40 Years of Celebration

In 1982, Sealaska Heritage Institute held the first Celebration, a gathering of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian of Southeast Alaska. It was held at the urging of Elders, who worried the cultures were dying after a period of severe oppression. They also wanted to celebrate that their cultures had survived.

Celebration started off with primarily Elder participants singing and dancing over a 4-day period every other year. The year 2022 marked the 40th Celebration, which now includes participation of all ages and includes associated events, such as a Juried Art Show and Competition, a Native artist market, Native food contests, a Native fashion show, a toddler regalia review, a parade through downtown Juneau, several affiliated events, and other special events.

Today, Celebration, which draws thousands of people every even year, is the largest gathering of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people in the world.