It’s Time For Movie Monday!
Movie Monday: Heartbeat of Our Ancestors
Movie Monday is our weekly film series where we share short documentaries created through See Stories programs. These films highlight stories of place, culture, and community from across Alaska, created by students, educators, and community members who are documenting the histories and experiences that shape where they live.
This week’s film, Cingsiit: Legends of the Central Yup’ik Tundra, features Helen Ivan, an Elder from Akiak, sharing stories of the Cingsiit, small beings known in Central Yup’ik tradition.
Through personal stories passed down across generations, Helen describes the presence of the Cingsiit on the land. Alongside them are other beings, each with their own characteristics and presence on the land.
Through Helen’s storytelling, we hear how the Cingsiit are understood not as myths, but as part of a lived relationship with the tundra, beings who can be playful, helpful, and deserving of respect. Her stories carry guidance: how to act, how to listen, and how to live in balance with what we may not fully see or understand.
This film was created as part of a See Stories professional development AHA! Intensive, where educators explored storytelling as a way to share culture, history, and place-based knowledge through film.
🎥 Watch the film, Cingsiit: Legends of the Central Yup’ik Tundra, and listen to these voices of resilience and renewal, or click on the still below:
Discussion Questions
- Why are oral stories important to Yup’ik culture?
- How do legends teach values, lessons, or history to younger generations?
- How can we respectfully preserve oral stories using digital media?
Check out our growing library of lesson plans on our Teacher Tools online community! Register today to access for educators who want to bring cultural storytelling into the classroom! If you’re an educator interested in integrating storytelling and cultural preservation into your classroom, check out Teacher Tools—our online community where educators can access free lesson plans, digital storytelling resources, and more.
Find our TeacherTools online community here: See Stories Teacher Tools Community