Angoon youth dancers perform at Celebration following Navy apology

The Koozie Da Kwan dancers from Angoon performed at Celebration 2026 on Thursday, their first major appearance since the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense formally apologized for the October 26, 1882 bombardment that the Navy acknowledged the Tlingit people did not deserve or provoke. The apology, delivered on the 142nd anniversary of the attack, followed decades of community advocacy and provides what dance group leaders described as an opportunity for closure.

The October 26, 2024 apology recognized that the bombardment destroyed clan houses, food caches, and approximately 40 canoes; killed several children; and left the community without sufficient winter resources. The Navy's statement acknowledged the pain, suffering, and generational trauma caused by the attack. Rear Admiral Mark Sucato delivered the formal apology during a traditional Tlingit ku'ik' ceremony in Angoon.

Angoon was represented at Celebration 2026 by both the adult Koozie Da Kwan dancers and a youth group, Kootsnoo Dachikani Yan, the grandchildren of Angoon. The youth group is composed of all clans and ages from 2 to 18 from Angoon. Because the group includes all clans, the members learn traditional songs and dances.

The Koozie Da Kwan dancers was formed in 1985 by Matthew Fred Sr. and has participated in Celebration since 1979, with some original members still dancing. The name translates to "all clans of the town" and was initially used during the 1904 Sitka Potlatch. The emcee noted that the group composition includes elders, young adults, and very few children, with a requirement that for a child to participate, either a parent or grandparent must be an active, fully participating member. Dance group officers are Ellen Zuboff, cultural leader; Joe Zuboff, song and dance; Peter McCluskey, drummer; and Maxine Thompson, dance group coordinator.

Cultural instructor Pauline Johnson told the youth dancers it is important to "know who you are, know your clan history and family relationships" and that "grandchildren learn all our cultural values, that they grow up using these values as a guideline to help keep them on task during their life."

Throughout the year, members participate in cultural activities and ku'ik's (traditional memorial and ceremonial gatherings) in their town and region. The community had pursued the apology for decades through repeated requests to the federal government and Navy. The 1882 bombardment and subsequent public outcry contributed to political pressure that led to the First Organic Act of 1884, which transferred Alaska from military to civil governance.

Angoon today is a predominantly Tlingit community on Admiralty Island whose economy is based on subsistence activities, commercial fishing, and public sector employment. The community maintains strong clan-based cultural structures, with youth dance groups performing traditional songs and dances that commemorate the bombardment and honor those who were killed at regional events.