I’ve only half-watched it so far. It was like watching ARCS, or Rural AK t.v. (for bush folks), lots of native dancing....which I must admit does have its charms...but one can only take so much of fan dancing. I’m recording it so I can fast forward when needed.
Wife and I have taught in various villages, dancing at all the potlatches. Some villages they do their own happy dances, and not in English. I remember one called "Lynx up a tree" at Mentasta; they were eating lynx that night.
Up here in Eagle, it's all fiddle music. 8 Couple, duck dance, rabbit dance, red river jig and all the waltzes & they all 2 step. I usually drag the twin reverb down village hall and play all the fiddle cds;;;; old Harold Frost from Old Crow over in Canada is the man. Great time at New Years, the Indians get tuned and dance all night, ha. My wife hates me for a week as I drag her out on the floor; but it's a good time. In the summer, I take the amp down and face out over the Yukon and they dance in the grass. I have a bunch of Patsy Cline Kareokie dvds; now they really go nuts with the mike. I've even taken my fiddle down when any of their cousins come in from Venetie, arctic Village, Chalkeesic, Ft Yukon, Stevens, who play the fiddle. Some great Indian fiddle players. throw down some corn meal and let the cous play all night.
These jokers making fun about Native music ain't even got whiskyed up with good Indians and danced all night. I've seen blind 90 year olds out on the floor and they'd put me to shame, they still had it together. Or watching how the women from every village dance just a little different in their style as it's their villages trademark.
I must be the only white guy on here who gets along with the Indians; kinda enjoy being around them too; especially when they get to dancing. Even when you get stuck dancing with all the old grandmas; ha then they all kinda see you as not being a screwed Gasuch.