Celebration 2020 will take place online from June 10 to 13, after Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) postponed this year's in-person gathering until 2021.
Celebration is a biennial festival of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures that draws approximately 5,000 people to Juneau. The rescheduled in-person presentation, delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will take place in Alaska's capital city from June 2 to 5, 2021.
The virtual Celebration 2020 will feature live dance footage, clips from Celebration 2018 performances and interactive online elements that connect viewers. Organizers will also share submitted photos and videos of Alaska Native artwork and regalia, and the virtual Native Artist Market will showcase crafts and provide instructions for purchase.
"During this time of uncertainty and fear, we need to come together somehow and celebrate our cultural survival. We as a people have been sorely tested in the past and survived many hardships. We will endure, but our people need something positive to anticipate right now," said SHI President Rosita Worl.