Marie Meade facts for kids

Marie (Nick) Arnaq Meade (born in 1947) is a special Yup'ik teacher and a keeper of Yup'ik traditions. Her Yup'ik name is Arnaq, which means "woman." She also works with the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, a group that shares wisdom from different cultures. Marie Meade is also part of the Nunamta Yup'ik Dance Group. For over 20 years, she has been learning and writing down the important knowledge, language, and beliefs of Yup'ik elders. Today, she teaches at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Early Life and Education

Marie Meade grew up in a small village called Nunapiciaq. This village, with about 300 people, is located between the Kuskokwim River and the Bering Sea. She learned the Yup'ik language and culture from her parents, Upayuilnguq and Narullgiar, and from everyone in her community.

She went to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. In 1970, her village chose her to teach in the first bilingual program in Nunapiciaq. This program worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Marie already spoke Yup'ik very well. She then learned to read and write in Yup'ik at the Alaska Native Language Institute. After teaching for a year, she helped create lessons for learning the Yup'ik language.

Family and Yup'ik Dance

Marie Meade met her husband in Fairbanks. He was serving in the United States Army at the time. They later moved to Bethel, where Marie taught Yup'ik at Kushokwim Community College.

She and her husband had two sons. While raising her children, Marie found a deep connection to Yup'ik dance. This traditional dance had been discouraged by some missionaries in the 1960s. Marie now has three grown sons and many grandchildren.

Documenting Yup'ik Culture

In 1990, Marie Meade spoke at an international meeting in Fairbanks. There, she met Ann Fienup-Riordan, a person who studies cultures. This meeting started a partnership that lasted for two decades. Together, they worked to record and share Yup'ik culture, language, and traditions.

Marie and Ann worked on many projects. They helped identify Yup'ik artifacts in Berlin that were collected from Alaska in 1883. They also worked together on translations. One big project was creating a show called "Agayuliyaraput." This exhibition featured amazing Yup'ik masks.

The mask exhibition first opened in 1997 in Toksook Bay. It then traveled to other cities like Anchorage, New York, Washington, D.C., and Seattle.

For the work on the Berlin artifacts at the Ethnologisches Museum, Marie translated conversations with Yup'ik elders. She also helped write a book called Ciuliamta Aklui, Things of Our Ancestors. This book shares Yup'ik art and the words of the elders. People praised her translations for being very accurate and clear.

Awards and Recognition

Marie Meade has received several important awards for her work. In 2002, she received the Governor's Award for Distinguished Humanities Educator. This award recognized her as an outstanding teacher in the humanities.

In 2015, Marie Meade was honored by being added to the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame. She was recognized for her great achievements in teaching the Yup'ik language and culture.