Southeast Alaska’s cutest models hit the stage at Centennial Hall on Thursday for Celebration’s Toddler Regalia Review. Celebration is the biennial festival of Lingít, Haida and Tsimshian culture in Juneau.
For many, it takes a lot of courage to get in front of hundreds of people and strut your stuff. But 4-year-old Bonnie Lewis said it was fun.
“It feeled like I was proud that there was people watching me. And I was wearing this purse, and I also was wearing my moccasins. And I was wearing my blanket that my mama made,” she said.
Bonnie and her 2-year-old brother, Marlin, came to Celebration this week from Kake, with their parents. Her mom, Chelsea, said this Celebration is especially sweet for her.
“It’s just super special because I’ve come as a single person, but this is the first time I got to come up with my family,” she said. “So it’s really fun.”
And it’s her kids’ first time partaking in the Toddler Regalia Review. It’s one of the most – if not the most – beloved events at Celebration. This year, nearly 30 toddlers participated, all between the ages of around two and five. Some wore Chilkat blankets, cedar hats, or moccasins. Others wore Ravenstail headbands or dance tunics.
In front of a crowd of hundreds, each toddler walked — or was carried — to the center of the stage at Centennial Hall. There, an emcee described their toddler-sized regalia, who made it, and what it meant.
The review is a friendly competition – technically there are no winners. But, from the cheers and smiles in the crowd to the giggles and waves on stage, it’s safe to say that everybody won.
Disclaimer: KTOO 360TV is contracted to produce television and online video coverage of Celebration.
