Alaska Tlingits hold memorial ceremony online amid pandemic

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Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 6:16am

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David Katzeek. Photo credit to Sealaska Heritage Institute.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — When tribal elder David Katzeek died in October, Tlingit leaders in Alaska scrambled to find a way to hold a traditional memorial ceremony during a pandemic.

Their task was to balance honoring him with protecting the living from the coronavirus.

The Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau has been transforming its in-person programming to virtual events, and figured this was the next step in helping preserve Tlingit culture.

The institute hosted a Zoom memorial gathering and live-streamed it online.

The experience was such a success, it's now the basis for guides being written for others to use technology to conduct ancient rites safely amid the pandemic.

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