor and communicate with each other and also about our relationship with the animals and not only the animals, our awareness of the existence of being a part of the universe. And so, those elements are commonly depicted in masks, in very, many different ways. And artists like Picasso are known to have been inspired by the use of this way of visualizing multiple dimensions of, you know, of awareness. And the masks kind of, like that mask itself actually comes from experience that Drew, the mask maker and myself, we had traveling to a village back home. And hearing about this story about a snowy owl and a seal and the transformation that happened between these, the snowy owl and the seal from this artifact that was found there. And so, to honor that experience and then upcoming event that we had with Pamyua where we're performing with the Anchorage Civic Orchestra and a big 200 piece choir singing our songs. We commissioned him to make a mask of a snowy owl, which is the face inside. And then the seal and it's about honoring that, the relationship between those and so, and then we actually gifted that mask to Ossie, a member of our group, he's one of our, you know, culture bearers and one of our main composers of our traditional songs. >> Stephen Winick: Great. Yeah those are, those masks are so beautiful. And then with them of course there are other aspects of regalia or garb, I mean you have a lot of feathers, and those large hands. ^M00:20:00 So, and I guess those also represent connection to animals and to other aspects of being, is that correct? >> Stephen Blanchett: Hum, yeah that's a good question. So if you watch our style of dancing, it's rare that you see anyone dancing without something in their hands. And it's, and it's for many reasons. You know, one is, one of the explanations that we've had and what we've heard from our culture bearers and elders, is how strong, like this energy, and spirituality, and the ceremony of these dances are. And that we use these things, those gloves and the hands, the dance fans as protection from those things. But also, they also accentuate movements and dances. When you have a culture that doesn't have a written language and things are passed on and told through story, through dance, through these ways of, you know, disseminating information and history, you know, we use them, we use these things as like accentuation of that. So like with the men's dance bands are typically, you know, a hoop with feathers that are fairly rigid and there's always five, which represents different elements. You know, sky, land, air, spirit, you know, universe. And then, and then with the women, with the, you see those elements of the universe always in there as well in, like Phillip was mentioning, with the masks, but also with caribou for that kind of just flow and accentuates the beauty of women and the femininity of women. So it's like, so there's like this all kinds of different reasons for them. And so, yeah it's, it's just beautiful to see, you know. When you have a dance group and they're wearing the beautiful regalia with the headdresses that are also dancing and moving along with the drums. It's really just spectacular. >> Stephen Winick: Yeah, it's beautiful to watch and we thank you for including so much of those elements in the video. Because it gives people a glimpse into the different aspects of Yup'ik culture. But, another thing to ask about, so if listening to your music, one will also notice other musical styles, not just pure Yup'ik music. So, certainly you can hear some gospel in the first song that you sing in the harmonies. So, tell us a little bit about that influence if you will. >> Stephen Blanchett: Well if you see, you know, just looking at Phillip and I, and knowing Inuit people of the world, you know, you can tell that we're, we are Inuit, but we are also mixed heritage. And our fathers from, you know, originally our family and our fathers side is from North and South Carolina. And so, but he grew up in Philadelphia. And so this, that element of our culture on our fathers side was very much passed down to us. You know we had two very strong centered parents of their own respective cultures right? Our mom being a culture bearer in the Yup'ik, but our father being a very strong, you know, black man. Knowing and having that pride in being black. And that was instilled in us. You know, and, so, you know, one of the things that we, you know, did growing up was we heard these beautiful musical styles from both of our cultures. And it was a way of honoring our backgrounds, was putting it together through song and dance. So I think, I mean one of our very first songs that we ever started performing and or what do you call that, arranged was, a mix of a traditional Yup'ik song, an entrance song, which you would often see dance groups coming on and entering, it was done in ceremony. Just part of protocol. And then mixing that with one of our favorite songs that we heard growing up in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church that my father was a minister at. So, so we mixed those two, you know, styles and it came up, you know, that was our very first, one of our very first compositions so. It was very intentional on like showing, and showcasing and really being a, being people who are of mixed culture but uplifting both and being proud of both of our heritages. And to show that, because we often growing up we saw one being uplifted and the other one, you know, and we did that to ourselves, we code switch. You know, when we'd go to North and South Carolina, and Philly, we'd drop our Yup'ik side and we'd just become black you know. And then the same thing, go back home in the village and we're straight up in the vill. But, this was a way for us to just, to honor both of our heritages. And we did it with music and dance. >> Stephen Winick: Yeah. And so there's some R&B in there, there's some pop in there, what are you, what elements are you putting together? >> Stephen Blanchett: Oh man, Phil what's your favorite type man? You do [inaudible] the music. >> Phillip Blanchett: Reggae, a lot of reggae. You know for us it basically our group came out of the identity of who we are. And so that's just kind of our direction of how we continue to share music, is just to be true to who we are as individuals. And we want, you know, we have this, we have this really wonderful inspiring, yeah inspiration of culture and heritage to honor that. And so, there's, for us there's no reason not to do that through our own creativity of wanting to include jazz, include, you know, hip-hop. Hip-hop, you know, different styles and just like let it, and as artists in, as master artists is a reflection of our identity and how we, how we were raised and our understanding of art and how to be connected and to share impactful art that has meaning. And so, we're really excited about working with other styles and that means working with other people that have expertise in those styles. And still having it be connected to the meaning and the intention of our group. And so it's really exciting to just to see what, because we really don't plan what the sound is going to be and that's why it's so difficult to explain. Because really it's always just a discovery and then kind of an uncovering of what's inside. >> Stephen Winick: Right. It's wonderful to see that kind of combination of styles and I wonder, you know, so, it's fair to say that you've achieved some acclaim within the Yup'ik community and more widely among sort of anyone who follows indigenous music, people know of your group as sort of trendsetter or trailblazer I should say. But were there people within the Yup'ik community or the Inuit community more widely doing this before you started, that is combining your traditions with African-American music, or with other styles of music? >> Phillip Blanchett: There was rock-n-roll, there was Joe Jim Paul. He was a, he had, he was blind guitar player and Yup'ik. I don't know what village he was from, but there's recordings of him going into the KYUK, our local radio station. And these old recordings of him singing, because in our tradition it's a storytelling tradition. So we have our drumsongs, but we also have just other different types of songs, like children songs. And then we have stories, and there's these long stories where, like interwoven into the story, are these little songs of the characters and the things that they would sing as a part of the narrative. And so there's some recordings of Joe Jim Paul. >> Stephen Blanchett: Joe Jim Paul, there's. >> Phillip Blanchett: Singing these songs. Yeah John Waghiyi. >> Stephen Blanchett: John Waghiya, and then Robert Gregory, those probably the three guys that kind of, that were doing this back in the '70s and '80s. >> Phillip Blanchett: Rock, folk. >> Stephen Blanchett: But doing, yeah a lot of rock-n-roll. ^M00:30:00 >> Phillip Blanchett: Folk and using the guitar and then singing those songs and telling those stories with the chords changing and singing in Yup'ik. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah, all in Yup'ik. >> Phillip Blanchett: And so, so we were definitely influenced by that how accessible that was and how you would hear it on the radio. And we, those were people that were a part of our community, which means for us we're related. They're part of our family. And so it, it really made sense for us to want to do that, because people really respond well. And our language is really well suited to, because it's very rhythmic and it's also very poetic. >> Stephen Blanchett: Oh yeah because it's a vowel, a consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel consonant. So it has a da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da and we have some words that are very long. You know, one word can be several sentences, right so. That one word can just really be very poetic. And so that's why a lot of our songs when we're explaining them, sometimes if you're a fluent speaker of the Yup'ik language or Inuit language, you would like the literal translations are sometimes like, it's kind of interesting because literal translations is completely separate from what the actual meaning of what is being presented. You know, through the dance or the song. Yeah, so it's like, it just really is dependent upon the composer of these songs and really kind of peeling away at the meanings of what that person meant. You know, rather than taking things super literally. >> Phillip Blanchett: As a whole it's this beautiful statement, but within it it's these, almost these fragments that represent a story. And that's kind of how the songs, our traditional songs are kind of formed. Which is nice for me, you know, as a non-fluent speaker it's really inspiring to be connected to our traditions that way. But also it's very interpretive and in that way as part of our, my identity, it's really wonderful to be able to have that, to understand that as artists and as people we have that, kind of that license to interpret and create our own, our own work and to have our own voice and that's okay. And these limitations of like, well, I'm also allergic to fish, which is the 99.9% the diet of Yup'ik's. And it doesn't, those limitations don't take away your ability to be connected to your identity. It just changes and it just offers a new way to share who you are and that represents and within our group, you know, we proudly share that and we want to represent, you know, in the best way that we can. >> Stephen Winick: Yeah. So how did you come to start Pamyua as a group, I mean, where and when did the journey begin would you say? >> Stephen Blanchett: Long ago. >> Phillip Blanchett: Before you were born probably. Seems like it. >> Stephen Blanchett: Seems like a lifetime ago, oh my gosh. Yep. You share it. >> Phillip Blanchett: Well our mom was living out of the state in the '80s and she was reconnected with a Yup'ik artist who, named Chuna McIntyre and they started a really strong friendship and partnership and she performed as well as with other Yup'ik people from our area. To perform all over, so she performed at the Kennedy Center, all over the world we would get postcards from her growing up in elementary school, junior high and high school. And so, through those years it really created and she would share those songs and it became part of vernacular, it became a part of our experience. And so, it was part of our story growing up and our identity. And so, as we became a little bit older there were opportunities to be involved in the community, mostly in the school community, but the community dancing. We don't have real powwows here in Alaska, but we have events and gatherings that are kind of similar. And so, we started, we became really involved in those community groups and it created more of a understanding and awareness in the culture. And then after some time Steve and I were doing a dance and I was actually sharing a dance with Steve. And then he started harmonizing to what I was teaching them. I was teaching him the traditional way and he start harmonizing. And we both had never heard that particular sound in that way. I mean it was clearly something unique, but it also felt familiar in so many ways, almost like it sparked neurons, you know, like it had this connection that it sounded like Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It sounded like, you know, the sweet harmonies that we grew up hearing in some of the folk traditions back home, like Slavic and other things. And so, and also reminded us of our experiences in the church, in the black church hearing gospel. But what we, for us we as young kids we liked Jodeci, and you know, R&B, Boyz II Men and like, so for us it was like, whoa we sound like those guys, you know and so it was just like a mixture of so many things. And so immediately we just expanded on that. And took on the repertoire that my mom, that our mom had taught us through her life but a lot through her experience with Chuna performing those songs. And basically we're like Chuna McIntyre, the next generation in our own way, taking on these songs. And he shared, he would share songs kind of like us that were from different parts of the region. And it was so, so appreciated by all because it just carrying on this tradition in this way that is very, that wasn't really, that not a lot of people know about. But also that, you know, in that, this time there's so much that's being lost. And it's so important to continue these stories and this style. And so, we're kind of response of that, of that call to like embrace and embrace what we have. And, but outside of our group we have a strong tradition in certainly certain areas of our area that are thriving in more of a traditional way. That are continuing songs that, you know, that basically, I wouldn't say put us to shame, but that represent the traditions of our, of their family, their particular families in connection to the songs. And the songs that we did and that we did in the video, represent those families and the tradition of where this, so it's much deeper and we're actually just borrowing and sharing these songs. And it's a real honor to be able to be a caretaker of these songs. >> Stephen Winick: It's good to hear you mention Chuna McIntyre, I'll mention that Chuna was at the Library of Congress back in the early 2000s and performed in this same concert series actually that you're performing in. >> Phillip Blanchett: Maybe our mom too. >> Stephen Winick: It's possible that your mom is there, I don't have the full list in front of me of who was in the group with Chuna, but it's possible, yeah. And I'll just say for the audience that, in the blog in which this video will be presented, there's also a song at least from the Chuna McIntyre, so look for that down below the video players is where you'll see this interview. So it's good to know that you have that connection, because it's a longstanding connection for us also and our attempt to present music from your community as sensitively as we can. So thank you for being the next generation of Chuna McIntyre. So what was it like when you first started to play venues outside of your home communities? >> Stephen Blanchett: You want to take that one? >> Phillip Blanchett: Yeah it was. >> Stephen Blanchett: I think we all had different experiences. >> Phillip Blanchett: Yeah, well I feel like, from my standpoint there's, it was such an acceptance and it's almost a hunger for, within the non-native community, especially in Alaska, there was so much unknown about this relationship that we have with indigenous people. And it was, there was so much kind of unsaid, and unspoken, unshared, unfeatured, and so there's so much, I hate to say ignorance, but there's a lack of understanding. ^M00:40:07 And so, when we did our first performances and the way that we presented ourselves was just like so excited to be doing it. And we're not asking for permission, we're doing it in a very intentional and personal way. And so then we kind of led that experience and then we opened, and then we involved them like, hey are you listening and they're like, they're like, what me? And then we're like, say it, you know, and do it and then it, so we were able to utilize that structure to be able to kind of create a dialogue and breakdown a lot of barriers. So that no matter where we went people were like, just appreciative of the opportunity to not only learn and be entertained, but also to feel like they have a sense of ownership in the experience that they now can say, you know, you know, Pamyua, you know, and understand how, you know, how it's pronounced and say [foreign word] like a greeting in our language. And understand really simple things and those simple things actually are really important and they go a long way. So, it created, we created relationships with our, within those experiences and that was a real great benefit for us as artists to, as a springboard to like, you know, become successful, you know, through our career. But also was, you know, really wonderful way to connect and engage with all kinds of audiences no matter where we're at. >> Stephen Winick: Great. Steve did you have something to add, I know you. >> Stephen Blanchett: No, no, I mean it's, I think Phillip summed it up really well. I mean it's fun, it's so, you know, like we try to break down those barriers, those walls that are there and often like if we're in a concert hall, or in a performing arts center. Like, you know, forget that you're there, you know, you are and we'll reach out and we'll just grab our audience and do it like with force. Because we just, I mean we just love it, we just love our cultures, we love our songs, we love what we do, it's like, I mean for us I mean it's like the best job in the world and for us to know that we've been doing this for almost 30 years it's crazy for us. You know like we said we was a lifetime ago. And it took us a while for us to really to understand like really the significance of it all. Especially within the indigenous community and the Inuit community. And the impact, you know, that it had and because of those, creating those relationships and those connections. And, but you know it's interesting the last, you know, with you guys, you know, Library of Congress, you mentioned that, you know, that you're focusing on indigenous artists and like that. It's, in the last five or so years I feel like we've seen this like indigenous pop culture explosion happening. And it's really interesting to be a part of that, right, because you know we've been doing it for a long time but we're all of sudden seeing this new and different life that's happening within Pamyua. Because of like this, like this pop, indigenous pop culture that's happening. You know we have those shows, you know, we got Res Dogs, Reservation Dogs, you got Rutherford Falls, you got, you know, quanta chasing horse blowing up the met gala with her traditional tattoos and her regalia and like, you know, Nicholas Galanin and you know that big huge sign, you know, Indian land, like you're seeing these things just happening all over the place and you know these new shows that are happening. And it's like, it feels really, it feels good to be a part of and it feels good to be seen. And for seeing others that are really going to be benefiting from this new connection and this, really this pop culture explosion that's happening in the indigenous world. >> Stephen Winick: Yeah that's great, I think sort of an early outlier of that phenomenon, right of the sort of revitalization or at least noticing of the indigenous arts by other folks was, the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian by the Smithsonian. And you guys were there at the founding moment for that. So, so talk to us a little about your experience of playing at the opening of that museum. >> Stephen Blanchett: That was, wow that was a, that was a window into the past. It was, wow it was amazing. >> Phillip Blanchett: Powerful. >> Stephen Blanchett: Like when we represented the north and we did that blessing, you know, there was the four directions. >> Phillip Blanchett: It's the same song that we danced in the video. So the one with the masks that purification song, that's what we. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah and we did that as the blessing song, blessing the direction of the north. And at that time, and you know during the procession, and the marching in of all the folks, those 80,000 people, you know, we were on one side of the mall. So we had half of those folks and it was so cool to just like, we were just standing there, we stood there the whole time as they were just walking by and just greeting people. And we connected with all these, we got reconnected with all these places that we had been over those decades, it was so, it was like this window into our history. Like seeing a little bit of our life just kind of walking by. It was very, it was surreal, it was crazy. Because the first group performing up on the stage. You know, it was like, you know, all kinds of great honors. But it was, my, for me the takeaway was just shaking the hands and hugging all those people that we connected with over the years. It was beautiful. >> Phillip Blanchett: Yeah. It's magic that to be reconnected, because when I was describing how we, how we interact with the audience, we create those connections but then, you know, eventually we get on a airplane and go home. And then we end up having, you know, life goes on, but those experiences were so beautiful and you know, those, you know, when we go to a community and stay in their home, or you know like, meet their family. All of those, we basically because of that opening out to like have a reunion. Like native people that we've, that we've, that are connected themselves to, you know, indigenous culture, indigenous issues and prioritized to be there because it was such an impactful event. And to be there it was, you know, we didn't know what to expect and it was, it was just magical. >> Stephen Blanchett: I felt like we watched half our life walk by us. That was so long ago. >> Stephen Winick: So just to fill us in a little more about the other main members of Pamyua, because, you know, we're talking mainly to the two of you, but there are some other folks in the group and tell us a little bit about them if you would. >> Stephen Blanchett: Our family. Let's start with the dames, let's start with the dames. >> Phillip Blanchett: Well, well there's Karina, you mean Karina and Ossie? >> Stephen Winick: Yeah, Karina and Ossie for the most part, yeah. >> Phillip Blanchett: Well let me, you want to, I'll do Ossie and you do Karina. >> Stephen Blanchett: Alright. >> Phillip Blanchett: So, back when Steve and I first started the group in '95, we did a performance and we had our mom and there was the late Ben Snowball and Marie Tyson, they were elders in our community that were good friends with our mom. And that basically they were the first members of Pamyua and since that they backed us in our performance. Drumming while we danced. And we did that performance and it was such an incredible first time performing was so well received. And we, the feedback that we got was like, we were on the right path and we almost like we have to do this. But we knew that if we were going to do it we can't be bringing these elders with us everywhere we go. So, we were looking for our up here who had the eldership and the foundation. And that's where we found Ossie, or you know, we knew Ossie and we, he was suggested, or recommended and we asked him, like, you know, he knew dancing, he's fluent in his language, he's from his Chefornak village, he just graduated from college with a art degree. And we were like, can you sing? And he was like, yeah. We were like, alright you're in. And so, we, yeah so Ossie joined the group. >> Stephen Blanchett: That's when we became Pamyua, our first, that was the official where we said we are Pamyua. ^M00:50:07 >> Phillip Blanchett: Well, not entirely because we were, it's so long ago. Yeah we were still BIA. And it wasn't, then we, in '96, like seven months later we had met Karina. And, did we, were we Pamyua? >> Stephen Blanchett: We were Pamyua way before that. We came out with that Wasilla gig. The very first performance with Ossie. >> Phillip Blanchett: Okay. Anyways. So we, Ossie joined the group and he was a great, he knew a lot of the same songs that my mom taught because the songs that Chuna, that they did were very, Chuna and that group had a huge impact in the community, sharing these songs in the schools and then in different communities. And so they were pretty familiar songs and so it was really easy for us to share our repertoire and to build on it. And so the three of us, Steve, Ossie and I performed our very first gigs was ten shows in the Mat-Su Borough School District. And our first performance was in the school that Steve graduated in Wasilla High School. Where Sarah Palin graduated from. And where, and that was our very first performance and with Ossie, Steve and I. And we walked in and the social studies teacher, the people were like apologizing in advance of how, what a horrible experience it was going to be, pretty much of how bad the kids were and we just kind of set that aside. And then we came in and we had two standing ovations from those kids. And it was an incredible experience, our very first time performing together. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah, but we met Karina at the Arctic Winter Games. She was representing Greenland and we were representing Alaska. And unfortunately for her and fortunately for us, her band, her band mates that were suppose to be backing her up were coming from a different community in Greenland. And which was only serviced by helicopters and the only helicopter that there was was broke down, so they didn't make the trip to the Arctic Winter Games, which was held in Eagle River at that time. So she came to kind of, to the organizers of the events and the music venue to ask if there's some folks that can, she can perform with or, you know, some musicians. And when she came into that venue to talk the folks, that's when we were on. And we were performing. So we just got done off the stage, done with our performance and we were walking backstage and this beautiful, beautiful woman was like, will you sing with us? Or sing with me and I was like, heck yeah. And so, that was it. We learned a couple of her songs and a couple days later, a few days later we were performing with her at the Arctic Winter Games. And then about a week later or so she was performing with us. She ended up staying, extending her trip and had about three or four shows with us. >> Phillip Blanchett: Pivotal shows. >> Stephen Blanchett: Schedule. And, yeah, and which was some of those was, might have been that school shows right? And so that's how it happened, that's how we met her. And from her we met a lot of other musicians that, you know like Christoffer Jul, our longest musical collaborator from Copenhagen, Denmark. And he was on our first album playing piano when, and so, from there it just kind of grew, and grew, and grew and we have this family of musicians that have been with us. Most of them, you know, for 20 plus years. >> Stephen Winick: Yeah. Yeah. Wonderful well, we could talk all day but unfortunately we're, we have a time limit, so I'm going to ask just a couple of questions about the video. And I guess one question that may not be obvious from the video itself, where was it actually filmed? >> Stephen Blanchett: Yes, at the, it was filmed in Anchorage, Alaska. In the east side of town in a place, a venue called the Alaskan Native Heritage Center. Which is a cultural center that represents all the native cultures of Alaska. And they have this beautiful lake, Lake Tiulana. Which are, surrounding the lake are representations of our traditional homes in pre-contact times. And so, the places that you see us performing at in the video are inside a traditional [foreign word]. And then inside where the group was, the larger group when we had the community of dancers, that was inside the Athabascan Hall which is representation of the, kind of the cultural, the ceremonial home halls where a lot of events and things like that happened Athabascan culture. And I believe we did one scene in the Inupiaq, traditional Inupiaq house. So, so that's where it was held, just a beautiful beautiful space. And definitely if people come to Alaska, or the Anchorage, we definitely recommend them coming to see the Heritage Center, because it's not only is, you know, you see those beautiful sites, but you, it really is a window into the cultures of Alaska. Especially if you want to get know the different cultures, you know, it's not just, people think of Alaska and they think, oh, you know, the Inuit or the Eskimo, but we have, you know, we have 22 different languages and all kinds of different cultures. And, and so it's a really awesome place to go to. >> Stephen Winick: Well thanks for filling us in on that, I hope people do get an opportunity to go and visit Alaska and particularly that Center because it'd be great to sort of spread the knowledge of how these traditional cultures lived and, you know, all of the wonderful displays that they have of culture there. So I guess one last question about the video is just, who were the other dancers, that big community, in that one scene that there were so many folks? Where did you find all those people who wanted to participate? >> Phillip Blanchett: That just, that's also magic, that magically happened that, we should've expected it but, so Ossie in our group he is the leader of a traditional Yup'ik dance group called Acilquq. And they're, they've been together for some years now and they would regularly before COVID would get together every Wednesday at the main lobby of our Alaska Native Medical Center, has this beautiful entryway. And they would just dance every Wednesday and just open, anybody can go. And you would go there and it would just be just packed with people from all over. Yeah, from all over and he is the drum leader for that and it's a community group so, it's open to some, you know, people from all over. And so, post-COVID they've been starting to have their practices again. And they, luckily I think we just happened to just pick the right day to film our concert. Because they were having a practice on that day in the structure next door to where we were filming. And we didn't really plan this out, but I did ask Ossie that after we do our performance I want, what I'd like, you know my vision is that we can do a dance and invite some dancers. So we actually thought we were going to have dancers come join us. But we ended up, it was us joining them. So they were having a practice and Acilquq and we kind of like, we walked in and it was actually another surreal kind of moment, because we, you know, we didn't expect. >> Stephen Blanchett: We thought we were going to see maybe five or ten people. And to walk into that, you know, room with about 150 people was, and all those drums, it was perfect. So it was a perfect example of like really how powerful the tradition and the strength of, and the pride we have with the dancing, especially in the communities. That's a really, that pretty much sums it up, what you see in that video is like, that's how it is. >> Stephen Winick: Wonderful, so just one final question. Given that this interview will be on the channels of the Library of Congress, is there anything that I didn't ask about? Anything that you would like to say to our Library of Congress audience? >> Phillip Blanchett: No, well I definitely want to recognize Ivan Night on guitar, Sara Anderholm on keyboards and bass and then Cameron Cartland played drums with us. And we had a wonderful crew, our sound guy Allen Nielsen is a dear dear friend and amazing, he's a Yup'ik sound engineer here. And, we love working with him and then Ethan Feaster, he's the one who did our, the video. ^M01:00:01 And so we had a wonderful time together. And so we hope you guys enjoy the production, the Pamyua production and it was a real honor to put together something that, not only represents our group, but also that, you know, that represents our culture and hopefully fits with what you guys share so. Thank you for the opportunity. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah, [foreign word]. >> Stephen Winick: Well thank you both so much and thank your friends for us, your family for us, your other musicians for us because they all did such a spectacular job and the crew as well, it's a beautiful video. And we are really just grateful to have this opportunity to present it. And also to present this conversation with you. So once again thanks to Phillip Blanchett, Stephen Blanchett and the whole Pamyua family. >> Stephen Blanchett: Yeah, [foreign word]. ^E01:00:58