At this year’s Camai Dance Festival, we honor the memory of Stanley and his countless contributions to the legacy of dance.
“Throughout Inuguarpak’s life, he worked tirelessly to ensure that youth in our communities were instilled with the knowledge of our ancestors. He used humor to engage people to learn the important aspects of our culture. Through his work, he was able to pass on the legacy of dance.
Inuguarpiim caliari ciumurutellerkaat nutemllat ayagyuamtenun amllertut. Picingssallmikun anglanarqevkallrua elitelleq cakviulriit-llu nunanirivkarluki. Quyavikarput tamamta paiciutai amllerata wangkutnun tamamta yugnun.”
Inuguarpak Stanley Anthony
December 23, 1946 – December 16, 2023
The Camai Dance Festival is honored to dedicate this year’s event in memory of an individual who has contributed greatly to the legacy of dance in our region – Inuguarpak Stanley Anthony of Nightmute.
Inuguarpak was involved in yuraq in his community for over four decades. Through his humor, he brought an immense amount of joy to anyone who watched him perform – whether he was drumming or dancing.
He lived a life of service to his family, his community, and our country. He was a veteran of the Army and an active community leader. He served as a council member for his local tribal government and advocated for subsistence and wildlife management. Being a commercial fisherman gave him insight with which to offer valuable information to help with resource management.
Inuguarpak participated in Calista Education and Culture’s Umkumiut Cultural Camp during the summers, sharing cultural knowledge to young people and instructing them on developing their subsistence skills. His love for sharing also lead him to participate in the First Alaskans Institute’s annual Elders and Youth Conference. The amount of effort he put into preserving our ways of life ensured that we keep our legacy of dance.
