Carrie Paton

My name is Carrie Paton, originally from a remote village of Manokotak, Alaska, in Bristol Bay, where I grew up. Growing up, the Moravian Church was the center of the community where people would congregate almost everyday. One of the pastimes was to have song services and learn to sing in our language and English. I started collecting translated songs as a fun hobby in my early years. Since 2016, I have helped get the translated Yup'ik songs onto musical notes. I have been the choir leader for the Yup'ik Singers of Anchorage since 1985. We perform in different gatherings, Fur Rondy musicales, funerals, and other celebrations.