Culture Exchange Highlight
CANOE JOURNEYS: A Northwest Tradition
They are "pullers" not paddlers, and there were plenty of them at the annual Canoe Journey. They pulled traditional dugout canoes, made from trees thousands of years old, and came from places as far away as Alaska.

The modern-day Canoe Journeys began in 1989, first to celebrate Washington State's 100th birthday and then to inspire tribal youths to become drug and alcohol free. The entire trip, which is a drug and alcohol-free event, is a time for the youth of the Tribes to learn the old ways – a return to traditions.

Getting this far takes much more than canoes, pullers, and paddles – it takes years of planning, preparation, and lots of funding.

More than Just a Journey
For the tribe that hosts the end of journey events, it involves years of planning and preparations. There are several thousand people who will be gathered in the destination village or tribal community.

For Canoe Journey participants, typical preparation involves monthly meetings to attend, tides tables to consult, routes, take-off times, and landing locations to plan, canoe building and repair activities, fun-raising efforts, hear and supplies to gather and prepare, regalia to make, paddles to carve, Canoe Blessing Ceremonies, dinners, raffles, canoeing practice, cold water safety training, invitations that are personally delivered to scores of participating Native Tribes and First Nations, and many other preliminary activities. It is quite a huge undertaking, on all levels.

"We come in peace. We are tired and hungry,''  said Dennis Jones, skipper of the Port Gamble S'Klallam canoe. 

"We are so happy to be here with you now,'' said a female skipper. "We have paddled a long way without relief.''

"We are happy to welcome you to Jamestown Beach,'' answered Kurt Grinnell of the Jamestown S'Klallam. "Come ashore to eat and rest with friends from near and far.  We know you have paddled a long way."  Members of the welcoming party applauded each skipper's speech, beat their drums, and lifted up their hands with arms bent at the elbows, a traditional salute.

Paddle to Muckleshoot: Tribal Journey 2006
Next year Canoes are invited to arrive at Sand Point (the old Naval Station) on Lake Washington (Seattle) via the Ballard Locks and Ship Canal, for the Canoe Journey.  The official Canoe entry ceremonies will be July 31, 2006.  The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe has invited all Canoe Families to the shore of Lake Washington, and they already have commitments to join the paddle from two Hawaiian Canoes, and they are working towards a canoe from New Zealand.