Yupik Spells and the Yupik Language in the Contemporary Religious Ritual Context
Language
en
Article de revue
This item was published in
Sibirica. 2024-03-01, vol. 23, n° 1, p. 1-31
Berghahn Journals
English Abstract
Abstract It is generally believed that if the languages of indigenous peoples of Siberia are preserved anywhere, it would be within the spheres of traditional environmental management: reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing, ...Read more >
Abstract It is generally believed that if the languages of indigenous peoples of Siberia are preserved anywhere, it would be within the spheres of traditional environmental management: reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing, etc. However, among Yupik communities in coastal Chukotka, another domain where the Yupik language remains in use is the religious (ritual) sphere—in particular, in various practices for communicating with the spirits of ancestors. This article focuses on Yupik spells, and, more broadly, the Yupik language in a modern ritual context. This allows us to identify and reflect on some characteristic features of the indigenous ritual space that are often insufficiently discussed in ethnographic literature: secrecy and indeterminacy. In addition, the article raises key issues surrounding family memory and heritage as well as the (dis)continuity of ritual knowledge.Read less <
English Keywords
memory rituals Siberian Yupik spells Yupik language
memory
rituals
Siberian Yupik
spells
Yupik language
Origin
Hal importedCollections