Athabaskan fiddle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athabaskan fiddle |
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|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Waltzes, Jigs, Two steps, Square Dances |
| Cultural origins | Alaskan Athabaskans |
| Typical instruments | Old time fiddle, guitar |
| Regional scenes | |
| Upriver, Downriver | |
| Other topics | |
| Scottish folk music, Irish folk music, French-Canadian music | |
Athabaskan fiddle is a special style of old-time fiddle music. It was created by the Alaskan Athabaskans who live in Interior Alaska. They play the fiddle (which is also called a violin) by themselves or with a group. This music is very popular in Alaska and northwest Canada.
Fiddles first came to this area in the mid-1800s. They were brought by fur traders from Scotland, Ireland, French Canada, and the Métis people. These traders worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. Athabaskan fiddling is a unique version of old-time fiddle music. Some famous Athabaskan fiddlers include Gwich'in Bill Stevens and Trimble Gilbert. Bill Stevens even won an award for his Native Arts in 2002.
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How Athabaskan Fiddle Music Started
Athabaskan fiddle music has two main beginnings. The first was when fiddle music arrived in 1847. The second was Alaska's own folk music revival in the 1970s.
Athabaskan fiddlers play their own special tunes. They also mix in country music songs. This makes it hard to tell where Athabaskan fiddle music ends and country music begins. This style of music grew mostly by itself, away from other American country music.
People say the first fiddler on the Yukon River was Antoine Hoole. He was a trader with the Hudson's Bay Company. He helped set up Fort Yukon, Alaska in 1847. His French-Canadian background likely helped share the fiddle and dance traditions. These traditions came from Scottish, Irish, and French-Canadian cultures. This rich tradition continues today as Athabaskan fiddle music.
Through the 1800s and early 1900s, fiddle music blended with local singing and dancing. It also mixed with church hymns brought by missionaries. This music grew mostly on its own. Because of this, it became a very unique style. Athabaskan old-time fiddling mixes traditional Athabascan music with songs and violin tunes. These tunes came from Scotland, Ireland, the Orkney Islands, and French Canada. A popular Gwich'in tune, "The Red River Jig," likely came from Manitoba, Canada.
Later, during the gold rush times, more music arrived. This included the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899) and gold rushes in Nome and Fairbanks. Prospectors brought their waltzes, jigs, schottisches, fox trots, two steps, and square dances. These new tunes were added to the growing Athabaskan musical style.
Different Styles of Athabaskan Fiddle Music
Over time, two main types of Athabaskan fiddle music developed. They came from two different areas along the Yukon River.
Upriver Music
Upriver music grew among the Gwich'in and Hän Athabaskans. These groups live near the Alaska-Yukon border.
Downriver Music
Downriver music started about 50 years later, around the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. It developed among the Yukon peoples who lived further downriver. These include the Koyukon, Lower Tanana, and Deg Hit'an Athabaskans.
Both Gwich'in and Koyukon people have their own special ways of playing the fiddle. When new people came during the Klondike Gold Rush, they brought the guitar. They also brought new dances like square dances, waltzes, one-steps, two-steps, and polkas. Downriver music started to include country and western songs. Upriver music usually had just a fiddle and a guitar. Downriver music was often played by a larger group of musicians.
Athabaskan fiddle music and dance have always been passed down through communities. This happens at celebrations, in fish camps, or when people visit each other. In Athabaskan communities, fiddle music is a very important part of social events. These include potlatches, dances, and holiday parties.
This music and its dances have been part of Athabaskan life for over 150 years. Even though outsiders first brought the music, the Athabaskan people made it their own. They changed it to fit their community and traditions.
Athabaskan Fiddle Festival
Since 1983, the Athabascan Fiddle Festival has been held every November in Fairbanks. The Alaska State Council on the Arts started this festival. It is still a very important event today. The festival shows how popular traditional music is. It features Athabaskan and Eskimo fiddlers.
When Bill Stevens came back to Alaska in 1982, he helped create this festival. He still takes part in this four-day event every year. It has become a major cultural celebration for people in Interior Alaska.
The festival keeps the fiddle music tradition alive. It brings together bands from all over Alaska, including some Eskimo bands. Many musicians save money all year just to come to this joyful event. The festival is a safe place for families to have fun. Around 2005, the festival started using two different stages. One stage features the faster upriver dances. The other stage has the slower, country-style downriver dances.
The annual Athabaskan Old-Time Fiddling Festival is a great place to hear Athabaskan fiddling.
Young Native Fiddlers
Young Native Fiddlers (YNF) is a program in Fairbanks that teaches fiddle and guitar. It is for Alaska Native children. About forty children join each year. They come from different groups like Athabaskan, Yup'ik, Iñupiaq, and other American Indian backgrounds.
The program gets money from grants, community support, and fundraisers. Young Native Fiddlers offers weekly lessons to children aged 5 to 18. The Young Native Fiddlers have been asked to play at many events. These include fiddle dances, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), and the Festival of Native Arts.
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