YAAW Koo.éex'
(Herring Ceremony)
Banner Photo: Bethany Goodrich
Koo.éex' — a traditional Lingít ceremony that can be loosely translated as "to invite."
The Yaaw Koo.éex' (Herring Ceremony) is K'ash'eechtlaa Louise Brady's contemporary vision for how to share in honoring the herring as a whole community. This ceremony has been the Herring Protectors' keystone efforts over the last few years co-hosting with the Point House Kiks.adí.
YAAW Koo.éex'
We hosted our first Herring Ceremony in January 2018 to coincide with ADF&G's Board of Fish meetings also being held in Sheet'ká. Board of Fish members were invited to attend and see the Lingít relation to herring beyond the 3 minute public testimonies that were heard during the meetings.
2018 Photos: Bethany Goodrich
YAAW Koo.éex'
Our second annual Herring Ceremony in 2019 was held in April on the tail end of herring season. The ceremony was grown to include a canoe landing in Sheet'ká and a street march to the ANB Hall where the ceremony was held.
2019 Photos: Bethany Goodrich
HERRING GATHERING
In response to Covid-19, we pivoted to hosting an outdoor gathering to honor the herring. Despite cold temps and snow on the ground, the April gathering was an enormous buoy of positivity for a community in the midst of a pandemic. For many, it was one of the first large in person gatherings in over a year.
Photo by Caitlin Blaisdell
Photo: Muriel Reid
Photo: Caitlin Blaisdell
Photo: Muriel Reid
YAAW Koo.éex'
COMING SOON: 2023 Yaaw koo.éex'
