Cook Inlet Native Head Start

CELEBRATION 2026 TO KICK OFF NEXT WEEK: Event to be broadcast, streamed live

Event program: https://bit.ly/Cele2026-Program

Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will kick off its biennial Celebration next week, marking 44 years since the inception of the popular dance-and-culture festival.

The event began as a way for Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people to gather and celebrate their cultural survival. This year, the theme is “Enduring Strength.”

“This Celebration, we can rejoice in the timeless strength of our people as evidenced over the thousands of years we’ve faced adversity with resilience and fortitude,” said SHI President Rosita Worl.

All members of the public are welcome to attend.

Over 1,800 dancers from 34 dance groups will participate this year. Along with dance performances, Celebration features several associated events, including a Juried Art Show and Competition, a Juried Youth Art Exhibit, a Native Art Market, Native food contests, a Toddler Regalia Review and a parade through downtown Juneau. The event will also feature several new events.

The Grand Entrance is scheduled for 5 pm, Wednesday, June 3, at Centennial Hall, and Celebration ends with the Grand Exit at 5 pm, Saturday, June 6.

SHI will sponsor a live, statewide broadcast of Celebration on KTOO 360TV public television — reaching viewers across Alaska via over-the-air, cable, and satellite — as well as a live stream on the institute's YouTube channel and on KTOO's Roku and Apple TV apps.

The Celebration 2026 art was designed by Tlingit artist Bill Pfeifer, Jr, (Wéidaaká Yóodóohaa) who won with his piece “Endurance and Strength: The Power of the Clan House,” which was inspired by the 2026 theme, Enduring Strength.

“We have survived environmental and climate changes, the loss of our lands, public policies that nearly wiped out our cultures and epidemics that diminished our populations. We have been tested, and almost erased. Yet we are still here,” Worl said.

Watch live: https://bit.ly/4vg1uIx

Read more: https://sealaskaheritage.org/celebration-2026-to-kick-off-next-week/

We’re sharing this for any ASD families interested.

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