ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the indigenous has become a hegemonizing discourse, and that, in opposition to its formative years when it promoted a sense of liberation and progression, it has become stale and conformist. In its modern use, indigenous is a pragmatic concept, introduced in response to a particular need. It serves the purpose of naming a category of people that has been oppressed and diminished by colonial regimes, thus creating a common space for these people to act as a global political force. The largest cultural group in western Alaska is the Yup'ik: Bristol Bay, Nunivak Island and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta form the central Yup'ik area. Heritage is created in the intersection, and in an active dialogue, between past and present, and with a clear aim towards the future. In Nunalleq, art has been the forum through which this dialogue takes wings and transcends the boundaries between science, tradition, history, imagination, past and present.
