Sobriety Celebration
Annual Sobriety Celebration and Memorial Potlatch
Honoring Healing, Culture, and Community
The Native Village of Eyak Sobriety Celebration has stood as a powerful expression of community resilience, cultural strength, and collective commitment to wellness. What began as a grassroots effort to address the impacts of alcohol and substance abuse, has grown into one of Cordova’s most enduring and meaningful community gatherings. Year after year, the Sobriety Celebration has created a space rooted in hope, accountability, and healing.
This event is open to our Regional Tribes, all Tribal Members, families, and all Cordova community members. We welcome everyone to join us in the Sobriety Celebration.
About Sobriety Celebration
From the beginning, the Sobriety Celebration was never only about abstinence. It was about restoring balance, reconnecting people to culture, and reaffirming the value of every individual. Elders, families, youth, and community members came together to speak openly about loss, recovery, and survival, often for the first time in a public and supportive setting. These early gatherings helped reduce stigma and opened doors for honest conversations that continue today.
Cultural practices have always been at the heart of the Celebration. The Ikamat Dance Group, alongside regional dance groups, performs traditional dances and songs, Elders offer prayers, and potlatch moose is harvested and prepared alongside other traditional foods. These practices ground the event in Indigenous values and remind participants that healing is not done alone. The Memorial Potlatch has become a central component, honoring loved ones lost to addiction while also uplifting those walking the path of sobriety. This balance of remembrance and celebration has remained a defining feature of the Sobriety Celebration for three decades.
2026 Annual Sobriety Celebration Event Dates and Location
Dates:
November 6th-8th, 2026
Location:
Cordova, Alaska
Venues:
Cordova Jr/Sr/ High School
Get Involved
There are many ways to support Sobriety Celebration
- Volunteer opportunities
- Dance group participation
- Workshop or speaker proposals
- Vendor and artisan participation
Please contact us to get involved, all volunteers welcome!
Contact Information
For questions or additional information, please contact
Native Village of Eyak
Tribal Family Services
tribalfamilyservices@eyak-nsn.gov
907-424-2238
Swag & Merchandise
Offical sobreity celebration merchandise will be available for purchase
Swag may include
- Hoodies and sweatshirts
- T shirts
- Hats and beanies
- Stickers and other commemorative items
Proceeds support Sobriety Celebration programming and future wellness events.
Accessibility & Wellness
Sobriety Celebration is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and substance free environment. Wellness supports and quiet spaces may be available throughout the event.
Over the years, the Sobriety Celebration grew alongside NVE itself. As Tribal programs expanded and partnerships strengthened, the Celebration became a cornerstone of NVE’s broader commitment to health, prevention, and community wellness. It complemented clinical services, behavioral health programs, and youth initiatives by offering something equally essential: belonging, visibility, and encouragement rooted in culture.
The Celebration also became intergenerational. Elders shared hard-earned wisdom shaped by lived experience, while youth were welcomed not just as attendees, but as leaders, dancers, speakers, and volunteers. Many young people experienced their first exposure to sober community spaces through this event, shaping their understanding of wellness, responsibility, and pride in who they are and where they come from.
In 2025, NVE marked the 30th Annual Sobriety Celebration, a milestone that reflected both how far the community has come and the work that remains. This anniversary was a moment to honor those who carried the Celebration forward year after year, often through personal loss, limited resources, and difficult conversations. It was also a reaffirmation that sobriety and wellness remain central to the Tribe’s vision for the future. Recovery is supported not only through individual choice, but through community systems that value compassion, accountability, and connection. The event continued to serve as a reminder that healing is ongoing, and that every year of sobriety, every story shared, and every life honored matters.
Looking ahead, the Sobriety Celebration remains a living tradition. It continues to evolve with the needs of the community, while staying grounded in the values that shaped its beginning. NVE remains committed to supporting sobriety, wellness, and cultural healing not just during one weekend each year, but throughout the year and across generations.
The Sobriety Celebration has been a reflection of NVE’s strength, honesty, and care for its people. It stands as a reminder that healing is possible, culture is medicine, and community is one of our greatest sources of resilience.
Honoring Our Veteran's
Honoring Our Veterans is a dedicated component of the Sobriety Celebration and Memorial Potlatch, recognizing the service, sacrifice, and continued contributions of veterans and their families on the first day of the Sobriety Celebration. We honor our Veterans with a ceremony, Grand Entrance of our local and visiting dance groups with a catered dinner to follow for all Veterans, dance group members and out of town guests.
This portion of the gathering is held to uplift veterans for their commitment to service and to acknowledge the important role veterans hold within our community. It is a space for gratitude, remembrance, and respect.
Veterans are honored regardless of their personal paths or experiences. This recognition is about service, identity, and community appreciation. All Veterans are invited
Memorial Potlatch
The Memorial Potlatch is held on the last night of our Celebration to honor and remember loved ones who have passed. This portion of the gathering allows families and community members to come together in remembrance, prayer, and cultural tradition.
Youth Drum Auction
Yearly, Tribal Youth gather and hand make traditional drums and collaborate with local artists to create one of a kind drums. The drums are then auctioned off and proceeds go back to the Tribal Youth Fund to help continue projects, programs, and events for youth. To date over $7,000 has been raised at the drum auctions.
Event Schedule
A full schedule of events will be posted prior to the celebration and may include:
- Opening ceremony
- Cultural performances and dance groups
- Workshops and wellness sessions
- Youth activities and family programming
- Memorial Potlatch
- Community meals and gatherings
- Guest speakers and healing spaces
Please check back for updates as programming is finalized.
YOU are Invited
Sobriety Celebration is open to everyone.
- Individuals celebrating sobriety
- Families supporting loved ones
- Youth and young adults
- Elders and caregivers
- Community members seeking healing and connection
Funding Acknowledgement
Sobriety Celebration programming is supported in part by funding, donations, and contributions from the following entities and individuals in the last 5 years.
Alaska Airlines – yearly Ak Air generates a discount for incoming guests
ANTCH
BP
Charles Bunch
Chugachmiut
Cordova Chamber of Commerce
Cordova Electric Cooperative
Cordova Moose Lodge
Cordova Telecom
Cordova Wireless Communications
Gilbert Urata
Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker
Joe and Belen Cook
Kodiak Area Native Association
Laura’s
Lawrence Markley
Mt. St. Elias Dancers
Olga Morris
Seaman’s Hardware
Shoreside Petroleum
Suzette Mapili
Tatitlek Shareholder Services
The Afognak Corporation
The Aleut Corporation
The Chenega Corporation
The Chugach Alaska Corporation
The Eyak Corporation
The Native Village of Eyak
The Powder House
The Prince William Science Center
The Reluctant Fisherman