Utuqqagmiut dancers from Wainwright perform at last fall's Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Anchorage. - Carey Restino / for Alaska Newspapers

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Wainwright dancers headed to Obama inauguration

January 18th 2:09 pm | Hannah Heimbuch

The Utuqqagmiut dancers from Wainwright leave today, making the long trip from the Arctic coast to the nation's capital.

The respected dance group will be performing in the Jan. 21 inauguration parade celebrating President Barrack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's swearing in.

The Utuqqagmiut dancers, descendants of the people of the Utukok River, revived the dance tradition in 1990, using dance and song to tell the stories of their lives and the ones who came before them. They represent many, many generations of community tradition.

"Our dances are not of just songs," said Utuqqagmiut dancer Mary Ellen Ahmaogak, "but are stories of our lives, (lives) we still live today as were lived by our ancestors and those before theirs."

Their voices and movement will join dozens of other groups from around the country - representing all 50 states - also making the 1.5-mile journey along Washington D.C.'s Pennsylvania Avenue. The inaugural theme is Our People, Our Future - a theme that focuses on the American people. The event includes a procession of citizen groups, like the Utuqqagmiut dancers, as well as military regiments, marching bands, and floats.

They received the invitation just a few weeks ago, and are now on their way to take part in the celebration. The group will spend nearly a week in the capital.

The parade takes place at 2:30 p.m. eastern standard time and will be televised.

Hannah Heimbuch can be reached at hheimbuch@reportalaska.com.

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Copyright 2013 The Arctic Sounder is a publication of Alaska Media, LLC. This article is © 2013 and limited reproduction rights for personal use are granted for this printing only. This article, in any form, may not be further reproduced without written permission of the publisher and owner, including duplication for not-for-profit purposes. Portions of this article may belong to other agencies; those sections are reproduced here with permission and Alaska Media, LLC makes no provisions for further distribution.