Drumming Out Suicide

Cama'i, a Yup'ik word meaning "welcome," is a three day native dance festival held each year in Bethel, Alaska. Dance groups, native craft vendors, and people from all over the state come to share in a weekend of native dance and culture. On the final night of Cama-i 2011, all the drummers from every dance group, numbering over a hundred, participated in drum circle for the purpose of healing suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native adolescents and young adults aged 10-34. Read More