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May 27, 2004

CELEBRATION TO KICK OFF THURSDAY TO ANTICIPATED RECORD CROWD

Sealaska Heritage Institute anticipates a record number of people next week will attend Celebration 2004, a biennial dance-and-culture festival that has grown so huge in popularity it has spawned interest in dance groups outside the region and the state.

The Institute had to turn away nine dance groups from the Lower 48 and outside Southeast that applied to participate in the Juneau festival this year for lack of space, said SHI President Rosita Worl.

“Celebration is growing beyond the region and beyond Alaska,” Worl said. “We will be looking at ways to accommodate the groups in the future by expanding Celebration, perhaps increasing the number of days.”

The Institute has booked 48 dance groups to perform at the festival – that’s six more groups than in 2002. The event, scheduled June 3-5, likely will draw more than 5,000 people from Alaska, the Lower 48 and Canada to Celebration festivities at Centennial Hall, the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall, Sealaska Plaza, the Mt. Roberts Tram and Marine Park.

The festival will feature more than 1,700 dancers, a parade through downtown, a black seaweed contest, canoe races, Native artist workshops, a Native language fair, a story-telling forum, a Juried Art Show and a Native Artist Market. (The Native Artist Market will be held at Centennial Hall because its usual venue, the National Guard Armory, was not available this year).

For the first time, Native language students will moderate some dance performances.

“We will be highlighting the success of our Native language programs,” said Worl, president of the Institute, which runs programs to perpetuate Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. “We hope to show that our young people are successfully embracing their Native languages and to encourage others to learn Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian.”

The Grand Entry is scheduled 8:30 a.m., Thursday, from the ANB Hall to Centennial Hall. The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday from the Mt. Roberts Tram to Centennial Hall. Dancers will perform all three days at Centennial Hall, ANB Hall, the Mt. Roberts Tram and Marine Park. The theme this year is “Strength of Body, Mind and Spirit,” translated to “Haa Latseení” in Tlingit, “Gudangáay” in Haida and “Tcka Yu-gyetg” in Tsimshian.

The Rangimarie Maori dance group will be special guests of Sealaska Heritage Institute during Celebration 2004. The Rangimarie Maori is one of New Zealand’s best Maori performing groups and will be participating in a Cultural Exchange Tour of Alaska.

Celebration was conceived in 1980 at the first Sealaska Elders conference. At that meeting, Elders asked Sealaska to help preserve and perpetuate the culture of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people. In response, Sealaska founded the Sealaska Heritage Institute, and in 1982, the Institute organized the first Celebration. That first festival drew 12 dance groups and 150 people. Today, Celebration is one of the largest Native cultural gatherings in the state.

Three-day passes will be available on Wednesday, June 2, at Centennial Hall (passes also may be purchased in advance at the Sealaska Heritage office at One Sealaska Plaza). Three-day passes are $12 for students (ages 8-18) and Elders (ages 65 and up) and $25 for adults. One-day tickets, available on the day of admission, are $5 for students and Elders and $10 for adults.

CONTACT: Rosita Worl, SHI President, 463-4844