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The song began with drumbeats, followed by a powerful call from the dance group leader. As the steady tempo of the drumbeats increased in volume, a chorus of women's voices began to sing, joined by the baritone of the men's voices. The gym floor soon filled with brightly colored regalia, emblazoned with clan crests. Eagles, ravens, sharks, killer whales, frogs and many others filled the room as the Keex’ Kwaan dancers performed their grand entrance for the guests assembled in the Kake Community Hall this weekend.

One hundred years ago, January 8, 1912, marked the day when the community of Kake became the first Alaska Native village to be recognized as a municipal government under the federal government. The decision represented a turning point for the community as traditional Native ways of governing were left behind in order to adopt Western laws. Today, Kake continues to be a predominantly Tlingit community nestled along the northwest shore of Kupreanof Island along Keku Strait. Around 500 people live in Kake.

Mike Jackson, local artist and magistrate, described the story of Kake Day. During the Gold Rush, the community's forefathers witnessed the displacement and disappearance of their traditional trading partners with the influx of newcomers in the late 1800s.

"Our ancestors decided that we needed to take control before the same happened to us," Jackson explained. "We would have to develop ourselves and form a Western form of municipal government. We would have to change our ways in order for our children to be accepted and be ready for a different type of work and a different type of government."

Upon formation of their government, the residents of Kake became U.S. citizens. The date also marks the entry of Western education and greater emphasis on the English language in the community. This decision was very controversial at the time and continues to be questioned to this day.

Still, Jackson observed, "I can't put myself in their shoes. They had to make the best decision for their people."

The significance of the Kake Day celebration this weekend attests to the strength of the Tlingit culture despite the community's decision to leave their traditions behind in exchange for Western ways. People in Kake continue to harvest their traditional foods from the land and sea, and many in the community adhere to traditional values of respecting the land.

"We're still here," said Jackson. "That's the big thing. People in this community choose to stay to put a face to the land."

KAKE DAY EVENTS

The Kake Day centennial weekend began with a Friday health and career fair at the community hall. Attendees visited tables hosted by the Southeast Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC), the Organized Village of Kake (OVK), the National Park Service, the University of Southeast Alaska and many other organizations. The fair also featured numerous local artists selling jewelry and crafts.

At the hall, a gallery of historical photos stretched across one wall. The gallery featured photos of Kake's fishing fleet, from past to present.

"At one time, Kake had 36 vessels in their fleet," recalled Peter Martin Jr. "Today, we have only four left."

Martin, now in his late 60s, fished on many of the long-gone vessels. He spent more than 60 hours contacting people in search of the photos and writing the captions that detail the story of each boat.

Nearby, another display held a board full of letters written by students to Kake's past and present elders.

"Dear Betty," read one letter, "Kake Day this year will be a huge celebration. Kake will be 100 years old. Kake is still a great community."

One of the centerpieces of the event was a timeline of Kake's history that spanned the back wall of the community hall. Dawn Jackson walked with elders Wilbur Brown and John Williams, writing down names as they shared stories about the people in the photos.

"This is an interactive display for the community," Jackson explained. "The photos are a way for people to gather together and remember."

Each person in Kake is a living historian whose memories and lives piece together the timeline of Kake's story. Many of the timeline's photos came from the personal collections of her mother Edna Jackson while others came from the Alaska State Library digital archive.

Many former Kake residents traveled back to see their families and join in on the festivities. The community welcomed special performances by the Juneau-based Woosh.ji.een dance group, led by Lyle James. Smiles and laughter were aplenty as children and adults of all ages took part in line dancing and relay races. The evening ended with a bonfire and a night of dancing and singing in the winter rain as a fireworks display lit up the skies over Kake.

Over the course of the weekend, community meals and events brought people together to share food and memories. Saturday night's traditional foods potlatch highlighted a feast of local flavors harvested from the sea and the land. Platters of black seaweed, gumboots, salmon, moose stew, venison, clam fritters, hooligan and herring eggs took their place among trays of rice, salad, potatoes, fruit and cake. All weekend, crews of volunteers organized by Marla Howard worked feverishly in the kitchen putting together the meals while groups of school kids served the guests before joining their families to eat.

The Kake Day centennial celebration was sponsored by the City of Kake, the Organized Village of Kake, Kake Tribal Corporation and Sealaska Corporation. Other community organizations that supported the event included Kake City Schools, the Alaska Native Brotherhood, the Alaska Native Sisterhood, Boys and Girls Club and Gunnuck Creek Hatchery. Guests came from all across Southeast Alaska to attend the events and celebrate Kake's centennial, including representatives from Angoon, Hoonah, Petersburg, Kupreanof and many others.

Gov. Sean Parnell joined the celebrations via video, congratulating Kake on its successes and expressing wishes for the prosperous future of the community. Clarence Jackson, Sen. Albert Kookesh and Rosita Worl traveled to Kake on behalf of the Sealaska Corporation Board of Directors to pledge their continued support of the community.

"We have to work together so that communities like Kake will keep surviving and celebrating the next 100 years," said Kookesh.

THE NEXT 100 YEARS

Ruth Demmert, Tlingit language teacher and respected elder of Kake, envisions that the town's next 100 years will focus on the strengthening of the Tlingit language.

"Our language goes with our culture," she said. "It is important for children to be proud of who they are, whether they are Native or non-Native. They need to learn to respect themselves, respect others and respect the land."

Above the bleachers in the gym, sheets with hand-drawn family crests covered the walls. These cultural keepsakes from Kake's history were discovered last year at the school.

"We used these during the 1971 totem pole raising," explained Demmert, referring to Kake's famous 132-foot totem pole, which claimed its fame as the tallest totem pole in the world at the time. "Our culture was almost lost, but it all changed at that totem raising."

Lacking felt, buttons and other materials for making regalia, the teachers improvised by using sheets and markers for the kids to draw their moiety, eagle or raven, and their family crests.

"That was the beginning of getting our culture back," said Demmert.

Many of the children from that time are still in the community. Their children now dance with the Keex’ Kwaan dancers, keeping Tlingit traditions alive and thriving in Kake.

"Kake is sometimes called 'the sweetest little community in Southeast,'" remarked Loretta Gregory, lifelong Kake resident. "Everyone comes together to help each other out in times of need. When someone passes away, or when someone is in the hospital, people always come to offer their support."

Gregory has seen many changes in the community during her lifetime, and has high hopes for Kake's future.

"I would like to see all the youth who have gone away to come back and run the community," she said.

Watching the festivities, Louise Kadake, 14, commented on the Kake Day celebrations.

"I like how everyone comes together for these events," she said. "It's a good way to for people to celebrate."

Talia Davis, 13, added, "It shows how far we've come, what was accomplished."

Both girls said they plan to go to college after they finish school and return to Kake as teachers.

As the community ventures to envision its future for the next 100 years, Kake's leaders see economic development, culture and language as its main priorities. At the closing ceremony, Mayor Henrich Kadake addressed the audience, saying, "The future of Kake depends on us working together with the young people to bring back culture into our community. Let's be proud of who we are, proud to be from Kake, Alaska!"

Jennifer Nu is a freelance writer based in in Juneau, Alaska. Contact her at jennu.jnu@gmail.com.