LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which  distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming.  (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

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Daily Sitka Sentinel

Tribal Tours, Dancers Plan 20-Year Party

By TOM HESSE
Sentinel Staff Writer
    To celebrate its 20 years in the Sitka visitors business, Sitka Tribal Tours is inviting all Sitkans to a party at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Saturday.
    The Community House will be open from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday for the potluck, where the Naa Kahidi dancers will perform and free trolley rides will be offered. Tour operations manager Sherry Aitken,who has been with Tribal Tours since 2009, said the company has adjusted to changes in interest and varying passenger levels but the general principle remains the same.

Naa Kahidi Dancers, from left, Kenyatta Bradley, Vanessa Morales, Paula Barnes, Richard Williams and Leonty Williams pose in front of the cedar panels in the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi this afternoon.  (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

    “It’s similar in some instances because we’re still inviting people into our homes and sharing our story with them,” Aitken said. “We still center our focus around helping the Tlingit people perpetuate their stories.”
    Some of those stories are told through dancing, and the Naa Kahidi dancers are a staple of what Tribal Tours offers. Aitken coordinates dancers and practice times and says the group never has problems with recruitment.
    “As far as the dancers, it’s really easy to get people into the group, but it’s really hard to schedule them because, of course, most of the adults have jobs,” Aitken said, adding that the group gets a lot of help from kids.
    “We got a lot of comments this year about the dancer with the binky,” she said. “Yeah, he’s 2. He can dance with a binky if he wants to.”
    “Almost all of our drivers are Tlingit Native, so not only do they share kind of what we ask them to on the tours but they’re also sharing their personal history,” Aitken said. “It’s always a better experience for a traveler if people know someone, and that’s something you get with a personal touch ... They appreciate their authenticity and also their genuineness. They really enjoy people’s genuine efforts to share who they are and why they live here.”
    Additionally, Aitken said, working for Tribal Tours can give locals a chance to interact with people from around the world. Aitken explained that many of the kids who spend their summers working with the Naa Kahidi dancers or in some other part of the business pick up on aspects of other cultures around the world in ways they probably wouldn’t if they weren’t meeting scores of cruise ship passengers every day.
    “It’s fun and it’s interesting to meet people outside of Sitka,” Aitken said. “They get to meet people from all over the world and the United States that they probably wouldn’t get to meet otherwise.”
    Recent declines in the numbers  of cruise ship stops in Sitka have squeezed the tourism-dependent businesses in Sitka, and Aitken said Tribal Tours is no different. She said this year’s business was flat compared to last year.
    Sitka was projected to get around 89,000 passengers this summer, but that number is expected to pick up next year. Aitken said she doesn’t expect a return to the way things were before the 2008 recession but she is optimistic that there will be a market for the next 20 years of Tribal Tours.
    “There’ll be tourism in Sitka – it’s just a matter of what kind of tourism it will be,” Aitken said. “We want to be there, not just for the people that visit, but also as a part of the community.”
    Aitken said each year can be a new challenge, but she still enjoys hosting and interacting with tourists.
    “It’s always nice to hear people say positive things about your community, and we’re in a position where we get to hear a lot of nice things about our town all the time.”

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20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.

50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.

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