{"id":72312,"date":"2026-06-03T03:09:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T03:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/72312\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T03:09:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T03:09:04","slug":"yaakw-paddlers-arrive-in-juneau-from-across-southeast-canada-as-celebration-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/72312\/","title":{"rendered":"Yaakw paddlers arrive in Juneau from across Southeast, Canada as Celebration begins"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paddlers arrive at Auke Recreation Area from across Southeast Alaska and Canada for Celebration on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

Thirteen canoes bringing Alaska Native paddlers from across Southeast Alaska and Canada arrived in Juneau on Tuesday afternoon. The canoes landed in two separate groups \u2014 one in downtown Juneau and the other at Auke Recreation Area, the site of a former \u00c1ak\u2019w village<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/media.ktoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02celeblanding.mp3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00c1ak\u2019w Kw\u00e1an Elder Seikoonie Fran Houston waited on the shore at Auke Recreation Area as traditional canoes \u2014 or yaakw \u2014 entered the bay.<\/p>\n

Paddlers arrive at Auke Recreation Area from across Southeast Alaska and Canada and ask \u00c1ak\u2019w Kw\u00e1an elders on shore to come into the community for Celebration on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be good to see family and family, and family and friends, and it\u2019s a beautiful day, so the ancestors are happy also,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every other June, more than 100 paddlers arrive in Juneau this way to kick off Celebration, a gathering of Alaska Native people celebrating cultural revitalization. Sealaska Heritage Institute started the event more than four decades ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They arrive the old-fashioned way, paddling yaakw that were carved for the occasion and requesting permission to come ashore from the local clan. Some travel from as far north as the Yukon.<\/p>\n

Paddlers dance after disembarking their yaakw at Auke Recreation Area ahead of Celebration on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Ugh\u0105ts\u2019ets\u04d3na Ma. I\u2019m Crow Clan. We\u2019re from Dakw\u00e4k\u00e4da, Haines Junction, Yukon,\u201d said Ugh\u0105ts\u2019ets\u04d3na Ma Cheyenne Sparvier-Kinney, standing aboard a canoe as it faced the shore. \u201cWe\u2019re looking to celebrate now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, Sparvier-Kinney reflected on the multi-day journey down Lynn Canal from Haines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe journey was great. It was really a healing journey for a lot of us, not just our boat, but from the experiences that we\u2019ve shared together,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a healing journey for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ugh\u0105ts\u2019ets\u04d3na Ma Cheyenne Sparvier-Kinney introduces her Haines Junction crew to the shore on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

Others, like ShaaL\u2019aanee Brandon Ware, are from as far south as Petersburg. This was the community\u2019s first time sending a canoe<\/a> to Celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cGunalcheesh for having us,\u201d he said, addressing the A\u0301ak\u2019w K\u0331wa\u0301an elders. \u201cWe are so grateful to be here. Forgive me if I miss protocol, this is our first journey in over 100 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

In downtown Juneau, three yaakw made their way to shore as hundreds stood watching. As the yaakw neared, Shangukeid\u00ed Casey Moats stood up to greet the crowd and T\u2019aak\u0331u K\u0331wa\u0301an elders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hundreds of people greet paddlers as they arrive in downtown Juneau for Celebration on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Photo by Clarise Larson\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

After he landed, he said being a part of a yaakw journey is a symbol of how much he\u2019s learned about his community and culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had heard that I would never know my language. I\u2019d never belong to a clan. I\u2019d never have a name. I wouldn\u2019t know my songs,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd to do this means everything in the whole world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paddlers arrive in downtown Juneau for Celebration on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Photo by Clarise Larson\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

X\u2019ash Kuge\u0301 ka Yaanasax Barbara Cadiente-Nelson is a tribal council member and secretary for Douglas Indian Association. She was one of the original planners for the first-ever Celebration in 1982<\/a>. As she watched the yaakw arrive downtown, she said that for Alaska Native culture to continue to flourish, the next generation has to be grounded in place.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you take a look around and you see our people of all ages and our youth, we are, yeah, and the young people that are singing and dancing, that they\u2019re connected to place, they\u2019re their understanding and growing in their responsibility as Ling\u00edt, Haida, Tsimshians,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paddlers arrive in downtown Juneau for Celebration on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Photo by Clarise Larson\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

Celebration officially starts Wednesday, with a Grand Entrance parade into Centennial Hall downtown. Over the coming days, there will be numerous events and ceremonies<\/a> dedicated to honor and uplift Alaska Native culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sheeshan Colin Rose sings as paddles arrive in downtown Juneau for Celebration on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Photo by Clarise Larson\/KTOO)<\/p>\n

Celebration events will broadcast live statewide on KTOO 360TV and stream on Sealaska Heritage Institute\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a> and ktoo.org\/tv<\/a>. You can also watch live on KTOO\u2019s Roku and AppleTV apps.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Disclosure: KTOO\u2019s production department is contracted to provide television and streaming services during Celebration 2026. It operates independently from the news department.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Paddlers arrive at Auke Recreation Area from across Southeast Alaska and Canada for Celebration on June 2, 2026.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[29534,29535,29536,29537,17,5841,29538,9560,29539,29540],"class_list":["post-72312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-aakw-waan","tag-aakw-village","tag-alaska-native-culture","tag-auke-recreation-area","tag-canada","tag-celebration","tag-haines","tag-instagram","tag-petersburg","tag-shaal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}