A Night of Iñupiaq Joy with James Dommek Jr.

On May 20, 2026, James Dommek Jr. presented "A Night of Iñupiaq Joy" at The Nave. Dommek Jr. shared stories from his great grandfather’s book, The Eskimo Storyteller, and Ilakus Dance Group performed traditional Iñupiaq music and dance. Following the performance, Dommek Jr. stopped by the Alaska Teen Media Institute for a special recorded interview, which you can watch or listen to below.

“The show started off with a performance from the Ilakus Dance Group before Dommek Jr. took the stage for an evening of comedy and storytelling. He told four stories that were from his great grandfather, Palangun, who missionaries renamed Paul Monroe. Palangun was one of the last great Inupiaq storytellers and he preserved these stories in collaboration with anthropologist Edwin S. Hall in the 1970s.” - Alaska Teen Media Institute

Quyanaqpak, Chin'an, Tsin'aen, Thank You to all who joined us or contributed to this heartwarming evening of stories, humor, connection, and culture. We can't wait to see more!

Photos by Jovell Rennie.