Da Kų Nän Ts’étthèt - Dance Festival

Da Kų Nän Ts’étthèt - Dance Festival Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Da Kų Nän Ts’étthèt - Dance Festival, Performance Art, Haines Junction, YT.

06/11/2025

Only two more days until we gather to wake up the land at Da Kų Nän Ts’èddhyèt, June 13-15. Here is our programming schedule for the weekend.

We look forward to seeing everyone soon! For more details visit cafn.ca/dknt.

06/11/2025

Next joining us at Da Kų Nän Ts’èddhyèt is the Teechik Gwich’in Dancers!

"The Teechik Gwich’in Dancers are a traditional fiddle dance group from Old Crow, Yukon; fiddle dances are traditional to the Vuntut Gwich’in people and is a highlight for many celebrations hosted in the community. You will see dances such as the duck dance, hankerchief dance, red river jig and an honour jig to highlight special accolades to individuals recognizing their successes. We hope that you will enjoy the high energy that comes with these dances and join us for a dance as we like to encourage the public to participate alongside us. Ha’aii."

06/10/2025

Every step speaks volumes! Let's meet another group dancing straight from the heart at this years' Da Kų Nän Ts’eddhèt:

"For over 30 years, the Ahousaht Dance Group—a proud three-generation group of performers based in Victoria, BC—has been gathering regularly to share the spirit of their culture, bringing traditional dances to communities all along the coast."

06/10/2025

They don’t just dance—they tell stories with every step. Meet our next group to light up the stage.

"The Pavva Iñupiaq Dancers, a non-profit, has members in Fairbanks and the North Pole area of Alaska. They hold a variety of positions including educators, administrators, students, and community members. Pavva performs to ensure that the public is educated about their culture, traditions, and heritage of the Iñupiaq and Alaska Native people. Sharing is one of their Iñupiaq values and is taught through dancing as part of our culture. They incorporate many of their Native values in their practices and performances. The dance group leaders are Sean Asikluk and Amy Ahnaughuq Topkok."

06/10/2025

Where history meets heartbeat—this group brings culture to life, meet the Chilkat Dancers!

"We are the Chilkat Dancers from Haines and Klukwan, Alaska. We are a small dance family celebrating our Culture through our songs and dances. Even though our Group Elder, Smitty Katzeek, is no longer with us, we are honored to share all that he taught us when we started. We are so thankful that he shared his knowledge and experiences with us; his wife, Char Katzeek, continues to support us at our practices and performances.

The Chilkat Dancers are a diverse all-inclusive group with dancers from 2-75 years old! Our connection to Yukon is very important to us and several dancers are members of Champagne & Aishihik First Nations.

We participate in many community events, but one of our favorite ways to share with our community is working with our students for the annual Elizabeth Peratrovich Day Celebration. We have several practices with K-5th Grades and then have a performance with all of the classes at the school's special assembly.

We are honored to be invited to attend this wonderful Dance Festival which allows us to reconnect and stay connected to our Yukon family and friends. "

06/10/2025

We're thrilled to welcome Notorious Cree (James Jones) for a powerful traditional hoop and crow dance performance at Da Kų Nän Ts’eddhèt on Saturday, June 14, 2025! James will also be leading a youth-focused PowwowFit class and sharing his personal journey of living a healthy, balanced life through culture and tradition.

"James Jones is Nehiyaw (Cree) from Tall Cree First Nation in Treaty 8 Territory in Northern Alberta. Known as Notorious Cree across Instagram and TikTok, James has an engaging community of over 6M+ people globally. James uses his voice to educate and spread awareness on the issues impacting Indigenous communities across the globe. As a traditional hoop and powwow dancer, performance artist, youth workshop facilitator and public speaker, James advocates to inspire future generations by reclaiming his culture and encouraging others to do the same. Notable performances include the Winter Olympics, Juno awards, Pan Am Games, Coachella and was a previous contestant on SYTYCD Canada".

06/10/2025

Please welcome our next dance group performing at Da Kų Nän Ts’èddhyèt, Haa ku.oo tuwáadax.

"Haa ku.oo tuwáadax are a newly formed dance group as of 2025. They are here to honor their Ancestral Homeland of Tlakw.aan (Klukwan) and Deishú (Haines). Their songs belong to the people of Tlingit Aaní. Some of the songs have come to us through trade and will share some of the history of our songs in our performances."

06/10/2025

Next to take centre stage at Da Kų Nän Ts’èddhyèt is the Tagish Nation Dancers!

"Tagish Nation Dancers started in 1973 at the elementary school in Carcross, Yukon as a program to bridge the gap between education and culture within our community. Our Dancers showcase Tagish Dene and inland Łingit culture through singing, dancing, drumming and storytelling. We are a family driven dance group with 5 generations of dancers, all with ties to Tagish Dene or Tagish, Yukon. Gunalchéesh Tlein."

06/10/2025

"The Selkirk Spirit Dancers was founded in the early 2000's through Selkirk First Nation's Culture Program. After becoming dormant for a few years, in 2006 it was re-established by a couple of volunteers who had strong values in bringing their traditions back. The non profeit society has been going strong 17 years later with the initial dream of bringing back the joy of traditional songs and dancing to Pelly Crossing. In 2006, the dancers started with a few youth that came to the practices, the steps and dance sequences from old songs demonstrated by dance leaders and elders.

Elders in the community always told stories of the days when people gathered for feasts and potlatches at their ancestral home of Fort Selkirk on the Yukon River. The tradition of celebrations was disrupted when the people had to move away from Fort Selkirk at the end of the steamboat era and when residential schools were established. It was then, nobody was practicing their traditions.

During the pandemic, the dancers were prevented from gathering to perform or even practice, so many drifted away, and the group faced a disconnect. Fortunately, the dance leaders re-established the Selkirk Spirit Dancers Society once again. The dance leaders have seen a record number of people interested in joining the dancers and a desire to rebuild a dynamic dance group made up of children, youth, and Elders.
Today the Selkirk Spirit Dancers have more than 50 active members. They have expanded their dance practices to every week, to address the growing interests and are expanding their repertoire with old, traditional dances as well as learning new ones."

05/30/2025

Get ready to feel the rhythm—next up on our list of dancers performing this year at Da Kų Nän Ts’èddhyèt is Dakhká Khwáan !

"The Dakhká Khwáan Dancers, are a National Award winning Inland Tlingit dance group based out of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. They focus on reclaiming their languages and traditional values through their inherent art form of singing, drumming, dancing, and storytelling. They strive to present their performance with the outmost respect to cultural protocol and with the highest form of artistic integrity. Since forming in the community of Carcross in 2007, they have grown from 6 to over 30 members including children and elders. Members of the group originate from all of the Interior Tlingit Nations as well as other welcomed Nations from the Southern Yukon and elsewhere.

Dakhká Khwáan means Inland People/Nation, a name given to them by the late Dakla'weidi elder, Mrs. Eliza Bosely. They are members of the Dakla’weidi, Yan Yedi, Ganaxteidi, Deisheetaan, Ishkihittaan, Kookhittaan, Lukaax.ádi, Crow and Wolf Clans. The group is led by Yadultin, Marilyn Jensen, who has danced since she was 2 years old in the group her Late Mother started in the 1970s, The Skookum Jim/Keish Tlingit Dancers. In addition, they are advised and guided by their loving group Elders and through the knowledge passed on from their Ancestors. Members of the group are the descendants of renowned Yukon Indigenous elders: Peter and Agnes Johns, Angela Sidney, Dora Wedge, Johnny Johns, Patsy Henderson, Louise Dickson, Antonia Jack and numerous others. They share a passion for expressing their identity through the arts and absolutely love to sing, drum, learn language, make regalia and dance.

Together, they have danced across Canada, the US, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Japan, the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and the Pam Am Games in 2015. The group received the 2014 National Indigenous Cultural-Tourism Award and have been nominated for an Indigenous Music Award for their first album called Reconstruct/Deconstruct which they produced in collaboration with DJ Dash."

Address

Haines Junction, YT
Y0B1L0

Telephone

+18676343300

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