Metlakatla Founders’ Day kicked off with a church service. It was a small service in the Metlakatla longhouse – meant to remember the early sermons William Duncan gave on the beach nearby. Duncan was an Anglican missionary who showed up on the shores of Annette Island in 1887 along with over 800 Tsimshian people from British Columbia.
The congregation does the Lord’s Prayer in Sm’álgyax, the language of the Tsimshian people. Founders’ Day is to honor those original ancestors who, along with Duncan, founded Metlakatla, the only Native reservation in Alaska.
This Founders’ Day, 130 years later, the town was buzzing and the streets were lined for the parade. First, came the Metlakatla Volunteer Fire Department engines, topped with little kids waving at the crowd. People in superhero costumes walked beside them. Spiderman tossed out candy to the crowd, the Flash handed a balloon to a kid on a tricycle. Everyone was waving little Metlakatla flags.
There was one group in the parade that was bigger than all the others. They were wearing t-shirts with a formline crest and carrying black signs. The signs were memorials for people who had died. The column of people was all one family: the family of Theodore and Eunice Dundas, two of the island’s early residents.
“My grandparents had 266-plus children that came from them,” said Roger McKeehan, one of Theodore and Eunice’s grandchildren in the parade procession. “15 children, like 89 grandchildren, 111 great, great grandchildren, and 11 great, great, great grandchildren.”
A few days ago, McKeehan and his relatives had a massive family feast.
“It took two years in the planning to prepare for it, because there were a lot of gifts that we had to give to the guests that showed up,” said McKeehan.
McKeehan said they served baked halibut to well over 200 relatives. The family exchanged hooligan grease, seaweed, salmonberries, artistic prints, and other gifts that people in the family had made. Afterwards, they raised a totem pole at the breakwater on the edge of town, with their matriarch’s killer whale clan supporting the base and Theodore Dundas’ raven at the top.
A pickup truck outfitted as a cardboard replica of the state ferry Lituya also made its way down the parade route, behind a procession of Tsimshian dancers.
And after the parade, there was more dancing. First, Metlakatla Mayor Albert Smith made some remarks. He was followed by U.S. Congresswoman Mary Peltola.
“I’m very proud of the hatchery you have here and the impressive chum run that you have. We’re looking forward to your impressive chinook and pinks coming back, and it’s just an honor to be here to celebrate this day with you in New Metlakatla. Gunalchéesh,” Peltola told the crowd, a Lingít word of thanks. She then asked the crowd how to say “thank you” in Sm’álgyax.
“T’oya̱xsn!” Onlookers shouted.
Peltola said Metlakatla has the largest Indigenous fishing fleet in the United States. Later, she said she almost didn’t make it today. The planes were socked in that morning because of the dense fog. When she and her aides were finally able to catch a flight, Albert Smith, Metlakatla’s mayor, acted quickly.
“So when I landed in Ketchikan, I texted him,” Peltola said. “He said, ‘I’m on my way.’ So he picked us up at Gravina Island at the float plane dock, and he didn’t even tie up. We – just the three of us – jumped on, and he was full throttle all the way back to Metlakatla, through shortcuts, in the fog, honking to make sure we weren’t having any collisions with any other boats.”
By the time dancing started again, the fog was burning off and the mountains appeared. One dance invited in all the Tsimshian clans.
First, members of the Eagle Clan entered the circle of drummers and dancers, strutting through the circle with fingers outstretched behind them like tailfeathers.
Next, the Wolf Clan moved in with one arm crooked below their eyes, gliding in elegant, stalking steps. Then the Raven Clan took the dance.
“I expect this place to get filled up,” the caller shouted. “Killer Whale Clan! Let’s show them what we got, killer whales!”
The Killer Whale Clan filled up the circle, arms outstretched like sailing through water. After each clan had danced, everyone was invited to join the circle – locals, visitors, everyone – to celebrate the birthday of Metlakatla.
“Okay, let’s get the games started and have a good time,” said the announcer after the drums and voices faded and the crowd wished Metlakatla a happy birthday all together.
The games started with things like three-legged races and tug-of-war. Little kids started first.
The egg toss was especially competitive. Pairs tossed eggs back and forth, trying not to break them. Every successful toss you had to take a step back. The 14-16 age group was where things started to get heated.
More than a dozen pairs started at the line. Eggs flew, eggs broke on the pavement, in people’s hands. Then, two boys at the far end of the line were at least 10 feet further apart than everyone else. One of them stopped and surveyed the competition, passing the egg back and forth in his hands, seeming to strategize.
Then the shot clock went off – the announcer told him he needed to throw the egg. They were at least 30 feet apart at this point. It was welling to a fever pitch. “Throw the damn egg!” The other boy yelled.
So he hurled it – overhand. The egg sailed over the competition. But it went too far. The catcher backpedaled and then fell, rolling over the pavement.
He got up. He was fine, just disappointed. The same couldn’t be said for the egg. They still took second place.
Mayor Smith was still busy at the end of the day, running his boat back to Ketchikan for more supplies. But he was happy with how things turned out.
“Today’s Founders’ Day was amazing,” Smith said over the phone.
He was especially proud of the songs and dances that kicked things off — and all the clans dancing together.
“We haven’t done that in years,” Smith said, “and it’s a tradition I’d like to see us bring back to our celebration.”
As the sun started to set, some locals piled into a xsoo, a nearly twenty-person formline-painted, wooden canoe, and paddle around the bay. It was the same bay their ancestors rowed into to found Metlakatla, over 130 years ago.
Get in touch with the author at jack@krbd.org.
