Just over a decade ago, Nahko Parayno left Portland, Oregon, a young man uncertain of his own identity and rebelling against the family who had adopted and raised him.
In Alaska, he found both a refuge and the inspiration to plant the seedlings for the musical collective that would become Nahko and Medicine for the People.
Now going by the name Nahko Bear, he'll return to the state with Medicine for the People to perform July's First Tap Thursday at Bear Tooth Theatrepub.
"I think it was 2004 or 2005," he said. "I worked in Denali for a summer. I got a job up there at the McKinley Lodge and was a piano player for the dinner theater up there. It was the first time I left home from Portland."
The escape to the Last Frontier allowed him to begin to unpack his conflated cultural background and begin to embrace it.
It also gave him the first opportunity to compose what he considered his first songs of "depth and quality," which he wrote about what he saw and experienced in the state.
"The landscape demands reverence," he said. "It's such a wild and untamed place. It's kind of like when I first started surfing in the ocean and realized how powerful it can be. You have to be humbled or it will slap you in the face."
What started as an examination inward eventually evolved into Bear's musical mission, which attempts to inspire and motivate on a global level, bringing cultures together under one tent.
"In the beginning stages, it was me trying to talk about my life and convincing myself it would be OK," he said. "As it progressed and the name manifested itself. My understanding of spirituality was changing. If I mean well and the music means well, it could change someone's life. But I wasn't trying to change people's life, it starts with you first."
Bear said he was homeschooled by his adoptive family, which was conservative and religious. They were very loving, Bear said, but when he looked in the mirror, he couldn't help but see his physical differences, and he felt like an outsider.
After Alaska, Bear spent a year in Hawaii, which he now calls home, before returning to Portland where he started to investigate his birth parents' background.
"This really magical and divine thing happened when I arrived back in Portland," he said. "I Googled my mom's name and went on to meet her and began what is now 10 years of learning who my family is."
Bear's mother is of mixed heritage -- Native American and Puerto Rican -- and his father, whom he later met, is Filipino.
"I have blood ties," he said. "I relate to them on a cultural level."
As time has passed, he said he's come to a peaceful place with his history and heritage. That has translated to his songwriting, which often comes from dark places but strives to uplift.
"Overall, I'm a very positive person," he said. "I am grateful for this life. It's something I want to share with people through this music."
Sonically, Nahko and Medicine for the People is a gathering of global influences: from hip-hop to folk, rock and world music. Thematically, it continues to emphasize acceptance, sustainability and growth.
"At the root of it, it's relatable because it's human," Bear said. "People can relate to it because it's not too far right or too far left. It's right in the middle and it's something this generation is hungry for. It's just not that available right now."
The group has produced a pair of full-length albums: "Dark as Night" in 2013 and "On the Verge," the following year.
Where Nahko and MFTP has truly gained traction and expanded its audience is playing live, becoming a favorite on the festival scene.
"It's definitely an interesting world to weave with this band and the message," he said. "It's been so beautiful for us to watch it expand. It's still a work in progress as we evolve mentally."
Bear said the feedback he's received at shows has confirmed his belief that the music is having its desired effect.
"As I've been able to travel around so much of the world and meet all kinds of people -- Israelis, Palestinians, Native Americans or people from Sitka, I find there's so much that separates us but it's so beautiful to see how the music brings us together," he said. "The more I hear stories and testimonials of people saying they quit doing heroin or struggled after fighting in Iraq. These songs will live longer than I do. It'll help people move through the mystery of existence, being a human."
Touring has been the band's main emphasis, but Bear said he has a backlog of songs that he hopes to release soon.
"I've actually got quite a few records on hold," he said. "I've been so busy touring the last few years. That's changing right now. We're working on recording this year and getting it released by next spring. Now that I've been on the circuit for almost three years, I've put some good, hard work into it. Now it's time for some serious planning about how to do this life in a way that's smart and leave some time for ceremony. I feel like what we do isn't just a performance. It's like going to a church. It's an experience. It's already happening, at the same time, recording that music that has to be out there is crucial too. I've finally made some time for it and it'll happen this year."
Nahko and Medicine for the People
July First Tap
When: Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Thursday, July 2
Location: Bear Tooth Theatrepub
Tickets: $30 at beartooththeatre.com