Celebration Recordings Collection | Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives

Celebration is a biennial festival of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribal members organized every two years by Sealaska Heritage Institute. The Juneau event began in 1982, born of SHI's Board of Trustees' desire to celebrate and showcase Southeast Alaska Native traditions and customs.  Since that time, Celebration has become an effective and energetic vehicle for encouraging individuals, families, clans and communities to participate in traditional song and dance, arts and crafts, and the revitalization of Native languages. It is one of the largest gatherings of Southeast Alaska Native peoples and is the second largest event sponsored by Alaska Natives in the State of Alaska.

Prior to European contact, the peoples of the Northwest Coast held many traditional ceremonies in which singing, dancing, formal oratory, and feasting took place.  As the economy of this region changed from one of trade and sharing to a cash-based economy, some traditions began to founder.  Dance, song, traditional oratory, and knowledge of clan protocol were among these threatened traditions, as our Elders recognized a generation ago.

Celebration is a new tradition.  During earlier times, a clan from one moiety would always host a clan from the other moiety.  An Eagle clan, for example, might host a Raven clan and, then, the reverse would occur in order that balance, reciprocity, and respect be maintained.  Those who danced together as either hosts or guests were from one clan, one side.  Now, clan members have scattered in order to pursue careers and personal interests, and the formal system of reciprocal obligation has become more difficult to maintain although parties and potlatches are still a vital part of Northwest Coast culture.  At Celebration, some clan members still gather as single-clan Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian dance groups but most groups at Celebration represent combinations of many clans.  As times have changed, the peoples of the Northwest Coast have adopted revitalized festival traditions while continuing to maintain the old.  Although Celebration follows the pattern of a traditional ceremonial it is not a potlatch or memorial party.  Adoptions, name giving, memorial services, and other events that are a proper part of those traditional gatherings are not part of Celebration and are observed at other times.

Today, Celebration has grown into a renowned festival of the performing, visual, and verbal arts. Celebration has also fostered the growing involvement of young Native people who are now producing new generations of song leaders, dancers, drummers, and artists.  The first Celebration, in 1982, featured twelve dance groups and a total of 150 participants excluding the audience.  In 1990, 34 dance groups were featured with over 500 participants.  At Celebration 2002, 42 dance groups performed with more than 1,600 participants.  Thousands of people flock to Juneau, a city of 30,000, in early June every other year to participate in and view Celebration activities.

Source: SHI Website, Jan. 16, 2007.