SHI TRUSTEES NAME LEAD DANCE GROUP FOR CELEBRATION 2026
Tsimshian group hails from Anchorage
June 24, 2024
The Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) Board of Trustees has named Lepquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim Tsimshian Dancers (Our Own Dance in Our Hearts) as the lead dance group for Celebration 2026.
Lepquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim Tsimshian Dancers, a multigenerational group from Anchorage, formed in 2005.
The members were very surprised by the news, said Marcella Asicksik, the group’s leader.
“This is such an honor. We were excited and still in shock,” Asicksik said a few days after hearing the news while still in Juneau for Celebration 2024.
“We all met up in my hotel room, screamed, cheered, hugged and cried. We’re all so happy for this opportunity.”
The honor is given to one dance group every two years. The lead dance group is responsible for leading the Grand Entrance and Grand Exit songs, during which every participating dance group dances across the stage to mark the beginning and end of Celebration. That requires the lead group to drum and sing for up to three hours straight during both processions.
Celebration is a major, four-day event organized by Sealaska Heritage every even year. First held in 1982, it has become one of the largest events in the state, drawing thousands of people to the capital city.
SHI’s trustees will select the theme and dates for Celebration 2026 at a future board meeting.
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a private nonprofit founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Its goal is to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. SHI also conducts scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars, a Native Artist Committee and a Southeast Regional Language Committee.
CONTACT: Kathy Dye, SHI Communications and Publications Deputy Director, 907.321.4636, kathy.dye@sealaska.com.
Caption: Lepquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim Tsimshian Dancers (Our Own Dance in Our Hearts) performing at Centennial Hall during Celebration 2024, which ran from June 5-8. Photo by Brian Wallace, courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute. Note: Media outlets are welcome to use this photo for coverage of this story. For a higher resolution image, contact kathy.dye@sealaska.com