Lingít dancers perform a traditional song and dance. (Photo by Meredith Redick, KCAW.)

Sitka celebrated its fourth annual Yaaw Koo.éex’, or Herring Ceremony, in April. The ceremony honors the role of herring in the way of life of the Lingít people. The event included stories performed in Lingít and English, distribution of gifts and blankets, and traditional song and dance. KCAW’s Meredith Redick attended the event and returned with this audio postcard.

Herring robes sit out before they are gifted to dancers (Photo by Meredith Redick, KCAW.)
Audience members listen to a story told in Lingít and English. (Photo by Meredith Redick, KCAW.)