Qelutviaq Explained

The qelutviaq^[1] or kelutviaq^[2] is a one-stringed lute (or fiddle) played by the Central Alaskan Yup'ik people of Nelson Island and southwest Alaska, United States. The white or black spruce root (negavgun) is used for strings on the qelutviaq.^[1]

The instrument was attested as recently as 1971 by ethnomusicologist Ronald Walcott.^[3]

External links

• Image at Columbia University

Notes and References

1. Jacobson, Steven A. (2012). Yup'ik Eskimo Dictionary, 2nd edition. Alaska Native Language Center. ("Qelutviaq stringed musical instrument, such as guitar, banjo, or harp.")
2. Sadie, Stanley. The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments volume 2 (1984) . ("Kelutviaq. A single-string fiddle used by the of south-west Alaska and Nelson Island.")
3. Book: Thomas F. Johnston. Eskimo music by region: a comparative circumpolar study. 17 April 2011. 1976. National Museums of Canada. 107.