Celebration 2028 scheduled June 7-10, set to feature Kake’s Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwáan as lead dance group

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The lead dance group during this year’s Celebration, Lepquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim Tsimshian Dancers, during Grand Exit on June 6, 2026. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent)

By Juneau Independent staff

The next biennial Celebration is scheduled from June 7-10, 2028, according to Sealaska Heritage Institute, which organizes the Alaska Native dance-and-culture festival.

The lead dance group will be Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwáan, a multigenerational group from Kake. Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwáan translates to “Mouth of the Dawn Peoples,” according to an SHI press release published Tuesday. The release states the group has 150 Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian members.

"Its roots trace back to the 1970s, when a group of children called the Kake JOM Dancers began to learn traditional songs and dances," the release notes. "In 1989, they started making regalia and performing as Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwáan."

The lead dance group is first to perform during the Grand Entrance and Grand Exit at Celebration that features all groups. This year’s event featured more than 1,800 dancers from 34 dance groups.

The SHI release notes people planning to participate in 2028 "are encouraged to book hotel rooms early as accommodations fill quickly in Juneau."

Celebration originated in 1982 as a way for Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people to gather and celebrate their cultural survival. It is now one of Alaska’s largest cultural events with an estimated 5,000 total participants.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.