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The riverside city of Bethel, Alaska, is small and unique. Ideal for bird watching or fishing in the summer and dog sled races in the winter.

Cama-i’s "Heart of the Drums" ceremonial performance started when more than 45 drummers marched from backstage and dispersed to the top row of both sides of the bleachers that line Bethel Regional High School’s gymnasium. The drummers spanned three generations and were of mixed genders.

John Pingayak, a 74-year-old Elder from Chevak, sits down in the Bethel Regional High School music room, which has been temporarily converted into Cama-i Headquarters. It’s the end of the first night of Cama-i and he just finished performing alongside his Pingayak Dance Group. He was honored and received the Cama-i 2023 Living Treasure Award after singing, dancing, and drumming on stage in the Warrior Dome for over 20 minutes.

The Cama-i Dance Festival returned to Bethel last weekend after two years on hiatus due to the pandemic. For dancers from the village of Chefornak, it was a chance to finally honor loved ones lost over the last few years with neighbors from around the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

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