Tribal Canoe Journeys - Paddle to Squaxin 2012

Tribal Canoe Journeys is a celebrated event for the

Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast The Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are composed of many nations and tribal affiliations, each with distinctive cultural and political identities. They share certain beliefs, traditions and prac ...

. Founded in 1989, this event has been held annually to bring together members of Indigenous nations from the coasts of

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. Members of some nations have used this event to revive traditional techniques of timber harvesting, making large, ocean-going canoes, and teaching canoe skills to new generations. Because of the

Covid-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the Canoe Journeys for 2020 and 2021 were postponed. Many families and teams travel in decorated canoes for this event and don traditional regalia for celebrations. Some canoes are made of the traditional sacred

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

; others are made using more modern techniques and materials. Travelers often visit Native nations en route to the final host destination, which changes each year.

History

"These majestic vessels, crafted from a single log often hundreds of years old, all but disappeared early in this century. It is hard to explain why so little has been written about them, as they are probably the single most important aspect of Northwest Coast culture.... the canoe was as important as the automobile is now to North America." The Canoe Journey is a revival of the traditional method of transportation and is a significant cultural experience for all participants. The Canoe Journey as an event was organized in 1989. The "Paddle to Seattle" took place as part of the 100th anniversary of Washington Statehood. That year, the state and indigenous governments signed the Centennial Accord, recognizing indigenous sovereignty. Fifteen Native nations participated in the Paddle to Seattle. The event has grown in the years since. Each year, a different Native Nation hosts the event, providing food and lodging to the canoe pullers, support crews and other visitors from Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Depending on the distance a family or team is traveling, the trip by canoe can take up to a month. On arrival at the destination, visiting canoe families ask formal permission of the hosts to land, sometimes speaking in their Native languages. A

potlatch A potlatch is a gift-giving feast practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and the United States,Harkin, Michael E., 2001, Potlatch in Anthropology, International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Science ...

is celebrated, a sharing of songs, dances and gifts that lasts for days. The Canoe Journey is family-friendly, and drug- and alcohol-free. In 2009, the

Suquamish Tribe The Suquamish () are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American people, located in present-day Washington in the United States. They are a southern Coast Salish people. Today, most Suquamish people are enrolled in the federally recognized Suquami ...

hosted the 20th-anniversary Canoe Journey in their new

House of Awakened Culture The House of Awakened Culture () is a community house in Suquamish, Washington State, on the Port Madison Indian Reservation. Built by the Suquamish tribe in 2008, it acts as a spiritual successor to the historic Old Man House, which was burnt by t ...

. They had more than 6,000 guests, some of whom had traveled by 84 canoes. The 2011 Tribal Journeys event was hosted by the

Swinomish The Swinomish are an historically Lushootseed-speaking Native American people in western Washington state in the United States. The Tribe lives in the southeastern part of Fidalgo Island in northern Puget Sound, near the San Juan Islands, in ...

Tribe.

Background

Most tribes in North America relied on waterways for transportation, in order to travel for trade, hunting to provide food for their families, and seasonal shifts in living places. Three main types of canoes were built during thousands of years: dugout, bark, and plank canoes. Methods of design and construction varied by different regions. The sizes of the boats varied according to purpose. Sizes varied from one person per boat to up to six people. A typical birch bark canoe measured about 21 feet long (7 metres) and 3 feet wide (1 metre) and could carry 4 - 6 men and about 200 pounds of cargo (91 kilograms). Native American canoes differ greatly compared to the rest. These canoes are the most traditional used in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, and

the Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. Through all the different designs of their boats, tribes would be able to recognise each other by the profiles of the boats. Native American Bull Boats were ideally steered by women, who would export goods riding down river. These "boats" were made in a round basket-like shape, covered with buffalo fur on the outside of the basket. They could carry much weight (up to a half a ton) while in water. In the 21st century, some tribes continue to use canoes, especially for their revival of traditional hunting of whales and salmon fishing. Although they use modern canoes rather than the ones established back then, they can still be seen in festivals and they are often used as display.

Effects of Covid 19 pandemic from 2020

Chief Mike Wyse, of the

Snuneymuxw First Nation The Snuneymuxw First Nation (pronounced ) is located in and around the city of Nanaimo on east-central Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The nation previously had also occupied territory along the Fraser River, in British Columbia. Pr ...

in British Columbia, announced that Tribal Journeys 2020 was postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. His nation was supposed to host that year's event. It was the first time since 1993 that the event was not held. Because of continued risks from the pervasive pandemic, on October 30, 2020, the Executive Council of the Tla'amin Nation, the designated destination for the next event, announced that Tribal Journeys 2021 would be postponed. For the second year in a row, tribal communities from the Pacific Northwest would not gather. Their spokesman Hegus John Hackett announced the postponement and promised the

Tla'amin Nation The Tla'amin First Nation (Comox language: ɬəʔamɛn), formerly Sliammon Indian Band or Sliammon First Nation, is a First Nations self governing nation whose lands and traditional territories are located on the upper Sunshine Coast in southwes ...

would host a future event.

List of journeys by year

* 1989: Paddle to

Seattle, WA Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of ...

* 1993: Paddle to

Bella Bella, BC Bella Bella, also known as Waglisla, is the home of the Heiltsuk and is an unincorporated community and Indian reserve community located within Bella Bella Indian Reserve No. 1 on the east coast of Campbell Island in the Central Coast region ...

Qatuwas * 1994: Youth Paddle (

Olympia, WA Olympia is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County, Washington, Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a c ...

, with the 2nd Cedar Tree Conference * 1995: Full Circle Youth Paddle, in Puget Sound, Washington * 1996: Full Circle Youth Paddle, in Puget Sound, Washington * 1997: Paddle to

LaPush, WA La Push is a small unincorporated community situated at the mouth of the Quillayute River in Clallam County, Washington, United States. La Push is the largest community within the Quileute Indian Reservation, which is home to the federally recogn ...

* 1998: Paddle to

Puyallup, WA Puyallup ( or ) is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Tacoma and 35 miles (56 km) south of Seattle. It had a population of 42,973 at the 2020 census. The city's name comes from th ...

* 1999: Paddle to

Ahousaht, BC Ahousaht, also spelled Ahousat ( or )), is the principal settlement on Flores Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Accessible only by water or air, Ahousaht is a small community predominantly composed of First Nations people from the Nuu-chah-nul ...

* 2000: Paddle to

Songees, BC The Lekwungen or Lekungen nation (lək̓ʷəŋən often called the Songhees or Songish by non-Lekwungens) are an Indigenous North American Coast Salish people who reside on southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Greater Victoria ...

* 2000: Paddle to

Pendleton, OR Pendleton is a city and the county seat of Umatilla County, Oregon. The population was 17,107 at the time of the 2020 census, which includes approximately 1,600 people who are incarcerated at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Pendleton ...

* 2001: Paddle to

Squamish, BC Squamish (; Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim: Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, ; 2016 census population 19,512) is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway. ...

* 2002: Paddle to Quinault at

Taholah, WA Taholah is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Quinault Indian Reservation, in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. Named for a Quinault chief in 1905, its population was 840 at the 2010 census. The headquarters for the Quinault ...

* 2003: Paddle to

Tulalip, WA The Tulalip Tribes of Washington (, lut, dxʷlilap), formerly known as the Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, is a federally recognized tribe of Duwamish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skagit, Suiattle, Samish, and Stillaguamish people. Th ...

* 2004: Paddle to

Chemainus, BC Chemainus is a community within the municipality of North Cowichan in the Chemainus Valley on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Founded as an unincorporated logging town in 1858, Chemainus is now famous ...

* 2005: Paddle to Elwha at

Port Angeles, WA Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,960 as of the 2020 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 20,134 in 2021. The city's har ...

* 2006: Paddle to Muckleshoot at

Auburn, WA Auburn is a city in King County, Washington, United States (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County). The population was 87,256 at the 2020 Census. Auburn is a suburb in the Seattle metropolitan area, and is currently ranke ...

* 2007: Paddle to Lummi, WA * 2008: Paddle to Cowichan at Cowichan Bay, BC * 2009: Paddle to Suquamish, WA * 2010: Paddle to Makah, Neah Bay, WA * 2011: Paddle to Swinomish at La Conner, WA * 2012: Paddle to Squaxin Island at Kamilche, WA * 2013: Paddle to Quinault at

* 2014: Paddle to Bella Bella, Qatuwas Festival, at

Campbell Island, BC Campbell Island is an island in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located west of Denny Island and north of Hunter Island, near Milbanke Sound. The Inside Passage waterways of Lama Passage and Seaforth Channel meet at the northern end of ...

— 2014 * 2015: Various locations in the

Salish Sea , image = PNW-straits.jpg , alt = , caption = The Salish Sea, showing the open Pacific Ocean at lower left, and from there, heading inland: the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the narrow Puget Sound at lower ri ...

, BC and WA * 2016: Paddle to Nisqually Tribe at

* 2017: Paddle to We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum Nations at Campbell River, BC * 2018: Paddle to Puyallup Tribe at

* 2019: Paddle to Lummi Nation at Lummi, WA * 2020: Paddle to

Nanaimo, BC Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "Hub City," which was ...

. Cancelled due to COVID-19 * 2021: Paddle to

at Powell River, BC. Cancelled due to COVID-19 Future Journeys: * 2022: Paddle to

Muckleshoot The Muckleshoot ( lut, bəqəlšuł ) are a Lushootseed language, Lushootseed-speaking Native American tribe, part of the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest. They are descendants of the Duwamish and Puyallup peoples whose traditional t ...

* 2023: Paddle to

Warm Springs, Oregon Warm Springs is a census-designated place (CDP) and an unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Oregon, United States. Located on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, the community is also known as the "Warm Springs Agency". The population w ...

* 2024: Paddle to

* 2025: Paddle to Lower Elwha

References

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External links

Tribal Journeys Blog

2006 Paddle to Muckleshoot

2010 Paddle to Makah

2011 Paddle to Swinomish

2012 Paddle to Squaxin

2013 Paddle to Quinault

2014 Paddle to Bella Bella

2016 Paddle to Nisqually

2019 Paddle to Lummi

30 years after the Paddle to Seattle, Tribal Canoe Journeys represent healing and revival

Canoe Journey Parallels Tribal Efforts to Return Salmon to Upper Columbia

Teamwork is a constant during annual Canoe Journey

2020 Canoe Journey to Nanaimo canceled

Tribal Journeys 2020, Paddle to Snuneymuxw Postponed

Culture of the Pacific Northwest Voyaging canoes Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast Water transportation in Alaska Water transportation in Washington (state) Water transport in British Columbia Canoeing in the United States Canoeing in Canada