CIRI Concludes Potlatch Season
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For the 17th year, CIRI hosted potlatches for shareholders and family members to join together and celebrate family, culture and heritage. Potlatches were held in Anchorage, Kenai and Puyallup, Wash. In each of the three locations, shareholders young and old enjoyed a day of food, entertainment and sharing of art and culture. A traditional Athabascan Memorial Cloth Ceremony was also held to remember those who have passed away. In Anchorage, CIRI recognized shareholder of the year Lillian Lapp. The King Island Dancers and Singers of Anchorage, the Alaska Heritage A Cappella Choir, and Artie Joseph Fiddlers performed. A special presentation recognized winners of a traditional Native garment-judging contest. Winners were Martha Anselm in the adult category and Destiny Breeze Key for the youth category. In addition, shareholders modeled traditional clothing made at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. |
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In Kenai, Bunny Swan-Gease, who was nominated by CIRI for the 2001 AFN Culture Bearer award, performed, as well as the Kenaitze Cuyaqyut'anen Head Start Dancers, Heart Beat of Mother Earth Drum, and Kicaput Singers and Dancers. In Puyallup, Cape Fox Dancers and Bunny Swan-Gease performed.
Each year, peroke is among the favored foods enjoyed at the potlatches.
CIRI Potlatch Fish Peroke
4-6 cups steamed pearl rice
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2-3 pint sized canned fish (drain and crumble)
1 stick butter
Layer pie as follows, line pastry (see pastry recipe below) in a 9"x13"x2" pan. Place thin layer of rice (1/2 of rice batch), then onions, fish, onions, rice, butter, sprinkle a few dashes of soy sauce (optional) to taste, cabbage leaves (optional). Cover with pastry.
Bake at 375° for 45 minutes (this cooking time is for when the peroke is prepared the day before and placed in a "warming oven" on the day it is served). For serving on the same day, cook for 45 minutes at 400°, then reduce oven temperature to 375° and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Pauline March's Pie Crust Recipe
Yield: 4 Pie Crusts (standard 9" pie plate) or one (top & bottom crust for 9"x13"x2") large peroke pan.
Combine five cups unsifted flour and one pound of butter (or 4 sticks). Cut butter into flour (pea-sized pieces). Add one cup cold water (between 3/4 and 1 cup) and fold in gradually with pastry cutter or blend with fingers gently until flour mixture does not stick to your fingers. Roll out on floured wax paper.
2001 CIRI Shareholder of the Year, Lillian Lapp
Anyone who meets Lillian Lapp, who is 82 years young, can immediately feel the warmth and caring she displays for others. At this year's Friendship Potlatch, Lapp was named the 2001 CIRI Shareholder of the Year.
"Lillian is very active
as a CIRI shareholder and I believe she has attended as many potlatches
and annual meetings as anyone can remember," said Barbara Donatelli, CIRI's
executive vice president.
An Athabascan originally from the Iliamna area, Lapp moved to Anchorage during World War II. Her son William Kahn now lives in Washington state and her daughter Irene Jorgensen lives in Canada.
While dedicated to taking care of her husband George, Lapp continues to keep an active social life participating in CIRI-related activities, Southcentral Foundation's elders program and visiting with her friends in Anchorage.
Lapp says she loves the fellowship that the CIRI Friendship Potlatches provide and attending CIRI events is one of her pride and joys. She loves seeing people, interacting with her fellow shareholders and having fun.
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