Arts Midwest is bringing the indigenous Yup’ik music of Alaska to Minot as part of Arts Midwest World Fest. During a weeklong residency in Minot, Tuesday through Saturday, Pamyua will offer workshops in local schools and other community locations and will perform live in concert at Central Campus Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.

Pamyua’s visit to Minot is made possible by a partnership between Arts Midwest, the National Endowment for the Arts, North Dakota Council on the Arts and Minot Area Council of the Arts. This is the same partnership that brought Okra Playground (Finland) and Okaidja Afroso Ensemble (Ghana) to Minot over the course of the last year. Each spent a week offering workshops and a concert to community members.

Chandell Lattin of the Minot Area Council of the Arts said Pamyua is extremely talented and knowledgeable.

“We feel privileged to be able to bring this opportunity to our community. We hope to see a significant turnout at these events. We’ve kept them all free because we want these experiences to be open to anyone and everyone who is interested in learning something new about a different culture or just hanging out and listening to some great music,” she said.

“Arts Midwest’s goal is to make inspirational and lasting impressions on Midwest communities and people through this program,” said Torrie Allen, president & CEO of Arts Midwest. “We think these weeklong visits offer beautiful opportunities for the musicians and our communities to connect with each other through workshops in schools, concerts in the greater community and social gatherings.”

“We are honored to have a voice in the cultural community that communicates the indigenous mindset and experience,” said Phillip Blanchett of Pamyua. “Our performances are a joyous celebration of our Inuit culture, showcasing the music, dance, ceremony and heritage of our ancestry. We are gratified and excited to have the opportunity to bring our music and the stories of our Yup’ik heritage to people everywhere. We hope the experience helps forge a deeper appreciation of cultural diversity and encourages people to build stronger relationships with each other and strengthen the ties between us so we all become stronger together.”