| Summary: | This chapter traces the roots and routes of a Yupiit resurgence anthem, “Tarvarnauramken,” through some of the pathways and contributions of three (now) well-known and highly respected Yup’ik Elders: Theresa Arevgaq John, Chuna Nengqerralria McIntyre, and Marie Arnaq Meade. Over time, their collective paths converged as members of Nunamta (Of Our Land) Yup’ik Eskimo Dancers ( ca . 1980s), one of the first professionalized Native performance groups to come out of Alaska and to develop inter-village yet distinctly Yupiit-specific aesthetics and sonic vernaculars. Their individual paths offer further insights into the densities of being highly educated in both Yupiit and non-Yupiit senses; they are fluent in Yugtun and Yuuyaraq (Way of the Human Being), and they have each earned college degrees and lived influential lives as public artists and intellectuals. The conclusion questions the role of density in traditioning Yupiit performance practices, especially for Yupiit performances in diaspora.
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