Sealaska Heritage Institute: Celebration 2026 | Day 2 - Thursday June 4

This is the name of our dance group. We're called the Siclain Dancers. Actually, that translated into English, it's called Icy Straits. So this is a group my mother, Anita Laferty, way back in the day, she started a dance group called the Icy Straits Dancers. So we're kind of following her.

These are her great-great-grandchildren on stage that you see here today because it's something that she'd started. We feel that we want to carry on what she started. So these songs are the songs she left with, that the songs we're going to sing today before we go on to anything. To me, it's all about respecting them who brought us here before we even got here. So that's what this is about.

So we'll start the Hayekaski.

Women of friendship. Women of. Friendship.

Okay.

So the next song we'll sing is a Kuntu Day song.

Oh, okay, can you hear me? Am I okay? Okay, the next song we're going to be singing is called a Kuntu Day song.

Okay, so I know that we make a mistake.

That's okay, I'm not running away from this.

Ah-hoo-ay. Okay, you want to hold this? You want to hold this?

Okay, the next song I announce will be Ah-hoon-toodeh.

Okay, the next song we'll be doing is Dat Kok Sok She. Okay. You are Haini, Haini, aya. You are Haini, Haini, aya. You are Haini.

Heli, aya, ya.

Aya, you are Haini, Haini. Aya, you are Haini, Haini. Aya, you are Haini, Haini.

You are Henny, Henny Iyer. You are Henny, Henny Iyer.

You are Henny, Henny Iyer.

Pwee! So this is our last song and then we'll exit after this one. This one is a family song on my dad's side called Ross Shikley Song, and the person carrying the song right now, his name is Kaxin. So,. We'll.

Start.

Yaow, aina, yew, hee nee, hey, yaow, aina.

Okay,.

So now this is our last song. We're going to go ahead and exit off stage here, so. You.

Yeju daa shu toonii haa.

고맙습니다.

맛있게 잘 먹었습니다.

Well, he has 5 minutes.

Good morning, honorable people. My name is Jericho Blaine. My Tlingit name is Thluteen. I am a Kiksádi of the Point House in Sitka, and I'm pleased to be with you today. And it's a good day to be Indigenous.

Welcome to Celebration 2026. Please be aware that the songs you will hear and the crests you see on the regalia worn by the dancers are owned by clans. We respectfully request that you honor the ownership. All of the Centennial Hall performances and special events are broadcast.

Broadcast live. Sealaska Heritage Institute is sponsoring a live statewide broadcast on Public Television's 360 North and a live video stream. We would like to recognize our viewers who are participating through the livestream. Sealaska Heritage thanks our celebration sponsors including Alaska Airlines, Royal Caribbean, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Goldbelt Inc., University of Alaska Southeast, and Sea Alaska Corporation. You can see a full list of Celebration sponsors in the digital program.

Please see your program for complete schedule for Celebration 2026. There are a variety of activities to participate in, including new this year, the print lab class located at, at, at Nani Hiiht at the SHI Arts Campus Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.

At this time, we will welcome the dance group to the stage. Noot Lane, meaning Castle Hill.

Dancers of Sitka is a dance group formed in 1980 by the late Charlie Joseph Sr., Kaalhakt, and his daughter Ethel Mackinen, Dasdiya. The group was formed so that young Gajeheen dancers of the Sitka Native Education Program would have a place to carry on their culture after graduation. The dance group has over 40 dancers ranging from 2 years to 92 years. The group's leaders are Ethel Williams, Lillian Young, Angela Keeta, and their advisor, the new Dr. Elder Herman Davis Sr. Klaytweesh.

Other elders that assisted this group are the late Annie Joseph, Charlie's wife, Annie Dick, Mary Marks, Mary Perkins, Naomi Kanosh, and their lead dancer, Polly Pukias. Please welcome them with a round of applause.

Haʻeʻe, haʻeʻe, haʻeʻe, haʻeʻe.

Sawadee ka! Ah-ay ay— ah-yew hay-you ha! Sawadee ka! Sawadee ka! Ah-ay ay— ah-yew hay-you ha!

You haiyuhaaahh... You haiyuwaahhh? Aye eeeeh, sawadee ka yoo haaai yuuhaaaarrrr. Yoo haiyuwaaaaarr. Yuu haiyuuuaaarrr.

Ah-hae eeeyyy, aw'yew haiyou hahaarrr.

Good morning, everyone. We are the New Claim Dancers from Sheetka, and we're super happy to be here with you today. Thank you, Sealaska. Thank you, Ahtkwon, for just a really wonderful couple of days already. And now it's raining, so you can all stay inside and watch us dance, so it's perfect.

The outside song that we entered in on is part of our Giiak Kwan series. As you know, the Tlingit people always traveled and traded and intermarried amongst other communities and tribes. And this series comes from a Kiksádi interaction with the Aleut people called— we call the Giiak Kwan. It belongs to the Kiksádi people whose ancestors lived amongst them and brought this style of dance to us. Gunaaxiish to the Kiksádi.

Study. I want to acknowledge that though historically generalized as Aleut, the indigenous people of Kodiak have reclaimed the name Sugpiaq, and those from the Aleutian Islands and Southwest have reclaimed Unangax̂.

The Giiit Kwaan are the people of the sea, and during these next The last of the next 3 dance songs, you're going to see the young men dancing out in front, imitating birds going to the water and putting their heads in to catch a fish.

Haiohe e iuhe, e iuhe ale. Haiohe e iuhe, e iuhe ale.

Ayo e e iu e e iu e ale. Ayo e e iu e e iu e ale.

Aye, aye, aye.

Hi. No, just. Kidding. As I mentioned earlier, we are the New Plain Dancers from Sheetka, and in our community we're really lucky that the elders have always valued the education of our children. Even back in 1975, they got together and created the Sitka Native Education Program.

Where language, art, and song and dance are still taught today. This group was originally formed by the instructors from the Sikkim Native Education Program so that graduates.

Had a place to continue to learn and to continue to practice their songs. And it's because of, because of these elders and teachers who shared all that time with us that we're doing things a little bit differently today. We're mixing our series a little bit, so the dancers are getting changed up. This is not something that we normally do, but we really wanted to highlight all of the things that our elders saw fit to teach to us. And share it with you all today.

These next couple of songs come from our Dehkina series, which is our interpretation of the Haida style of dance. And I just want to acknowledge that it was really hard for our group to prepare for Celebration this year.

We've had some really, really big losses in Xitkaa, in our community. But we got together, we called a meeting, and we said we're going to do it because this is where they would want us to be, to be here with you all.

. It's been really healing just to practice together and prepare for this and to see all of you lovely people here today. So, gunalchéesh.

We really just want to honor all of their efforts, especially most recently we lost Donochitse, Chuck Miller, Dossdiá a couple years ago, and they were really big a really big part of our lives and our group. And we just want to honor their commitment to our culture, just be together to remember all their words and their teachings, their humor, and all the love that they shared with us. So I hope you feel that from us today. Nwuchish.

And as the dancers are finishing getting their dance robes on and.

When she gets hers on. I just want to acknowledge Herman Ewoktiish is our lone elder from the very beginning, and we will let him speak before we exit today because no matter what the time is, you still have to give your elders time to speak. That's part of our culture, and we respect the elders. We hold high regards to all the elders, so Herman will be speaking before we exit today.

We want to say thank you. You know, the dancers have been— like Ann said, it was really hard for our group, but this has been healing our hearts since we started day one practicing, getting ready for Celebration. This, uh, it was really hard at the very beginning, but as we continued practicing, our hearts were opening up again, and you're going to see it today. Tomorrow evening,.

At our A&B performance, which is at 8:20, is when we'll be dedicating that performance to Chuck Miller. We're doing his, what he liked, and the song he composed for his grandma. So if any of you guys can make it tomorrow evening at 8:20 at the A&B Hall, that's when we'll be doing and honoring, , Chuck Miller.

LANGUAGE] Aksa'i owé akthikta yudusagan. Laykag einakh ko'a Irene Jimmy.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Gakji Ktla. I carry the name of Irene Jimmy of the Kiks'ádi Steelhouse in Sitka. I'm very happy to be here this morning, and I was given the responsibility to introduce this next song belonging to the Tluk'nak'adi that we'll be singing for you all. The reason we're singing it is because in 2014, for celebration, Donnach Isayakh, Chuck Miller, brought this song out because he was.

He was asked to do so by Jake White, who composed this song, also of the Tluknuk Adi clan of Hoonah. It's traditionally a slower song, a lady's song, but Danak Ists'ayek sped it up, and that's the way we learned it. So we're going to be doing it as a men's song in honor of him, and we say gunalchiiishkha to the Tluknuk Adi for allowing us to use this song. Gunalchiiishkha.

Okay. These next two songs that we're going to do.

Are some of our oldest, our true Tlingit ceremonial songs. And for a long time, these were only done at our own ku.iks and ceremonies. But our elders and teachers often asked them— asked us to do them so that these songs and dances would not be forgotten. So the style of dance you're going to see for these yeik songs is called kutéik. We want to thank the Tluk'na Kadii for allowing us to share these with you.

And we're so grateful to have Mark. We're so grateful to have Cleo Tuij here with us. He's going to say hello to you. Welcome. What am I supposed to say?

Hi. She said just hi. She's just saying, just say hi. We're. Going to do the Yuko Ahungiiyake.

Okay. Okay.

Ho ho ho! What's up, 2E-K? Yeah, I can contact you guys. I can hear you. Ho ho!

Ho ho! I can hear you too, can you hear me? Oh yeah! Oh yeah, I can hear you too! Oh yeah!

Yeah, see, I can talk to you. Oh yeah! Oh, Connie Young! She's my Connie, Connie Young!

If you are— if there are any Tluk'nakaree here, would you please stand while we dance these songs for you today? And we ask that aside from the Sealaska livestream, that these songs not be recorded. They carry power, and our leaders have always asked that they not be filmed for personal use. Gunalchéesh.

Tuta, tana chi, tana chi.

Hoi!

I told my ladies This is probably the last time I'm going to be up front with them. Getting up there in age makes this song harder to.

Do, but I did it.

We would like to thank— say gunalchéesh to people who have helped us come over to celebrate with all of you. This is such a wonderful event that we, a lot of dance groups, raise a lot of funds to come and show what we are all about. Indigenous people, we're strong, and it shows by all the groups showing up to dance at this wonderful event.

Without the help of donations such as Shiitaka Incorporated, they helped with donations to 4 dance groups to help them come over.

Sikka Tribe of Alaska helped. Representative Himcho, fundraising, bake sales, raffles. Our families, especially our families, we'd like to say gunalchéesh to them for standing by us. We'd like to say gunalchéesh to Occoquan for allowing all of us to come and show our regalia, show our dances. We'd also like to especially say thank you to Sealaska Heritage Institute for putting on this wonderful event.

Without that, we would not be able to share a lot of what's in one place. So, gunalchéesh to Sealaska.

Good night to all of you for coming to support us in our performance today. Without you here to show, we wouldn't— it would not be as heartwarming as it is. Good night to all of you.

Before. We do our exit, I just want to acknowledge Um, some of our young leaders who've really stepped up to support our group preparing for the celebration. We've all really had to get together and fill in these enormous gaps left by the leaders who are no longer with us. Um, everyone jumped in to make sure we were doing things correctly, which is intimidating because we always had them to rely on. Um, so now we're relying on each other, and I just want to acknowledge the efforts of everyone, but these only slightly younger than me leaders that have really been supporting the group, especially— just turn around and step forward— Ani, Maddie,.

Maddie, say hello. Chu Khan, Yandu Ain, and Jay Miller, really happy to have you both here with us today.

Haley, um, Kaju say Ben, and Alex, I really appreciate you all.

They really jumped in to keep us organized, to help us with all the tech. To speak, to drum, to song call, to hold my stuff for just one second, Hailey. And we really appreciate them. Ganooshcheeshoho. We're going to exit on Anahay belonging to the Kogwantan.

Welcome to Celebration 2026. Please be aware that the songs you will hear and the crests you see on the regalia worn by the dancers are owned by clans. We respectfully request that you honor this ownership. All of the Centennial Hall performances and special events are broadcast live. Sealaska Heritage Institute is sponsoring a live statewide broadcast on public television's 360 North, and a live video stream.

For the link, go to www.sealaskaheritage.org.

We would like to recognize our viewers who are participating, participating in Celebration through the livestream. Sealaska Heritage thanks Celebration sponsors, especially Alaska Airlines, Royal Caribbean, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Gold Belt Incorporated.

University of Alaska Southeast, and the Sealaska Corporation. You can see a full list of the celebration sponsors in the digital program online. Please see your program for a complete schedule of Celebration 2026. There are a variety of activities and events coming up. Tomorrow we are having the Native Food Contest and Awards here at Centennial Hall.

That will begin at 5:20 PM. Come see the judging and the winners of our dry fish, atxʻiishi, our seaweed, tlak'usk, and tsá'axíil, seal oil. At this time, I would like to welcome the TCLL dance group to the stage. In 2000, Sealaska Heritage Institute received a federal grant that created the school Tlingit Culture, Language, and Literacy program. Since fall of 2001, TCLL has been housed at the Harborview Elementary School in the Juneau School District Leading the district in place-based education.

This past.

Last school year there were 119 students from kindergarten through 8th grade in TCLL.

Every Monday morning TCLL meets in the gym to practice Tlingit singing and dancing. The TCLL grandparents Florence Mark Shakeley, Genevieve Guanzon, and John Hanlon teach the Tlingit culture and values. Through oratory after dance practice. The grandparents work daily in the classrooms and students affectionately call them grandmas and grandpas who are seated right here. TCLL's vision for their graduates is to have a strong sense of their cultural identity, of their Tlingit identity, culture, and connection to the land.

TCLL graduates also strengthen and cultivate the Tlingit language.

For present and future generations. You will see many TCL alumni joining the current TCL students on stage. Please give them a round of applause. Gunaasheesh.

Aah!

Thank you to every single one of you.

To all of you noble people, every single respectful one of you seated here, and to all of you who are watching us through the internet. Klahwasaakonishcheesh, hatuwooyeeyati, iwakshiik ayaatoot'eehk yaaigiya TCLL aya woohaan. We are so proud to be dancing in front of all of you today, those of us from TCLL. Naakethaan aya aksayeeketlahk enah Hans Chester.

Our principal, Steve Shaw, was brought into the Kiksádi some time ago. We have Grandpa Yéshkagou Suknakhadi, Grandma Kwakishá Suknakhadi, Grandma Gates, Deeshee Taan. We say gunalchéesh to every single one of you for being here today. We opened up with Nidzi Shee Kooné, brought to Chilkat, Shungookadee by Yinda Yonk. Grandpa David taught us this song, and then we entered in on Ekwe coming from the Copper River that was traded to Tluknaxadi through the Alsek River, which our house where we come from.

And then we sing a idzah which comes from the Shlukah Khadim,.

From Haines. I had it all memorized. Now I'm nervous.

This next song was composed in 1954 by Kluk Ashtukaa Shangu Kaasha up in Yakutat, and Frederica de Laguna recorded her and many of our other relatives And so I learned this song from Day Laguna's recordings and listened to Grandma Esther Johnson singing the song. And so this is the one we'll bring out now. It's for Tekwedi Yat'ki and Nauwejen Yat'ki.

수고하셨습니다.

Thank you again. That last song was recorded by Minnie Johnson, Tsu Deh Tey, up in Yakutat. And again, Day Laguna recorded the song. She noticed that the reel, the wax cylinders were running low. And so in many of the songs she sung, she omitted the vocables.

And so for years and years I listened to the song, and one day, "Akh ke khitan wet gao," and I made the vocables for that song. We taught the song over Zoom during the lockdown. We had no clue if students knew the song, if they even listened to the song. And after the lockdown ended, we came back And Seklute, my sister, said, "Let's try 'yei hee ah.'" And so we started singing the song, and every single child started singing.

Started singing that song.

Aday shitsiniye, aday shitsiniye hakushti. How powerful our culture is, and you can see it right here in all of these children.

This next song I'd like to thank Mike Tagaban for giving us permission to sing, and I'd also like to thank Brian Wallace. I don't know if you know how much of an impact you had by posting your song on Facebook. And to Yaniv Chin, Elijah Marks, he's the one after we sang it at Gold Medal, he tagged me on Facebook and said, "Here's the vocables to the song." And so, gunalchéesh, Brian, for that post, and to Yaniv Chin for directing.

Directing us to the vocables because this was another song I was about to make vocables for so we could bring it out here at Celebration. But thanks to them, we know the song in its complete existence now.

Wow!

It's hard to believe Shuk is 21 today. Holy. Now I forgot again what we're supposed to sing.

Oh, Auntie Aishi, this is a Xuka Hadi song coming from Haines that was taught to us by Kayhune and her brother. These are Grandma Cockeshot's older brother and— or brother and older sister, Nora Marks Downhauer and Johnny Marks. Aayaknaxtuaak. Auntie Aishi, kayaka. Auntie Aishi, kayaka.

For our last song, this was one that Grandpa David Kingeast, he wanted us to learn back in 2018 after Celebration. He talked to us about it and he told us a little bit of the history of when Xangu Keidi were migrating. They came across a river and it was a big river and they couldn't, they couldn't go across on their own. And so they decided what to do. They didn't want to stay behind where they were.

They wanted to go home. And so in order to do that, what they did was they interlocked their arms together and then they entered the water and together they crossed that river. And Grandpa David told us that these students are as if every one of our ancestors are with us, joining arms with us every single day.

As we learn our language and culture, as we teach our language and culture. And then in 2019, he left us. And then the lockdown happened and we didn't learn the song from him, but we talked about it last school year and we decided that this celebration we were going to learn the song in honor of Kingis Te, in honor of Grandpa David. And so that's why we're going to sing Dakwants as we exit. And it's as if every single one of us here are interjoined in our arms together, because as one we are stronger.

And that is one of the teachings that Kingistí left with us. As one, we are stronger. Yeah. Yeah. Hotundetánihtsití tsiyallá.

Akengunefchii shíe'dai tukhá. Akengunefchii shiiyedai tukhá.

And Auntie, I'll call you back.

ेरेाेझा मेरा सरानूदीदेराआठे ने डे ग आहेगोमेेबेाेसीहै य?

Ave Gloria! Ave Gloria!

Eterna gratia et tuta tu gloria— Tena juna pudina. Ave Gloria!

아 아 아 아 아 아 아 아 아 아 아 아 아 오징어튀김.

Gunaachee TCLL, could we give them one more round of applause? Woo!

For being here today. Hello, my name is Michelle Martin, and I am pleased to be with you today, with you here today. Welcome to Celebration 2026. Please be aware that the songs you will hear and the crests you see on the regalia worn by the dancers are owned by clans. We respectfully request that you honor this ownership.

All of the Centennial Hall performances and special events are broadcast live. Sealaska Heritage Institute is sponsoring.

A live statewide broadcast on public televisions, KTOO 360 TV, and a live video stream. For the link, go to the Sealaska Heritage website. We would like to recognize our viewers who are participating in celebration through the live stream. Please see your program for a complete schedule for Celebration 2026. There are a variety of activities to participate in.

Tomorrow we will feature our first music concert at the Walter Soboleff Building at 6 o'clock PM. Come watch a variety of music performances by Indigenous artists. Lastly, please remember that water is okay to bring in the hall, but other food and drink is not permitted.

At this time, we will welcome the dance group to the stage. The Koozie Da Kwan dancers was formed in 1985 by Angoon, in Angoon, by Matthew Fred Sr., their head.

Cultural leader with the full support and participation of their esteemed elders of that time. Hoodsie Da Kwan literally means all clans of the town. This name was initially used during the 1904 Sitka Potlatch. Angoon has participated since 1979, and they have some original members still participating, of which they treasure. Their dance membership list is ever-changing as some elders have gone on and as their kids age out of the group.

The group composition is elders, young adults, and very few children. In order for a child to participate, it is a requirement that either a parent or a grandparent must be active, fully participating member. This provides representation for all medical or legal issues or concerns that may rise. Dance group officers are Ellen Zuboff, cultural Joe Zuboff, Song.

And dance, Peter McCluskey, drummer, and Maxine Thompson, dance group coordinator. Throughout the year, dance group members participate in cultural activities and ku'ik's in their town and their region. On October 26, 2024, Angoon finally received an apology from the US Navy and official representatives of the Department of Defense for the October 26, 1882 bombardment of Rangoon. This apology was consistently pursued over the years and now provides the opportunity for closure. Please give them a round of applause.

Aha ya ha, aha ya ha, hee hee ya, aha ya ha, aha ya ha, aha ya ha, hee hee ya.

Maya, ah, Maya, ah, Maya, ah, Vege, Vege, ah, Maya, ah, Maya, ah, Maya, ah, Vege, ah.

Aah! Hoop hoop ha hoop haa!

Huh? Huh? Ha! Ho ho ho! Hey ho!

Hey!

Boom, boom, boom!

Kootsiidaakwan. We're happy to be here. We're happy to see you. Kootsiidaakwan. Kaanakhtaan.

Ah, come on!

Iwaxi, Tutleha, Gootzeezea, Haagookwe, and Sealaska, K'arj. Are they here? And I get— in my cooks, they said the Hawaiians are there.

Yeah, there's a big bird in my ear, so— Ah, go away!

Good to see that one.

Way up, Daisy Dawn Aftersoft.

Iñaki.

Aya! Aya!

Avalonie Finn.

Our kungoosh from the abalone fin song, Deeshee Taan. We can't sing unless we sing the kungoosh from the abalone fin. It's considered the strongest of yakes. If we don't sing this, then all we can sing is the clan hat songs.

We ya ha hey.

We're down to 12 minutes, so we got to go straight to the Weskiton Iakwitis, and then we'll do Deshitown Iakwitis after that, and we'll go home.

One each. We're down to 12 minutes.

Next, we'll be doing Tuday Si Taanii Equities.

Sikdu. Haku.

Do it 4 times.

Last song will be our exit song. 3 Of the songs that was given to the Tuka Hit family: Deeshitawn Entrance, Deeshitawn After Song, and the third Deshitan exit.

Good luck, one way up.

Dishonour exit. We'll have our hands out, thanking everyone.

Hakiniye akwe akuwa!

Hawe yakwe hawe afue tu saku? Hakiniye akwe akuwa! Hawe yakwe kowe afue tu saku? Hakiniye akwe akuwa!

Hawayahway, Jesus. Hawtayahway.

Awe! Awe to Sam's Akineh Awe Aqua! Awe! Awe to Sam's Akineh Aqua! Awe!

Awe—.

이 시각 세계였습니다.

Hei kusa, makinei.

Finish teach. Could we give them one more round of applause? Woo!

Hey, hey!

Good night. I just have an announcement. There are cars that need to be moved. We have a red Nissan Leaf, license plate LKA946, that needs to be moved. We also have a black Chrysler PT Cruiser with the license plate L LHD 237.

Please move your vehicles. There are people that need to move cars from the Zach Gordon Youth Center as well. And handicap placards need to be in the windows of your vehicles. Gunasheesh. We are now on a break, a short break for 10 minutes, and we will start up again then.

Gunasheesh.

We are in Southeast Alaska right now because we want to use an autonomous underwater vehicle.

We are in Southeast Alaska right now because we want to use an autonomous underwater vehicle, basically an underwater robot, to explore and map and help archaeologists search for caves that might have been used by humans a long time ago when sea level was much lower. New discoveries are fueling.

Fuelling fierce debates among archaeologists about when, and how, humans first arrived in the Americas.

Textbook descriptions of hunters stalking animals across a land bridge connecting Asia to America, and passing through a gap between two massive ice sheets during the last ice age, and traversing an ice-free corridor through modern Canada, have been upended by mounting evidence indicating humans were in the Americas thousands of years before that migration route was possible. When people get to Southeast Alaska, we know that they settled here and that they've been here since at least 10,200 years ago, thanks to an approximately 21-year-old male found in Chukakaa Cave. Other archaeological sites in North and South America are more than 20,000 years old. As most people think that people got up one day and decided to walk to America, and that's not really what would have happened. People would have settled and expanded their home range in a small area.

Many archaeologists now think America's.

Its first people were maritime hunters and fishers, who arrived by walking or paddling via a coastal route called the "Kelp Highway." Direct evidence for the Kelp Highway remains scarce because it occurred when continental ice sheets lowered sea level by at least 400 feet, putting key archaeological evidence underwater when the ice melted. But a team of archaeologists, cave divers, and robotics engineers spent 2 summers on a pioneering quest called "Our Submerged Past Expedition." Their goal: find and map caves in Southeast Alaska that would have been dry, and potentially used as shelters, when the Americas' first people journeyed along the Kelp Highway. Gotta love Southeast Alaska, wait 5 minutes, weather'll change. It's a temperate rainforest here, with warm ocean currents, high rainfall, and mild temperatures which produce a rich, diverse, and rare biome. Most people.

People, when they think about Alaska, think about the snow.

I equate Southeast Alaska much more to the coastline of British Columbia. It's much more like a cold Vancouver. It's also the traditional homeland of the Tlingit and Haida. And scientists like Dr. Kelly Monteleone aim to use archaeology to help local communities learn about their ancestors.

Dr. Monteleone is an underwater archaeologist. Advances in diving equipment and underwater robotics have opened vast areas of the seafloor were inaccessible to archaeologists just a few decades ago.

I'm going to look for something called microdebitage, little itsy bitsy flakes that flake off whenever a stone tool is used or sharpened. First year we came out and we ran something called side scan sonar from a small fishing vessel, and that let us see what the seafloor looked like. I picked out a number of places based on that to look with more sophisticated tools, and that's why I partnered with Sunfish.

Just outside of Austin, Texas, at the headquarters of Sunfish Inc., Dr. Christoph Richmann and his team of robotics engineers and technicians test and prepare Sunfish before sending it out into the field. I've taken Sunfish, you know, kind of all around the world. Antarctica, explored the world's largest underground lake in Namibia, sea caves in the Channel Islands, springs in northern Florida. We like to go places where there's some sort of three-dimensional feature. That we can map with the robot and help scientists understand that environment better.

Work here in Alaska with our submerged past has really kind of been the first time we've done underwater archaeology, possibly helping to explore the origins of the human colonization of this whole half of the world. Vicki Siegel is a field operations manager for Sunfish Inc. Vicki's job is to figure out how to get her team and their robot into some of the world's most remote.

Remote and inaccessible places. This kind of work is something that cave divers could do, but by using a robot, we're able to make a very detailed 3-dimensional map of the cave that we're, that we're taking samples from. It can move in all 6 degrees of freedom, we call it, so it can translate forward, backward, side to side, up, down. The most unique aspect of Sunfish, it can work without any remote pilot, entirely autonomously. And then Sunfish decides within that view that it's seen, where is it safe to go?

Where's an empty space that I can move into? It's built up a map and we can tell it like, hey, go to this spot that you saw before, and it can use its map to navigate its way back. We. Are working on developing a sampling behavior with Sunfish. We added a little sediment sampler.

Having an underwater vehicle actually be able to interact with its environment and try to get sample from a spot is a pretty new capability. Sunfish is able to expand the range.

Of human exploration underwater because it doesn't get tired, it doesn't get cold. Cave divers up here in Alaska, I think the water is something like 48 degrees. All of this research is made possible because underwater environments can have higher preservation rates for organic materials, and caves protect archaeological sites and the artifacts they contain from erosion. What I love about being an underwater archaeologist is I get to learn about the past and how people lived in the past. And with underwater archaeology, I get to see it in a place that few people ever get to see or experience.

The frontier of research in underwater archaeology has been expanding through North America. Alaska especially has just started to scratch the surface. Projects like this have the potential to rewrite our understanding of how and when people came to the Americas.

Thank you for coming. We are happy that you are here.

Hello,. My name.

My name is Nadja Kookesh, and my Tlingit name I carry is my grandmother's name, Kaawuushin, and I am pleased to be with you today. Welcome to Celebration 2026. Please be aware that the songs you will hear and the crests that you see on regalia worn by the dancers are owned by clans. We respectfully request that you honor this ownership. I would like to request dance leaders to keep within their 30-minute allotted time, and please do not introduce every dance member as their names are listed in the program.

All of the Centennial Hall performances and special events are broadcast live. Sealaska Heritage Institute is sponsoring a live statewide broadcast on Public Television's KTOO 360 TV and a live video stream For the link, go to sealaskaheritage.org. We would like to recognize our viewers who are participating in celebration through the livestream. Sealaska Heritage thanks Celebration.

Sponsors, especially Alaska Airlines, Royal Caribbean, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the City and Borough of Juneau, Goldbelt Incorporated, University of Alaska Southeast, and Sealaska Corporation. You can see a full list of Celebration sponsors in the digital program. Please see your program for a complete schedule for Celebration 2026. There are a variety of activities to participate in. Notably new this year is the ISB Open House, which is the Indigenous Science Building, Thursday and Friday, 12 to 2 PM, Saturday from 12 to 2 PM as well.

At this time, we will welcome the dance group to the stage. Kootsnoo Dachikani Yan, the grandchildren of Angoon, is a dance group composed of all clans and ages.

Ages from 2 to 18 from Angoon. Since the group includes all clans, the members learn traditional songs and dances. The grandchildren have learned more than half the songs of the Kootzadikwan. Dancing can be a celebration, an expression of joy, sorrow, or way to tell a story. Pauline Johnson, our cultural instructor, has taught the children about their Native culture and values It is with hope that clan members know their clan history and family relationships.

This knowledge creates comfort during ceremonials and enriches the protocol of the event for the observer or participant. It is with hope that our children learn the cultural values that were put together for us, that they grow up using these values as a guideline to help keep them on track during their life. Please give them a round of applause.

Bukit Bintanggol.

The performance of the Angoon children. Angoon detranqriyan.

Ganoshcheesh! Ganoshcheesh! Thank you for coming to see the.

All the supporters helping to make celebration 2026 happen. All our supporters from home, thank you for coming forward for our children. Thank you, adults. Very important.

Once again, our grandma Harriet Silva for all her help in sewing many hours for our grandchildren.

Mary Jean Duncan, who is our coordinator for the Indian Ed program. She's in charge of getting us here and all our funds. Elders for support. For carrying on our Tlingit songs and dances and teaching it to me and teaching it to the children. Ganooshcheesh to our elders.

Eexi'khen. It is important to know who you are, know your clan history and family relationships. It is with hope that our children,.

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.

Congratulations to our graduates from Angoon High School. We have graduate— graduates, excuse me. Justice Duncan. Jesse Nelson. Angel Jack.

Lisa Kukash-Booth. Faith Ramey. Edward Kukash Jr. Sam Thayer.

Fredrickson, and Michael Jack. Congratulations, seniors! For all our families at home, we love you all. Iksikan.

We also want to thank Chatham School District Indian Ed. We did a speech already, right? Okay, and Kyle. Kootsnewuk. Kyle is our song leader and he's very valuable to us.

We have many children that love to lead, but we're still learning it. And drumming will be taught also. And we have Bella. She was our drummer before she moved to Sitka and she rejoined us. Ganaaschiiish to our drummer and song leader.

Okay, we're gonna try to stay within our limit. Okay, the first song we did was our pep song. This song we do when we're getting ready to perform. The walking song is the next song that we did. This song we do when we're walking to where we're going to begin dancing in.

The third song we did is our entrance song, "Deshi'tan." The next song we're going to do is called the after song. Ready? Everyone together.

The. Next song we're going to sing is the Abalone Fin, which is a Deshitaan, and this song is done before, before we do any of the other headdresses. So this song opens up all the headdress Headdresses, sound behind the blanket.

Yanguwini! Ah! Wehup!

Wee! Yah! Ah! Hey!

Wee! Yah! Ah! Ha! Ah!

Hey! Yah! Ah! Wee! Yah!

Ah! Ha!

The next song we're going to do is the House of Migration. Kudatan Kahidi. Dag Samansan. Yungi weni.

The next song we're going to do is the Wuxkitan Spirit Song.

The next song we're going to do is Deshitani'ekwiti, Raven Beaver, excuse me.

Really quick, I wanted to also introduce another song leader who I kept by my side for many years. She's a Tlingit bear, and I told her she could never retire. Lori Paul. Ganooshcheesh!

Now we are going to do the clan song. We are going to stick with the Raven, then the Eagle, then everybody.

Young Kiwiti!

Way up! Children of the Raven!

에야, 에야, 에야, 에, 에, 에야, 아, 하, 하, 에야, 구수에, 에, 에다오, 차키야키, 에 여러분!

Good afternoon, Centennial Hall.

Now we are going to do our exit. Again, skonoshish for coming to watch our grandchildren. Thank you very much.

Exit.

Young D.U.N.E.! Ah-ha! Way up! Ah-weh, ah-weh, you suck! Ah-ki-nay, ah-weh!

Ah-weh, ah-weh, ah-weh, ah-weh, you suck! Ah-ki-nay, ah-weh!

Halei, hapleng! Halei, hapleng!

Aweyaweya! Aweiyaweyyuusaaan— Artieyei aweyyawaaww... Aweiyaweysuussaan artiei aweyyawaawwa...

Awey aweh duhsa! Atye awey awuah!

I first have an announcement. We need a— there's a Chrysler license, LHD 237, with a handicap sign is blocking the parking. Please move your vehicle. Again, that's a Chrysler license, LHD 237.

Hello, my name is Michelle Martin, and I am pleased to be with you here today. Welcome to Celebration 2026. Please be aware that the songs you will hear and the crests you see on the regalia worn by the dancers are owned by clans. We respectfully request that you honor this ownership. Please see your program for a complete.

Complete schedule for Celebration 2026. There are a variety of activities to participate in, including House of Rock tomorrow, 6 to 8 PM, at the Walter Soboleff Clan House. It will feature a variety of Indigenous performers. At this time, we will welcome the dance group to the stage. The Xhik'a Kwan dance group was started in 1994 by the late Isabella Brady.

Ye'di-kook-ah and her daughter Louise Brady. Ya-yi-taw-slug-doot-geen. Tsa-de-yeh-nak-oo. Please forgive me if I pronounce it wrong. The group began as a way to gather and fellowship through our culture to work toward healing from generational trauma as well as the efforts of alcohol and drug abuse.

Today it is a way for our dancers to gather and enjoy one another's company while learning and preserving our.

Culture. One of our main focuses remains preserving our traditional songs and dances, striving to learn correct pronunciations as well as traditional ways of dance, and not altering those traditional forms to something more flashy. We owe that respect to the generations who come— who came before. We dance in memory of our late co-founder Isabella Brady. As well as Kok-utk and all the elders who preserve these songs and dances for us.

We have sold countless pieces of fry bread to get here and have practiced many hours on traditional songs as well as new ones. We hope you enjoy our performance and appreciate that all that has gone into what we will share with you. Gunasheesh. Please give them a round of applause.

감사합니다.

고맙습니다.

Ate a cheese of you. Ate a cheese of you. Ate a cheese of you.

I guess I should get on the card that isn't the one right before our exit. Okay. Here we go.

We are the Sheetka Kwan Dancers. This group was started in 1994 by Louise Brady and the late Isabella Brady.

Hachewusiguyak ye hayati. Gonaaschii shaati aadi. We are happy to be here to dance for all of you. However, as mentioned in New Claim's earlier performance, our community has been feeling the loss of Donak Izt'ek, Chuck Miller. Though he was not in our dance group, if you watch old celebration videos, you can see him supporting us and song calling at many of the last several celebrations.

And so we will be dedicating our performances to him. Yande'e ha nane niawe Kawook'ashi wotu'ashi. The outside song that we did, Kawook'ashi, was composed by Kawook Rudolph Walton, and it belongs to the Kickapoo.

Ari. We used it as a walking song.

We entered in on a song called , which translates to "We Are Still Here." It is a song that we are gifting to those groups who live outside of Southeast Alaska who find themselves struggling to would gain clan permissions for the songs that they use to try to keep culture alive in those places they live, such as Anchorage and Washington. Yaayidat kaatan keegaxtuxi yeegiis kagwantan has ayaheen. The next song that we will do is Kaatan belonging to the Kagwantan. In the second verse, you will hear that it is sung to the children of Kagwantan, or the people whose fathers are Kagwantan.

The next song that we'll do is a ladies' song that has been composed for Donoch Ist'seikh, the late Chuck Miller. The words come from Keet Yanaye, Paul Marks II, and the tune and vocals are by Yedikook'aa. The first verse is for Chuck, and it says, "This world shook with you, children of Kogwanton. Have pity on us. You broke us when you left." The second verse Paul made for Ts'eo'tu'ish, Herman Davis, Chuck's great uncle Herman Davis, who has found himself waiting for his nephew's call.

The next song that we'll do is a ladies' song that has been composed for Donoch Ist'seikh, the late Chuck Miller. The words come from Keet Yonahi, Paul Marks II, and the tune and vocals are by Yedikook'aa. The first verse is for Chuck, and it says, "This world shook with you, children of Kogwanton. Have pity on us. You broke us when you left." The second verse Paul made for Ts'eo'tu'ish, Herman Davis, Chuck's great uncle Herman Davis, who has found himself waiting for his nephew's call.

The verse says, "Steady yourselves, children of Chuukeneidi. I'm still waiting for your call. Look toward your grandfather's mountain.".

The verse says, "Steady yourselves, children of Chuukeneidi. I'm still waiting for your call. Look toward your grandfather's mountain.".

에이, 에이! 자, 여러분! 차예인아 진축 가래디 야지세에 춘추리 아지세에 이춘추리 차예인아 나스켄 차예인아 나스켄 차예인아 나스켄.

The next song that we'll do is another men's dance song, and it comes from a speech by Ka'at'ak, Charlie Joseph Sr. In that speech, referencing why he was teaching all of the clan songs to multi-clan groups when Sitka Native Education Program was first started, he said, even from long ago, we have placed our grandchildren high above ourselves Yes, we cherish them. Even those things we treasure, we used to offer up to them, those who were our grandchildren. We do this song in memory and honor of Kaath'atkh, Charlie Joseph Sr., Yaydi Kook'aa, Isabella Brady, who founded SNAP, and the original instructors, Keet'kla, Ann Johnson, and the late Daastee'yaa, Ethel Mackinen, Kau'duk'et'kla, Vida Davis. As well as Kus'in Alice Williams and all the elders who taught at SNAP in the early days.

Because this song was written about the Qajaheen dancers, we will also be gifting this song to the Qajaheen dancers and Sitka Native Education Program for their use.

Whoo!

Before we do our exit, I would like to say some thank yous. But before I do that, I'd like to acknowledge the folks who are sitting here on stage in support of us. We have with us the recent recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Alaska Southeast, as well as the recipient of the Charlie Joseph Senior Award from Sheattucka Incorporated, our shaadee haani of the Kiks'ádi clan, Anyaanakh Ray Wilson.

Before we do our exit, I would like to say some thank yous. But before I do that, I'd like to acknowledge the folks who are sitting here on stage in support of us. We have with us the recent recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Alaska Southeast, as well as the recipient of the Charlie Joseph Senior Award from Sheattica Incorporated, our shaadee haani of the Kiks'ádi clan, Anyaanakh Ray Wilson.

LANGUAGE] We also have one of our early elders from this dance group whose family joins us from their various reaches across the country to the places they've moved in their adulthood, which are Nick and Kelsey Foote, and we, in Sitka, Because their last name is Foote, we've always referred to them in plural as the Foote. And also Loretta Thomas, who's their mom. And this is their grandmother and mom, Virginia Mata. We have sitting due to a leg injury. I broke my arm about 2 months ago, so we like to joke that between us we make almost one whole healthy person.

Danielle Garut.

We have my old man, who as luck would have it is now actually my old man, Kitch Noch Larry Garrity, who taught many of the dancers, the male dancers on this stage, how to dance. So my old man, Larry Garrity.

We. Would like to say our thank-yous. We'd like to acknowledge Shiattica Incorporated, who without their support every 2 years, we wouldn't be able to make it here, as well as Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and also Rebecca Himschoot, who, since we're in her district, asked how she could help as well. We'd also like to thank those folks who bought fry bread and baked goods to help us get here.

Okay, um, the last song that we're going to do is our.

Exit song. We will try to make good time off the stage. I make no promises. Entrances and exits are always what are the hardest to get on the stage and off the stage in a timely fashion. And if you haven't been here at the mic moderating for a dance group, you don't know how much stress this digital clock here telling you how much time you have left is so stressful.

Um, the song that we're going to do is a new exit song that we composed for this year as well. And I'd like to mention that those Tsimshians down there, and I can say it that way because I'm part Tsimshian as well, have every year challenged dance groups to come with new songs so that we're not only perpetuating our traditional culture but keeping our tradition growing by composing songs as well. So we'd just like to thank you all for coming.

We thank you for your support. We are the Xit'kwa'kwan dancers, and we just appreciate anyone who comes and makes all of our bread frying worth it every 2 years when we come here. So gunalchéeshotyi'adi.