Healing-Culture-Fun for Tribal Journey Paddlers/Pullers

[Tehaliwaskenhas]

Turtle Island Native Network
First Nations / Tribal Canoe Journeys
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

- - -

Squaxin host of 2012 Tribal Canoe Journey
viewtopic.php?p=15350#p15350

- - -

Paddle to Swinomish 2011
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=13453#p13453
- - -

Canoe Journey 2010 - July 19-24
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=11697#p11697
Journey to Makah
http://paddletomakah.org/

- - -


2009 Tribal Canoe Journeys
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=10162#p10162

http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=10162#p10162
2009 Tribal Canoe Journeys
- - -

2009 Pulling Together Canoe Journey
July 2009
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=10352#p10352
- - -

Tribal Journeys 2009 - Suquamish Tribe was host nation of the Canoe Journey in 2009 . . .
http://tribaljourneys.wordpress.com/2009-journey
- - -

Tribal Journey, the annual summer canoe voyage helping to manage environmental resources and protect mother earth . . .
viewtopic.php?p=10287#p10287
- - -

Tribal Journeys 2008,
Celebrating Healthy Youth, Tradition and Culture!
August 2008
from the Inter Tribal Health Authority Summer Newsletter . . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/itha/itha08journey.jpg

- - -

Tribal Journeys 2008,
by Heather Tufts who also shares her photos
July 29th, 2008
viewtopic.php?p=9517#p9517
- - -

Cowichan Tribes Welcome the largest-ever Tribal Canoe Journey
July 28, 2008
viewtopic.php?p=9515#p9515
- - -

Canoe Voyage Helps Tribes Connect With Their History
July 20, 2008
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jul/ ... ith-their/

- - -

Tribal Journeys
Paddle to Quw'utsun 2008 . . .
http://www.tribaljourneys2008.com/


Inter Tribal Canoe Journey
http://tribaljourneys.wordpress.com/

First launched in 1989 as a celebration of Indigenous peoples' highly sophisticated relationship with the ocean, Tribal Journeys is one of the most prominent cultural events associated with the North American Indigenous Games. The largest-ever Tribal Journeys Canoe Voyage is set to mark the beginning of the 2008 Games.

As many as 80 traditional ocean-going canoes, from a variety of canoe cultures and nations, will make a two-week journey to Cowichan, travelling from as far north as the Alaskan border (Tlinget) and the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida) and as far south as Oregon State.

Their journey ends as they pull into Cowichan Bay. There they will be received into Cowichan territory with a traditional Coast Salish Welcome, a ceremony symbolic of ancient times when one nation would travel into the territory of another, reminding us of the importance of the sharing of culture and respect for Indigenous people all over the world.

Dates: Landing day is Monday, July 28th, 2008.
Protocol will continue until August 1, 2008.
Contact: Dawnda Nahanee, Tribal Journey Coordinator:
Dawnda.Nahanee@cowichan2008.com
(250) 746 - 2008 ext 247
- - -

Tribal Journeys . . .
http://tribaljourneys.com
- - -

Summer 2008 canoe journey includes a science project
Several canoes will carry water-quality probes and Global Positioning System (GPS) units. The probes will measure surface-water temperature, conductivity (salinity), pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and turbidity. The data will be used to compile a database of water-quality measurements across the Salish Sea, maps, geographic-information-system (GIS) data layers, and reports that will help Tribal, Federal, State, and local entities identify water-quality issues and ultimately manage Salish Sea resources. . .
viewtopic.php?p=9445#p9445
- - -

Pulling Together 2008 . . .
viewtopic.php?p=9452#p9452
- - -


2007 Tribal Journey
A story about teamwork, culture and adventure . . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/itha/ithatj07.pdf
- - -

"Traveling the traditional highways of our Ancestors"

Paddle To Lummi
Lummi Tribe hosted Canoe Journey
July 30th - August 4th, 2007
http://www.paddletolummi-2007.org

- - -

Proclamation to recognize
Intertribal Canoe Journey
July 2007
viewtopic.php?p=8416#p8416

2007 Canoe Journey . . .
VIDEO . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaKrbWad3wo

- - -

Pacific Northwest Tribes and First Nations
Canoe Journey - Schedule and Details
http://tribaljourneys.com/
- - -

30ft ocean-going canoe project will support Aboriginal youth in BC
Summer of 2007
viewtopic.php?p=8348#p8348


- - -

Women's Canoe-a-Thon
A journey to raise funds for youth centre
Summer 2007
viewtopic.php?p=8266#p8266

- - -
Tsimshians at Sea - Summer of 2007 Cultural Event. . .
viewtopic.php?p=7195#p7195

- - - - - - -

Canoe carving project provides a cultural connection for urban Indian youths in Seattle
viewtopic.php?p=7987#p7987

- - - - - - -

First Nations Youth Canoe More Than a Thousand Miles. . .
Summer of 2006
A Healing Experience
http://www.turtleisland.org/healing/ascirt.htm

- - - - - - -
Pacific Northwest
Canoe Journey 2006. . .
http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=5474075

Tribal Journey 2006
PHOTOS. . .
http://www.stormsphoto.com/gallery/1726821

- - - - - - -

A Journey of ‘Spiritual Rebirth'
Thursday, July 27, 2006
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2006/jul/ ... l-rebirth/

- - -

Tribute to Chief Jerry Jack. . .
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413441

- - - - - - -

Tribal Journey safety
August 2006 . . .
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/ ... 0855251566
- - - - - - -

Canoe Journey Tragedy
2006
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/ ... 0855409560

- - - - - - -

Tribal Journey is a Very Personal Quest. . .
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/o ... noe10.html

- - - - - - -

The host tribe - the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of Auburn, Washington
July/August 2006. . .
http://www.muckleshoot.nsn.us

Tribal canoes arrived from the North Central Coast of British Columbia /
Inside Pass of Vancouver Island, Western Vancouver Island,
Western Washington / Oregon, and the Puget Sound.

Muckleshoot Tribe incorporated the Tribal Journey experience into the urban setting of Seattle. . .
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/2 ... anoed.html

An "Indian Pilgrimage"
August 1, 2006. . .
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... ny01m.html

Dozens of canoes arrive (estimated at 70 canoes)
August 1, 2006
http://www.komotv.com/stories/44684.htm


The Celebrations for the 2006 InterTribal Canoe Journey will take place July 31 - August 5th. . .
http://afscstar.org/pnwicj/default.aspx

- - - - - - -

Tribal Journeys of the Pacific Northwest
July 2006. . .
http://tribaljourneys.wordpress.com/
- - - - - - -

14th Annual Northwest Tribal Canoe Journey
Summer of 2006 . . .
viewtopic.php?p=6564#p6564

- - - - - - -

Turtle Island Native Network Contact Form
Date : April 5, 2006

Name: sasha joan marie
E-mail: short-n-sexy@hotmail.com

Comments:
I just wanted to say that last summer was my first experience watching
Tribal Journeys, I was in Beecher Bay being one of the three cooks...but
I just wanted to say that I think tribal journeys rocks!!!!


Tribal Canoe Journey Photos. . .
http://afscstar.org/pnwicj/Canoe%20Jour ... 0%20Photos
- - - - - - -

More about Tribal Canoe Journeys. . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

- - - - - - -

Tribal canoe journey 2005
http://www.firstnations.de/img/06-1-0-journey-b.jpg
- - - - - - -

Canoe Journeys - a Northwest Tradition
(H.U.D 2005 )

They are "pullers" not paddlers, and there were plenty of them in 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.

By July 28th, Canoes representing dozens of tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Canada were nearing their final destination in the 2005 Canoe Journey. The 80 canoes participating in the trip this year were scheduled to arrive in a couple days at the Lower Elwha S'Klallam Reservation (eight miles west of Port Angeles, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula) for a six-day celebration that will include athletic contests, dancing, singing and storytelling.

Getting this far takes much more than canoes, pullers, and paddles-it takes years of planning, preparation, and lots of funding in order to become reality.

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, fund-raising efforts, gear 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.

Also to be considered are the support boats, and vehicles to transport ground crew, extra pullers, equipment, camp gear, food supplies and mobil kitchens for meal preparations each day.

Finally - camping gear and supplies will be packed; pullers, ground crew, and other helpers and participants will assemble; and the Journey will begin from various locations of Washington, British Columbia, Oregon and Alaska-from as far away as the Aleutian Islands. It is a true regional event.

The Canoe Journey experience is a mixture: excitement to be there, exhilaration to be on the water communing with nature, spiritual renewal, endurance tests, hard work, fun, food and celebration. It is not a vacation in any sense of the word--it is a JOURNEY.

Theme for the 2005 Canoe Journey was "Visions of Our Past: Honoring Tse-whit-zen"

Originating Canoe take-off points and dates differed for each region and community, depending on their distance from the final destination. Their routes and times were coordinated to meet up with other tribes Canoes along the way--culminating in the spectacular arrival of the 80 Canoes.

The Lower Elwha S'Klallam Tribe hosted the over 8,000 people for the conclusion of the 2005 Canoe Journey at Tse-whit-zen, the ancestral village unearthed during a now halted State bridge construction project.

The ancestral village and the 335 complete burials and 13,000 artifacts that were unearthed on the waterfront property have given this Canoe Journey a special significance. Archaeologists have found ancestral remains and artifacts as much as 2,700 years old. The village has been described as the largest find of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Songs, drums and the scent of alder cook fires greeted Native American canoe paddlers from Puget Sound. A crowd watched them pull out of a choppy Strait of Juan de Fuca onto the beach. Members of the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe greeted the voyagers as, one by one, they asked consent to land.

"We ask permission to come ashore, share some of our stories and songs with you," said the skipper of a canoe from the Strait of Georgia. His pullers raised their paddles in a gesture of peace.

"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
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.
- - - - - - -

Pulling Together 2006. . .
http://www.coastreporter.net/madison/WQ ... ht=0,canoe

http://www.coastreporter.net/madison/WQ ... enDocument


Working With First Nations
viewtopic.php?p=6930#p6930
- - - - - - -

MORE. . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm
- - - - - - -

Previously reported

Metis Canoe Expedition . . .
viewtopic.php?p=5669#p5669

- - - - - - -
Aboriginal Paddling Initiative . . . Paddling for Health and Wellness . . .
viewtopic.php?p=5647#p5647

- - - - - - -

Song On The Water - The Return of the Great Canoes
viewtopic.php?p=4410#p4410
- - - - - - -

Tribal Journeys
Squamish Canoes Family . . .
http://groups.msn.com/1993to2003kxwu7lhCanoeFamily

Washington Canoe Societies . . .
http://groups.msn.com/WashingtonCanoeSocieties/

[infocom@pro.net]

Summertime - Culture - Healing and FUN!

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy,Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

July 28, 2004

Dozens of tribal canoes - as many as 100 from 60 nations, are on the waters of the Pacific Northwest for what has become an annual summertime healing, cultural and fun-time event.

Tribal Journeys / Paddle Journeys have attracted a huge following in the NW United States and throughout British Columbia.

This week, TSou-ke Nation on Vancouver Island provided a good example of the community interest, as members and their friends gathered to greet the paddlers from Ditidaht First Nation.

They were welcomed in traditional fashion and brought to shore by local paddlers, the visiting team drummed and sang to illustrate their gratitude, then they were treated to a potluck supper . . . a ten course meal as one of the Ditidaht paddlers declared. Then they were provided with a good night of rest, and the next day they set off with the Tsouke Nation paddlers close behind, on their way to the Juan De Fuca Strait, and the eventual arrival at Chemainus, this year's host community.

Nearly two dozen canoes from Native American communities are participating in the journey from the Puget Sound of Washington state, to Vancouver Island.

Paddlers are in Port Angeles, resting today, then heading out again tomorrow for Canada.

In fact, today's stop (Wednesday) involves more than a break - it focuses on cultural recognition and highlights the honouring of the ancestors as part of the gathering of tribes.

Songs and prayers by the paddlers will be offered as gifts to the ancestors, and support for the Klallam tribal community and guidance for the graving yard workers at Port Angeles Harbor, the site of the Hood Canal Bridge graving yard.

It is the scene of an excavation of an ancient tribal village. Lower Elwha Klallam tribal members and archaeologists are removing artifacts and remains from a Klallam village believed to be more than sixteen hundred years old.

The tribal canoes began the 2004 journey last week on Puget Sound and have received warm welcomes from hundreds of onlookers along the way in Port Townsend, Jamestown Beach, Hollywood Beach.

MORE DETAILS, PHOTOS, ETC>
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

---------

This week in northern Ontario, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug - Big Trout Lake First Nation members started a canoeing journey to Fort Severn. Approximately 30 people, 15 canoes are involved in this annual event. The trip takes about ten to fifteen days, starting off in Big Trout Lake via Fawn River linking to the Severn River and eventually ending up in the community of Fort Severn on the Hudsons Bay Coastline.

----------
July 2004

Southern Ontario
Aboriginal Youth Paddle With Police
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/ ... php?t=2316

[infocom@pro.net]

Several hundred paddlers participate in Tribal Journey/Paddle 2004 . . .
http://thetyee.ca/Photo/2004/08/23/CanoeNations/


News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy,Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

August 5, 2004

There was a traditional welcoming ceremony, with songs, drums, dance and food - an estimated two thousand people were on hand Wednesday, to greet the Tribal Journey / Paddle 2004 canoes in Kulleet Bay, Chemainus, on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

There were more than fifty canoes, each averaging eight paddlers, from tribes in Washington State, and First Nations from BC. Celebrations continue through Friday.

----------------

View photos of this year's Tribal Journeys . . .

http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

----------------

Tribal Journey is Defintely a Healing Journey says Songhees Chief . . .

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy,Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

July 31, 2004

Fog rolling in over the waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca added to the challenge for Native canoeists headed toward the south shore of Vancouver Island. Turtle Island Native Network has learned that there was a, "near miss" - - - that a canoe narrowly missed being seriously damaged by a freighter on Thursday.

Today, the scene was a sea of canoes, on the sea . . . a picture-perfect part of a Pacific Northwest tradition.

( See photos http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm )

More than two dozen tribal canoes set out from the Songhees First Nation on Vancouver Island, as this summer's Tribal Journey continued toward next week's arrival, up island at Chemainus.

The leader of the Songhees First Nation was there to see his nation's canoe move out, carrying 8 young paddlers, among the dozens participating in what Chief Robert Sam calls, "a healing journey".

In an interview with Turtle Island Native Network, Chief Sam said the annual journey is a chance for Tribal nations from the U.S. and First Nations in British Columbia, "to network".

But the biggest benefit is for the young people who are on a personal healing journey, "healing from abusive relationships, or substance abuse".

The canoe journey helps them heal as they participate in a cultural activity, and to, "get out of the cycle of abuse".

Chief Sam says it gives them focus and something to talk about, ". . . if they complete the journey it is quite an achievement".

It is possible that as many as a hundred canoes will be there for the Chemainus gathering on August 5th.

[Guest]

Journey promotes self-discipline, respect and healthy living
by Richard Walker
August 12, 2004

http://www.indiancountry.com/?1092336614

View photos
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

[Guest]

(Posted here on Turtle Island Native Network with permission from the author and editor)

T'Sou-ke Nations makes Tribal Journeys

August 18, 2004

By Robin Wark
Sooke News Mirror

Earlier this summer three canoes set out from the T'Sou-ke First Nation on a journey.

Eight days later the physical journey ended in Chemainus, but instead of a trio of canoes now there were 54. All were carrying representatives from First Nations from Canada and the United States.

"It was really powerful," said T'Sou-ke First Nations elected councillor Gordon Planes of Tribal Journeys 2004, which included members from about 50 nations.

The cultural youth coordinator led the organizing of the local First Nation's participation in the journey. About 20 T'Sou-ke young people - average age 14 to 15 - and 10 adults from the band took part. They took turns canoeing, manning the escort vessel and taking care of necessary ground crew tasks.

Both the First Nations' Elder Spirit and T'Sou-ke Princess were taken on the journey as another nation used one of them. The other canoe leaving Sooke Harbour was also from another nation.

The trip from the Sooke Harbour to Chemainus was an adventure.
"Some days are hard," Planes said. "You paddle hard, it is really hot. You hit some big waves. You just work together."

However, Tribal Journeys are about more than the physical challenge, Planes said. Cultural exchange, cultural awareness and personal growth are all important facets of the annual event, which the T'Sou-ke First Nation had not participated in for about four or five years.

"It is a learning experience for the whole canoe family," Planes said. "All 54 canoes are part of one family. That's what it's all about."

These lessons do not end once the canoes and paddlers are transported by vehicle back home.

"The journey doesn't end when it's over," Plane said. "It just begins."
Tribal Journeys allows First Nations young people to be immersed in their culture. The paddlers stay each night at a different First Nations village.

"This is the way we travelled, and did commerce hundreds of years ago," Dave Lopeman, chairman of Squaxin Nation of Olympia, Washington, told The Chronicle, a Ladysmith-based newspaper. "Tribal Journeys represents the rebirth of our nations and recognizing each other as we did many years ago."

Preparation for the journey, took between six and eight months. The T'Sou-ke participants practiced paddling, singing and drumming. All of the local participants took to the water with paddles they created themselves. The journey included traditional potlatch ceremonies and is drug and alcohol free.

"I think it is good for our youth," Planes said. "It is a stepping stone for our young people to be adults - to keep our culture alive and intact."
While there is a lot going on, Planes said safety was of utmost importance. Great care is taken to understand the water, wind and weather the group is headed into. Canoe captains meet each night to plan the next day's trip.

"This is taken very seriously," he said. "This is not a fun and games thing. We are very careful."

Even though he has made many paddles, Planes said he always learns something. The major lessons he has learned over the years on the excursions are: taking care of yourself, respecting everyone and keeping a positive attitude.

The latter is something Planes proudly said the T'Sou-ke participants displayed. In fact, they are already looking ahead with enthusiasm.
"When you come home, you hear 'I can't wait for next year,'" Planes said. "That's exactly what I want to hear."

Tribal Journeys have a long history. They were reportedly revived 15 years ago for Expo 86 in Vancouver, according to the Campbell River Mirror. It grabbed some major attention in 1994 at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria. That particular journey was focused around cultural expression. The most recent journeys are centered on the exchange of culture.

( gratitude to Robin Wark for his article and permission to share it here )

To view photos of the Tribal Journey visit
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

[www.songonthewater.org]

Sun, 7 Nov 2004

From: Robert Lundahl
robert@evolutionfilm.com

Subject: "Song on the Water," KCTS World premiere

World Broadcast Premiere of Director Robert Lundahl's Documentary Film,
"Song on the Water," on KCTS, Public Television, Seattle, Saturday,
November 13, 11:00 p.m.

Home videos on DVD or VHS are available on line at
www.songonthewater.org
For educational licensing, contact: info@cinereve.com

For immediate release
Press contact:
Pat Mallinson
pmallinson@kcts.org
206.443.6798

Song on the Water: The Return of the Great Canoes
One hour–Saturday, November 13, 2004 at 11:00 p.m.,
Wednesday, November 17, 2004 at 4:00 a.m. (r)

SEATTLE – In what has grown to become a yearly tradition, aboriginal communities in Western Washington and the coastal and inland waterways of British Columbia participate in sea voyages in ancient dugout canoes carved from cedar. During the summer of 2003, Port Angeles filmmaker Robert Lundahl participated in one such voyage, traveling to attend a potlatch hosted by the Tulalip tribe. Invited by longtime friends in Washington state’s Elwha S’Klallam community, he was encouraged to witness, lend support, and record the event on film.

Working as a director/photographer alongside location sound recordist Paul Hawxhurst, Lundahl captured the unfolding story of a tribal community striving through unity, prayer, traditional practices and physical endurance to transcend stereotypes, build pride and create
self-esteem in its youth.

Saturday, November 13, at 11:00 p.m., KCTS Television presents the
world premiere of Lundahl’s documentary, Song on the Water, which takes
viewers along with 50 indigenous canoes, their crews and communities on
a modern-day voyage to a traditional potlatch. It is a remarkable journey for all, as up to 5,000 people join together in this communal, spiritual event. Filled with beautiful photography and inspiring Coast Salish songs and cultural expressions, the one-hour film explores what the voyage means to the “pullers,” ground crews and elders who share the waves, the traditions and a vision of a positive future for Coast Salish youth.

Dr. Colleen Boyd, assistant professor of anthropology at Ball State
University, praises Song on the Water for providing “insight into the ironies of living tribally in the 21st century.” Says Boyd, “It is not a simple tribute to Coast Salish peoples, pretty pictures and wise words; the film makes us think about the complexities of your subjects’ lives. Having said that, it is also incredibly beautiful—the lighting, glowing faces and wonderful photography.”

Credits: Song on the Water: Return of the Great Canoes is a Freshwater
Bay Pictures Release presented by The Long House Association.

Producer/Director/Photographer/Editor: Robert Lundahl.

Location Sound: Paul Hawxhurst.

Concept and Origination: Linda Wiechman, President, The
Long House Association.

Native Speakers and Storytellers: Johnson Charles (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Alfred Charles Jr. (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Daniel (Banjo) Muck (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), John Boyd (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Amy Edenshaw (Haida), Patty Elofson (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Sonia Elofson (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Harry Moon (Kwakiutl), Darrell Charles (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Jessica Elofson (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Chief Edgar Charlie (Haanuqui, Head Chief, Kelthsmaht), Michelle Charles (Lower Elwha S'Klallam), Emmett Oliver (Quinault) and Chief Frank Nelson (Kwa-Gulth, Musgamagw Tsawataineuk).

Titles and Graphics: Mark Woloschuk. Singers, Drums and Bells: Chief
Frank Nelson (Kwa-Gulth, Musgamagw Tsawataineuk); Ahousaht Singers;
Chief Harold Hudson (Ahousaht); Pat and Walt Bennett, Lower Elwha
Indian Shaker Church; Jack Cagey and Swan Dancers (Lummi); Ray Fryberg (Tulalip); Tulalip Singers; George Jones (Port Gamble S'Klallam);
S'Klallam Singers; Mowachat Singers; Suquamish Singers. Special thanks
to The Canoe Nations of the Pacific Northwest.

Song on the Water

Filmmaker Bio

Robert Lundahl lives in Port Angeles, Washington, making documentaries
for global distribution.

Born in Pasadena, California, Lundahl received his BFA from the
University of Oregon (fine art/art history), and studied at the
University of Southern California (cinema). While a student, Lundahl
produced a short documentary titled The Burden of Proof, which was
screened for U.S. Senate subcommittees on the environment in 1979.

Lundahl developed his skills as a location cinematographer during three
years shooting nationally syndicated outdoor programs for John Fabian
Productions. He also produced more than 100 public relations, consumer
marketing and training programs and campaigns, and created several
high-end films for the investor community. In 1989, he formed Robert
Lundahl and Associates LLC, a San Francisco company creating innovative
communications products and strategies.

Beginning in 1997, Lundahl moved to series production with Digital
Journey, an award-winning series of 39 short (3:30) programs exploring
the human side of technology, its cultural, environmental and social
contexts. The series was filmed around the globe for broadcast on U.S.
public television and Canada’s TVO. Lundahl also directed and
photographed key episodes including a 2001 Emmy Award-winning trilogy
on “E-Commerce in China.”

Lundahl also develops independent programming for television. Filmed in
Washington state from 1993 to 1999, Unconquering the Last Frontier
explores the causes and effects of the ongoing “salmon crisis” in the
Pacific Northwest, focusing on the Elwha River. The film was released
in 2001/2 and has been honored by film festivals around the world.

Lundahl’s work has earned numerous awards, including the Emmy, the
International Television Association’s “Golden Vision” Award, the U.S.
International Film and Video Festival’s “Silver Screen” and the Telly
Award. His productions have been screened at festivals including the
EarthVision International Environmental Video Festival (First Place),
the Columbus International Film & Video Festival (Honorable Mention),
the International Wildlife Film Festival (finalist), the American
Anthropological Association Film & Video Festival, Ekotopfilm
(Slovakia), Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival, REAL2REEL
Documentary Film Festival, El Festival del Riu (Spain), Great Lakes
Independent Film Festival, Moab Film Festival, Anchorage Film Festival
and International Film Festival of the Americas.

[The Canoe and Culture]

Tlicho youth in the NWT learn about their traditions . . .

February 2005

John B. Zoe, Chief negotiator, Dogrib Treaty 11 Council was a witness appearing before the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal People.

During his presentation about the Tlicho land claim and self government agreement, he spoke about the importance of education for youth, including important cultural education programs.

Since 1995, we have been doing what we call On-The-Land Canoe Programs, where our youth are taken out onto the lake for ten days or more, paddling, hunting and fishing along the way, and visiting all the hunting, camping and grave sites along the way so that they understand their history better and are able to read place names.

As the elder would say, you turn the pages every time you dip your paddle.

It is grown to such a point where last summer we had over 160 people on the canoe for up to two weeks.

[Pulling Together 2005]

Pulling Together
Canoe Journeys That Began with Vision Quest
First Nations, local community groups, and police agencies

Pulling Together 2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16860551&BRD

Day 1. . .
http://www.coastreporter.net/madison/WQ ... ht=0,canoe

Day 2. . .
http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16999598&BRD

Day 3. . .
http://www.coastreporter.net/madison/WQ ... enDocument

BACKGROUND ON PULLING TOGETHER. . .
http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16654267&BRD

- - - - - - -

MORE. . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm


- - - - - - -

Pulling Together 2005

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy, Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

June 28, 2005

As First Nations and Tribal canoeists prepare for the annual Pacific Northwest Paddle Journey in August, others have already set out on the water this week.

It is called the 2005 ‘Pulling Together’ event, a yearly BC Mainland summer activity that began in 2001, involving First Nations, supported by the Mounties and other police agencies, and local community groups.

Pulling Together is 7 day canoe journey that began Saturday with camping activities, preparation - safety training, and practice.

Last night at the Harrison Hotel, a dinner was sponsored by the Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society. Today the canoeists will travel from Harrison Lake to Chehalis First Nation, about a three hour pull. There they will be greeted by singers, drummers, and a longhouse presentation on the culture and history of local First Nations. After their long day, canoeists will be invited to sleep in the Chehalis longhouse.

In the morning they face a 4-6 hour journey to Xa:ytem and the interpretive centre, cultural activities, Elders words.

Their final journey - approximately three hours, will be to Kwantlen First Nation and a welcoming ceremony on the banks of the Fraser River.

Pulling Together 2005 will end Canada Day, at the boat launching area next to the historical Fort at Fort Langley on July 1st.

In a media advisory, the Mounties explained from their perspective, "The purpose of this journey is to build relationships and ‘bridge the gap’ through communication and hard work, while paddling together through B.C.’s rivers among police, youth, and aboriginal community members. The journey fosters goodwill, cultural experiences, and shared learning among all involved".

BACKGROUND
Mission Statement of the "Pulling Together Canoe Society"

The Pulling Together Canoe Society inspires, organizes, and creates cultural canoe journeys primarily involving Police Agencies, Youth, and Aboriginal community members. Interaction, collaboration, culture, ceremony and the traditions of Canada’s Aboriginal people are experienced throughout each journey. The Pulling Together experience builds relationships, "bridging the gap" through communication and hard work, while paddling together. The journeys foster goodwill, cultural experiences and shared learning among all involved, with Canada’s waterways being both the "teacher" and the "traditional highway" traveled.

Prospective Supporters

The Pulling Together journey was started in 2001 by then S/Sgt. Ed Hill of the Gibsons Detachment who was inspired by his participation in the Vision Quest canoe journey of 1997 down the coast of British Columbia. Since the 2001 inaugural trip of Pulling Together on the Fraser River from Yale to Gibsons and each year since, the journey has developed a life of it’s own, touching the hearts of those who paddled. All journeys end on July 1st, Canada Day, with the paddlers arriving at their final destination in dress uniforms or Aboriginal regalia.

This year the participants will paddle from Harrison Lake down the Fraser River and end at Fort Langley, greeted by the Kwantlan First Nation and others celebrating Canada Day at the historic fort site.

This venture is a costly one as each canoe sponsors youth from communities along the Fraser River, and in some cases throughout the province. The Pulling Together Canoe Society requests support only when it finds its own resources exhausted. Your contribution towards this year’s journey would be deeply appreciated and will offset the costs of meals for the participants.

Cheques can be made out to "The Pulling Together Canoe Society"
8410-215 St. Langley, B.C. V1M 2M1

- - - - - - -

PULLING TOGETHER 2004. . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/ ... =3422#3422

[Inter-Tribal Journey 2005]

Inter- Tribal Canoe Journey 2005 . . .

Paddle to Elwha 2005 . . .
http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/7585/1/283/

August 1, 2005
Tribal Journey 2005
A Success Story . . .
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... oe02e.html

2005 CANOE JOURNEY PHOTOS . . .
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/p ... alnews683/

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy, Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

July 31, 2005

Tribal Journey 2005 has many stories.

The first is to explain that the people in the canoes prefer to be known as pullers, not paddlers. They pull their way through the west coast waters.

There is another, about the cultural restoration, survival and the healing benefits of having a positive First Nations youth experience.

Then there are the joys of the journey, leaving behind the drugs and alcohol yearning. The daily chores, the great outdoors, and the challenges. The fun, new friendships, welcoming and generosity from the communities along the way.

As I watch from my rocky perch overlooking Beecher Bay, I am witness to the T’So-uke crew and their drumming, singing and pulling their way through the sun drenched, glistening waters, to a landing at the marina of the Scia’new Indian reserve on Vancouver Island.

A tribal canoe with eight First Nations youth and their skipper/elder/guide, white t-shirts proudly proclaim their nation and their journey. At times, a fishing trawler shadows the canoe but keeps a safe distance, offering comfort to the young people - that their safety is being monitored closely. This is no backyard pond. This is the mighty Pacific.

This weekend has brought early mornings and long days for the Beecher Bay women, community organizers, and volunteers. It is more than meet and greet. It is a matter of meet, greet and eat - inside the Scia’new traditional Big House. For the past couple of days it has been surrounded by tents - an instant home for the dozens of youth who arrived from the neighbouring T’So-uke Nation, the Makah Tribe of Neah Bay on the coast of Washington State, and the Ahousaht and Kyuquot Nations from near Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Since the early nineties, this has become an annual summer journey that means so much to so many people, on both sides of the Strait of Juan De Fuca - Tribes, First Nations, Canadian and American. No matter who they are, there is agreement that the focus of Tribal Journey is on their youth and building their culture.

. . . a contributed perspective

It was a great gathering down at the Scia’new Marina as more canoes started arriving. As I was making my inquiries, I met Tom Smith, lead land crew/maintenance support for the Kyuquot canoe team. Tom spoke with great pride of his wife Janice John, who is the skipper of their canoe. Janice is a seasoned Tribal Journey skipper as this is her seventh journey. All crew are from the John family, the youngest being their four year old daughter, who already has done four tribal journeys /her first while in her mother’s womb!/ Tom explained the roles of the support crew as he was finishing up maintaining the canoe’s seats. He was reinforcing them so that they would hold the weight of the canoe as it gets lifted out of the water. He stressed how important it was for him to look after the canoe maintenance to keep it safe in the water. He fixes the sail, fills it with water to keep it from cracking in the hot sun when on land, and keeps the gas tanks filled for the support boat. He went on to say it was the Skipper’s job to keep the canoe and crew safe when out on the water.

And it seems Janice is very good at that. In their twelve days on the sea, they had encountered rough weather- strong winds, seven foot swells, fog and hot sun! Janice managed to keep the canoe and crew safe, strong and courageous throughout! The role of the second mate, James Hinchcliff is to tend to the sail rigging and the paddles. What has been very exciting for this crew is their new canoe. It was carved last year by the Frank family in Tla-o-qui-aht/Opetchesaht and given to the John family at a potlatch last winter.

I eventually met Janice and her son Duane Smith. Janice was very pleased with her crew and said it has been an awesome journey.
For Duane, this is his fourth journey, "this one is pretty good, I am not as shy. It is getting clear on what has to be done, and I am able to just do it!"

The next canoe to pull in was from the Makah Nation in Washington. While the skipper and crew were securing the canoe I met Melanie McCarty, one of their ground crew support. Melanie’s first and only other tribal journey was in 1990 to Bella Bella. She informed me that the canoe held 11 pullers, with 7 land support and their trawler 'Memories'. Melanie said they had rough weather crossing the strait, which really drew on the inner resources of the pullers. At the end of each leg of the journey the crew gather in prayer and in the evening, in a circle check in on how the day was for each of them. Many said they thought from the crossing that their lives would change forever. Melanie thought it had too as many of the youth joined in the dancing at the big house they stayed at, many who have never danced before. I later introduced myself to the owner and first strokesperson, Polly McCarty and Skipper Andy Pascua. They both agreed the journey so far had been excellent, although shorter for them than in past years, as the event is being hosted by the Klallam Nation in Lower Elwa. Crossing the strait to the Canadian side, gave their crew more time on the water. This year the focus of the journey is on youth, culture and education. Their youngest crew, 11 year old Titus and 12 year old Tony are no rookies. They have four and eight previous journeys experience, respectively. Other crew are first timers. The teachings are many for this crew. They learn to read the tide, the currents, how to bring the canoe to shore, how to navigate in the fog, and they got to visit their traditional villages and learn how their ancestors lived. Andy Pascua summed it as "The teachings are in math, science and history".

Both McCarty and Pascua stated how proud they were of their crew. Of how they were able to manouvre in the big swells and how they all pulled together to get through the strong currents. The kids were quick to refuse being pulled by the support boat, Memories. During their circles after each pull the kids have time for reflection. Seasoned crew members recalled traversing the same waters last year and gave encouragement to the others as they knew what to expect and what it would take to get through the journey this year. The kids have pride in their family, community and tribe and know they are ambassadors for their communities.

On Sunday, the T’Sou-ke Nation arrived early afternoon. They entered the harbour in great spirits with their song and joy cries! Chief David Planes and his wife and other community members were at the Marina to greet them. Skipper Thor asked permission to land and Beecher Bay Chief Russel Chipps gave them a warm welcome, inviting them to come ashore and have lunch at the Big House. Once the suppport trawler and canoe were secured, the crew stopped long enough for a group picture. They had worked hard and knew that lunch was waiting for them. Gordon Planes, who coordinates the T’Sou-ke Nation’s youth programme indicated that their journey focused on youth and in building culture. His crew of 20 have been in training for the past six months on the beautiful Sooke river. He has a number of first year pullers, like Louie and Darrel.

All in all, it was great to hang out at the Marina and introduce myself to these very amazing people. They were kind to share their stories with me, explain the work, roles and responsibilities of the various aspects of the journey and all were so proud of what they were doing!

- - - - - - -

Author: Tim Wheeler

People's Weekly World Newspaper, 08/25/05

PORT ANGELES, Wash. — “Paddle to Elwha” brought thousands of Pacific Northwest Indians and their friends to the waterfront of this old Olympic Peninsula mill town Aug. 1 to celebrate the arrival of 76 dugout canoes from as far north as Alaska and far south as Coos Bay, Ore.

Voyaging hundreds of miles across the often windswept waters of the Pacific, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Inland Passage and Puget Sound, the “pullers,” mostly youthful Indian men and women, were greeted as heroes as the canoes arrived one by one at Hollywood Beach in downtown Port Angeles.

The canoes are cedar dugouts like those that once plied these waters carrying trade goods or used in fishing and whaling. Makah whaling canoes, some 80 feet long, ventured into the Pacific on whale hunts. Today the canoes are carved and painted with dramatic images of ravens, eagles and whales as authentic as those of the past.

This year, 14 Aleuts from the Pribilof Island in the Aleutians joined the paddle in their bidarkas, or kayaks, made of stitched seal skin.

‘Now we are awakening’

David Hudson, hereditary chief of the Quileute Tribe of LaPush, stood on the beach beaming with joy. “That’s my son, my daughter, my nieces and nephews in the Quileute dugout there,” he told the World, pointing toward a handsome canoe riding a few feet offshore. “They came all the way from LaPush on the Pacific Ocean around Cape Flattery into the Strait. They camped at night, at Wyaatch, Neah Bay, Clallam Bay, Pillar Point. They carried no modern navigational equipment. No cell phones.”

The idea of resurrecting their seafaring heritage began many years ago, he said. “We started back in 1976 when we paddled from LaPush to Neah Bay. I participated in that paddle. Now we are one big canoe family from Alaska to Quinalt. This is an alcohol-free and drug-free event.”

The annual celebration, a combination of powwow and potlatch, combines cultural pride, good food, dancing and music as well as much athletic prowess. “It is pretty emotional for our elders seeing this comeback by our people,” he said. “Some told us we had lost our culture. But our elders told us it was just sleeping. Now we are awakening.”

The waterborne ingathering won national attention in 1989 when nine canoes joined the “Paddle to Seattle,” a centerpiece of the centennial of the founding of Seattle. One of those canoes was skippered by Frank Brown of the Bella Bella tribe of British Columbia. He threw down a challenge to tribes in the U.S. to “Paddle to Bella Bella” in 1993. It was a triumphant success.

The Bella Bellas also took the lead in reviving the craft of canoe-carving. Now Bella Bella carvers travel from tribe to tribe teaching them how to build canoes. Two Bella Bella canoes, again skippered by Brown, arrived from British Columbia, conspicuous for their sweeping lines and magnificent painted prows.

Ten days to paddle 200 miles

Among the newest entrants were the Nooksack tribe north of Bellingham. The Nooksack pullers, young men and women, had just dragged their canoe up on Hollywood Beach when they spoke with the PWW.

“Our journey took 10 days and over 200 miles,” said Alex Cooper, who works fulltime at the Nooksack tribal casino. “We stopped at each village along the way. This was the first time the Nooksack joined. We didn’t even have a canoe. Luckily, another tribe lent us one of theirs. We plan to carve our own canoe. This is the reunification of our native people. It is rejuvenating our spirit. Everyone is welcome.”

Jeremiah Johnny, employed by the Department of Natural Resources at the Nooksack Tribal Center, said the many stops at villages along the shore “gives us an awareness of our gravesites and our sacred grounds. It is a good reason to bring so many of us together. This is our way of honoring the oldest ones, honoring our past and standing up for our future.”

Remembering Tse-whit-zen Village

“Paddle to Elwha” was sponsored by the Lower Elwha S’Klallams for which Clallam County is named. The tribe was forced in the 1930s to leave their ancestral village site where Port Angeles now stands, as well as a site at the base of Ediz Hook across the bay. They had to purchase land to provide the site for the reservation that exists today at the mouth of the Elwha River eight miles west of Port Angeles.

They and all other Pacific Northwest Indians were even denied the right to fish, a staple of their diet, until 1974 when Federal Judge George Boldt handed down a landmark ruling that half the annual salmon catch belongs to the Indians. The Elwha River has been in the news in recent years because of a plan to remove a dam in hopes of reviving a salmon run that once spawned in the headwaters of the stream.

The theme of this year’s paddle was “Reflections on our past: Honoring Tse-whit-zen Village.” The village, sheltered in the cove of Ediz Hook, across the bay, is now estimated to have been inhabited 2,700 years ago. It was discovered last year when the Washington State Department of Transportation began construction of the so-called graving site where giant pontoons were to be fabricated to replace aging pontoons on the Hood Canal floating bridge.

During excavation, intact remains of hundreds of ancestors of the S’Klallam people were unearthed, while the scattered bones of hundreds more were churned up during construction. It touched off an outcry from the tribe that their most sacred burial ground was being destroyed, a protest so strong that the state was forced to suspend construction on the 22-acre site near the old Crown Zellerbach paper mill. The steel ribs of the graving yard now loom silent over the site.

A team of archaeologists, including more than 100 Klallam tribal members, established an archaeological dig to painstakingly sift for more intact graves and to preserve the human remains and artifacts. It is now recognized as the most important archaeological site in the Pacific Northwest since the discovery in 1970 of the Ozette landslide site on a remote stretch of the Pacific coast. (A Makah Indian village had been inundated, instantly, in a landslide 800 years ago, preserving everything so perfectly it was called the “Pompei of North America.” Artifacts from the Ozette site are now housed in a splendid museum in Neah Bay. See “Makah Indians Defend Their Treaty Rights,” PWW, May 12, 2000).

The day after they arrived at Hollywood Beach, the canoes streamed across Port Angeles Bay to the site of Tse-whit-zen Village for a solemn memorial ceremony.

Tribes came in solidarity

As the canoes rode on the tide, Lower Elwha tribal chairwoman, Frances Charles, told the crowd, “We have 316 cedar boxes on our reservation that are waiting to be placed back into their resting place. We have the remains of thousands upon thousands who have died here. We are looking for healing here. We are asking for songs and prayers of healing here.”

An elder stood at the stern of the Blue Heron canoe and replied, “We come here to show our strength when we are together, to show the strength of our solidarity.”

A woman elder from the Muckleshoot tribe thanked the S’Klallams for the difficult struggle they have waged to defend Tse-whit-zen Village. The pontoon construction project had been greeted for the jobs it created in a region with chronic high unemployment and poverty.

“We are thankful to the Elwha people, thankful for the things you are doing to bring out who we are inside,” the Muckleshoot leader said. “Our Indian-ness was almost taken away from us but now you are winning it back.”

There have been Cold War-style attacks on their patriotism. Bangor on Hood Canal is the base for nuclear submarines deployed in the Pacific. The Hood Canal floating bridge is designed to draw back for passage of these menacing leviathans.

In an open letter headlined, “I Wish This on No Other Nation,” Charles wrote, “They tell us that it’s a safety factor that we are faced with — that there is a war out there, and that the submarines have to continue to pass through the Hood Canal Bridge, and that if the submarines can’t get through … we will be to blame. … We are being threatened and threatened.”

Of course, nothing the S’Klallam tribe has done is having any effect whatsoever on passage of the nuclear subs in and out of Hood Canal.

‘We want our dead reburied with dignity’

Charles told the World, “Paddle to Elwha was important for our community in terms of our theme, ‘Reflections on the Past of Tse-whit-zen Village.’ This is a unique situation here, but all the other Native American people across the nation have similar stories of their ancestral gravesites being destroyed. It has given our community the strength and unity to carry on.”

Construction of the pontoon graving site has been halted since last December, she said. Yet the final outcome remains in limbo. “The goal of the Lower Elwha community is we would like to see the reburial of these remains on that site if possible.”

Asked about discussion of a Tse-whit-zen museum like the Ozette museum in Neah Bay, she replied, “What we would like to see in the future is for our people to have a curation facility. It is really important for the Elwha community. We want to maintain and have ownership of the artifacts. We don’t want to be going to any of the other museums to be viewing them. We have over 13,000 artifacts. There are many, many unique arrows, harpoons, etched stones. There are Chinese coins. We have unearthed 800 etched rocks. We found beautiful combs.”

This archaeological dig has also unearthed the foundations of six cedar longhouses. The team is trying to figure out how to preserve the remains of cedar planks on the longhouses, which crumble apart when exposed to the air.

“This village was standing there 2,700 years ago,” she said. “It is reviving me personally, reviving our culture and our heritage. We were in danger of losing it. But now we have our heads held high.”

She voiced frustration at the deadlock. “We are continuing the negotiations with all the key players to move forward with the reburial process,” she said. “We feel we’ve been talking about this for the last seven months, yet we are moving backward.”

The discovery of Tse-whit-zen Village and the struggle now to prevent it being covered over with concrete, she said, brings into sharp focus a centuries-long struggle. “Our people were punished for speaking their own language, our children were taken away from their families, and we were forced to leave our ancestral villages. Now it is emotionally, physically and spiritually hard to see how these remains are being treated,” she said. “Every day is a funeral. We want them reburied with dignity.”

Tim Wheeler (greenerpastures21212@yahoo.com) is national political correspondent for the People’s Weekly World.

- - - - - - -

Canoes representing more than two dozen Tribal / First Nations . . . some youth have been paddling for two weeks . . .
( The Route http://www.afsc.org/pacificnw/indian/journey2005.htm )

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy, Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

July 29, 2005

Bright sunshine and a cool summer breeze. It is 9a.m., and already they have eaten, and launched their canoes from the T’So-uke Nation shore, for the journey to Beecher Bay and a cultural celebration.

There, they will rendezvous with the many others who will enjoy a First Nations weekend. Cheanuh Marina, usually the gathering place for eager fishermen, instead will be the welcoming site for the Tribal Journey.

As the host community in BC, the Beecher Bay First Nation has organized a weekend of ceremony honouring the youth, with drumming, dancing and dining Coast Salish style.

South of here, across the Strait of Juan DeFuca on the U.S. side, many tribal nations have canoes in the Pacific northwest waters for Paddle Journey 2005. There will be a parade of canoes coming into Hollywood Beach.

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will host end-of-journey events at Lower Elwha (eight miles west of Port Angeles, Washington) August 1st - 6th.

Tribal organizers estimate there will be close to 5000 to 6000 people there. The staging site for the canoes will be the Rayioner Mill Site.

MORE . . .

On their way to the big celebration . . .
http://afscstar.org/pnwicj/Community%20 ... rticle.mht

Host Nation prepares for arrival of thousands . . .
http://www.elwha.org/CanoeJourney.htm

Aleut Journey . . .
http://www.kuhb.org/subpage.php?ID=71

Inter-Tribal Canoe Journey 2005 PHOTOS . . .
http://afscstar.org/pnwicj/2005%20Canoe ... Items.aspx

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy, Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

July 28, 2005

Turtle Island Native Network was there to witness the young people meet the big challenge and, very strong winds, a low tide and shallow waters were no match for the dozens of First Nations youth, who pulled more than their weight, as they canoed into the Sooke Harbour and Sooke River estuary.

Motors were used to make sure several of the tribal canoes made it to the shores of the T’So-uke First Nation, west of Victoria, on Vancouver Island.

Sheer determination, and perhaps the fact a feast awaited them, ensured the dozen tribal canoes arrived safely and on time, just after 5pm.

Tribal Journey 2005 will help bring added excitement to Vancouver Island this long holiday weekend, when dozens of canoes will fill Beecher Bay First Nation waters, off the Strait of Juan DeFuca.

MORE TRIBAL JOURNEYS
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

PREVIOUS REPORTS
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/ ... php?p=3760

[14th Annual Canoe Journey]

Summer of 2006 - Muckleshoot Tribe hosting annual Canoe Journey


Makah, Jamestown S'Klallam, Tulalip, Squaxin Island and Muckleshoot tribes practice for Tribal Canoe Journey. . .

MORE. . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/ ... php?t=2409

[Healing Canoe Journeys]

Working Together With First Nations
Paddle Voyage
Summer of 2006

START: June 24 at the Sliammon Band of Powell River.

June 26 - push-off from Willingdon Beach and a paddle of 11 nautical miles to Laing Bay.

June 27 - a paddle of nine nautical miles to Saltery Bay.

June 28 - paddle to Egmont.

June 29 - 18-mile trip to Sechelt.

June 30 - a 12.5-mile trip to Gibsons.

The trip ends with a paddle to Vancouver on Canada Day.

More about Pulling Together with the RCMP . . .
http://www.coastreporter.net/madison%5C ... enDocument

[Tsimshians at Sea]

Tsimshians at Sea. . .
http://cgi.canoe.ca/mb2/messages/travel/57.html

Tsimshian Cultural Event 2007. . .
http://www.sitnews.us/0806news/080806/0 ... toric.html

For more details and information on how to support the continuation of our cultural heritage you can contact Terrance H. Booth, Sr. at:
(602) 944-5389 or e-mail to: terrancehboothsr@gmail.com

Tsimshian Cultural Event
2007 will be important for a Native American people of Canada and southern Alaska. . .
http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview ... 9&rel_no=1

Tsimshian Canoe Project Selects Core Working Group
August 2006 (In One Year It Will Happen!)

Selection of boat building and canoe building to work on the 18 Tsimshian Canoes

Three years ago Master Artist, Carver and toolmaker, Eli Milton started talking about doing some Tsimshian Canoes to mark the 120th Anniversary of Tsimshian move to Metlakatla, Alaska from Metlakatla, British Columbia. Since then a chain of Tsimshian cultural events took place including: Chief Naming Feast that will be brought to Metlakatla, Alaska from British Columbia.

Two Commemorative Tsimshian Totem Poles are to be raised in Metlakatla, British Columbia and a twin pole in Metlakatla, Alaska to mark the 120th Anniversary of the Tsimshian Cultural Event 2007.

Since this was happening the Haida Nation, BC came forward with the offering of returning a Tsimshian Song and they will escort the 17 Tsimshian Canoes to Alaska and present the song that was given to them 100 years ago.

A Tsimshian Hereditary Chief announced he will escort the 17 Tsimshian Canoes to Alaska to have a reunion with his relatives in Metlakatla, Alaska and he has documentation of Tsimshian Names prior to the establishment of Metlakatla, BC.

The Artists, Carvers and boat builders have been decided upon for their expertise and knowledge of boat building and incorporating the Tsimshian Design in the Canoes.

Richard Kolin - Custom wooden traditional small craft, designed and built, boatbuilding and maritime skills, instruction, oars and marine carving, chosen for his expertise in boat building along with his working knowledge and skills, will oversee the constructing of these canoes. Eli Milton will co-overseer to incorporate the Tsimshian designs to the canoes.

Richard Kolin has selected Pat Mahon, an instructor at the Northwest School of Boat building selected because of his ability to laminated wooden boats ( with emphasis on strip planking and fiberglass sheathing- our boat method ). He has extensive experience in commercial boat building, developing for the Tsimshian Canoe project, an efficient building process. His phase in the process is the finishing and fiberglass shop to complete the canoes.

Eric Harman – a boat builder been teaching woodworking and boat building classes for the last 20 years. He is a builder of canvas covered cedar canoes and has extensive experience in shop procedures and tooling.
Lance Regan will assist Richard and has been in several projects in boat building with Mr. Kolin.

Eli has chosen Delbert Hayward to work with the Tsimshian Canoe Project on the Tulilap Tribe Reservation, along with Fred Lauth, a totem pole carver and a Haida familiar in the area of sawmill work.

Coming from Prince Rupert, BC area are:

Ian Morven, Tsimshian Artist and Carver will oversee projects in the Prince Rupert, BC area and is currently working on preliminary drawings of the two totem poles.

Henry Green will be assisting with the building and construction of the canoes. Pat Helin, Randy Dudoward and Gerald Stuart will also be assisting with the building and construction of the canoes.

Documenting and recording the whole cultural event by film, video and photography, Terrance H. Booth, Jr. because since his late Grandfather’s death no current Tsimshian Cultural History has been document or recorded. Purpose is to preserve and have this tribal historic cultural event for the next generation to see and that the Tsimshian people will have a remembrance of it.


Contact
Terrance H. Booth, Sr.
602-944-5389
Email: terrancehboothsr@gmail.com


Turtle Island Native Network Contact Form
--------------------------------------------------------------
Date : July 2006
Name: Terrance H. Booth, Sr.
E-mail: terrancehboothsr@gmail.com

Comments:
Tsimshian Cultural Event 2007

Major tribal historic event will be happening August 2007 for the
Tsimshian Tribe of Metlakatla, Alaska. Started by Eli Milton, Tsimshian
Carver/Artist of Anacortes, Washington is planning to build 14 Tsimhian
Canoes in the heartland of Tsimshian Country; namely, Prince Rupert,
British Columbia attracting carvers, artists of the region.

Never has such a huge cultural event like this happen for the Tsimshian people. It is to commemorate Tsimshians at Sea for their trade route extended to the ice edge of the Arctic Circle; known among the Tlingits, Pacific Coast Tribes; Makah Tribe traded with Tsimshians; and travels extended to California Coast seeking the abalone shells which are used in Tsimshian Regalia, headdresses and other uses for the Tsimshian Button Blanket.

This undertaking will gather together Tsimshian Carvers and Artists from
Alaska, Washington and British Columbia to learn, to carve, and to revive
the art of canoe building, with tribal advisors, mentors, and master artists overseeing the Tsimshian Canoe Project. It instills upon those participating a cultural learning experience, learn more about not only themselves but preserving and maintaining their arts. For the Tsimshian it is to commemorate their return to the sea for they once traveled great distances on their trade route. This Cultural Event is a revival of that return to the sea, for the Tsimshian are well known along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California.

Reviving the art of canoe making among Tsimshian deserves documenting
this cultural event to preserve as tribal history, mark as returning to the sea, mark as cultural reminder of the extensive trade route of the Tsimshian, mark as mode of travel for the ancestors of the Tsimshian, use
to teach the younger generation the greatness of the Tsimshian Tribe and
how far and wide they traveled in their trade routes. It is reviving the
maritime cultural tradition of the Tsimshian who had command of the sea
and trade was extensive.

One recent Canoe project: “There’s all kinds of sentiment involved,”
explains Jeff Smith, a Makah tribal member who helps organize the yearly
event.

“The real meaning of the canoe journey is at getting healthy — physical is only a part of it — but it is meant to hit at the mind, body and soul.”

2005 Canoe Journey: \"Right there, you got your people out here
singing,\" said Junior Slape, Nisqually tribe member and canoe
participant. \"It\'s unity.\" “Begun in 1989, the journeys continue, in
part, to help communities heal from such issues as suicide, and drug and
alcohol abuse. They are a way for many to find their way back to winter
ceremonies, songs, language, art, and self-determination.” (American
Friends Service Committee, Seattle, WA)

For the Tsimshian there is a direct cultural tie to the ocean, the resources of the waters, direct contact with other tribes on the whole Pacific Coast, and one in the spirit with the ocean. Tsimshian are at home on the sea and even today their livelihood comes from the ocean with modern day vessels. August 2007 these Canoes will be paddled to Metlakatla, Alaska from Metlakatla, British Columbia for a re-enactment of Tsimshian Tribe move from BC to Alaska. And further celebration will take place with Founder’s Day Celebration where a Chief’s name will be brought out which means a huge tribal potlatch. Good time to visit Metlakatla, Alaska first full week of August 2007 to see a tribal historic event happen.

It will be recorded, documented, filmed, photographed and placed on CDs. We are seeking corporate sponsorship for this huge cultural event. Contact Eli Milton at: jadesign1@comcast.net or terrancehboothsr@gmail.com For sponsorship Canoe will have corporate logo on it or fly corporate banner on travels. Targeting July 31, 2006 in the Paddle to Muckleshoot in Seattle area as kick-off and announcement of Tsimshian Event in both British Columbia and Alaska.

[Carving CultureConnection]

NOTE: This Feature is Posted Here on Turtle Island Native Network with Written Permission From the Author!


Carving out a tribal journey of discovery
February 10, 2007

By Lynda V. Mapes

Seattle Times staff reporter


Amid ceremony and the pungent smell of cedar, a hope was born Friday.

Chip by chip, a massive, 600-year-old cedar log is on its way to becoming a canoe, in a project launched Friday in Seattle to help urban Indian youth connect with their culture and each other.

The canoe is a joint project of the Center for Wooden Boats and United Indians of All Tribes, which together will host carving sessions every Friday for native youth. Robert W. Peele, a Haida carver who goes by his Indian name Saaduuts, is an artist in residence at the center and will be on hand to guide the carving. But the youth will do much of the work.

Some 50,000 Indian people live in Seattle. Many urban Indian kids have never lived in their homeland or learned their culture. The canoe project is hoped to provide one way for them to connect with their traditions for the first time. It also is expected to deepen ties for youth already learning their culture.

Jared Broadway, 17, a member of the Duwamish Tribe, says he's ready to get started on the canoe. "I want to help as much as I can, instead of it just being the elders," Broadway said.

"The canoe symbolizes, in my view, our power and how strong we are as a family. I consider anybody that wants to work on something that they don't know, family. It helps build patience and understanding. And when you are teaching people who don't know about it, they are learning their heritage."

A veteran of six of the tribal canoe journeys held in the region each summer, Broadway already knows the power of the canoe. "It has helped me grow up, it's taught me how to respect people no matter what happens. And the more we do things together, the more it brings us under unity."

The 4-foot diameter, 50-foot-long log has the power to transform lives, said Mike Evans, chairman of the Snohomish Tribe and an adviser to the project.

"It's hard to get them away from the Game Boys and the cellphones," Evans said. "The canoe is really a connector. When you are traveling these ancient paths of the ancestors, it is very powerful, it changes people. It gives them a sense of community, of accomplishing something big."

To Saaduuts, the canoe is about trust and learning that doing important things takes time. "It's giving the kids sharp tools and trusting they won't kill each other," Saaduuts said. "It's learning how to work together. It's learning how to be patient."


The log was gifted some 30 years ago by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation to the late Bernie Whitebear, a Colville Indian who for 30 years directed the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation. The log has been at the Daybreak Star Center in Seattle all these years, waiting for its time.

"It's been waiting to be a canoe," Saaduuts said. "I asked for it to become a canoe so we can train the families and fix the families. Because nothing is going to happen by itself. We have to start things now, and to have the strength.

"There is only one way it's going to happen, if we make it happen, with other tribes, and other families. Everybody has to have a voice."

The public is invited to participate. Contact the Center for Wooden Boats at 206-382-2628.

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com

- - - - - - -

The Center for Wooden Boats
http://www.cwb.org/

Tribal Journeys
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-summergames.htm

[Tribal Journey's Respect]

Intertribal Canoe Journey
July 30th - August 4th, 2007



A celebration of First Peoples' traditions and cultures
http://www.paddletolummi-2007.org
- - -

PHOTOS: http://www.stormsphoto.com/gallery/3239545#179896602_Qm5tj
- - -

VIDEO: http://vimeo.com/4875511

- - -

Respect for, and recognition of the importance of the Intertribal Canoe Journey
July 7th, 2007

Read the Proclamation
http://www.turtleisland.org/photo/tjproclaim.gif

- - - - - - -

Tribal Journey schedule and details . . .
http://tribaljourneys.wordpress.com/all-canoes/

[Science and Canoe Journey]

Tribal Canoe Journey 2008

The Coast Salish Nation and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will embark on a Canoe Journey to study and improve water resources in the Salish Sea, July 8-29.

Water quality has deteriorated significantly across Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia in recent decades and threatens most nearshore and marine habitats and ecosystem functions.

This is the only year so far that a scientific component has been added to the Coast Salish Annual Tribal Journey. For the first time, water quality surveys will be simultaneously conducted behind multiple canoes to show variations in a broad area crossing international borders. This project will blend traditional knowledge of the Coast Salish People with USGS science in an effort to help improve management of ancestral waters experiencing environmental decline.

"Over the last 100 years, people have looked at our most sacred site (the Salish Sea) as a dump site," said Swinomish Chairman Brian Cladoosby. "You have everything - heavy metals, toxins, farm runoff,

nonpoint pollution - and it ends up in the Salish Sea. It's up to this generation and future generations to make everyone aware of the conditions. We as Coast Salish have decided no more and we are stepping

forward to restore and protect our most precious waters of the Salish Sea."

During the journey, members of western Washington Tribes and British Columbia First Nations will travel in more than 100 canoes from locations throughout Washington and British Columbia to Cowichan First Nation in Duncan, B.C. Five of those canoes will carry water-quality probes and Global Positioning System (GPS) units. Canoes are ideal because they are slow moving and do not add any toxins to the environment. The probes will measure specific water quality components including; surface-water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and turbidity. The project is coordinated by the Swinomish Tribe and lead by Sarah Akin, a scientist with the Tribe for three years. USGS scientists Eric Grossman and Paul Schuster have been invited by the Coast Salish to participate as science advisors to provide technical expertise in planning and conducting the study and analyzing the data.

"The Coast Salish have extensive traditional ecological knowledge of their environment and patterns of change across the Salish Sea," said Grossman. "This project will provide a unique opportunity to improve understanding of ongoing change to the region's ecologic and cultural resources and the processes that affect them."

The collected data will provide an informational snapshot of conditions that can be compared with future canoe journey measurements that will help Tribal, Federal, State, and local entities identify water-quality issues and ultimately manage Salish Sea resources.

Follow the Tribal Journey's progress through press releases, maps, videos and photos by visiting www.usgs.gov/coastsalish

The project is supported through the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Northwest Straits Commission, USGS and the Potlatch Fund. For information on the Coast Salish Project or to learn more about the history, peoples, and mission of the Coast Salish visit http://www.coastsalishgathering.com/.

For a podcast interview on the Tribal Journey, listen to episode 52 of CoreCast at http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/
- - -

"This summer, a scientific component will be added to the Tribal Journey's rich array of cultural activities." http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2008/05/

USGS Will Collaborate with Coast Salish Indigenous Peoples to Measure Water Quality in the Salish Sea (Puget Sound and Strait of Georgia)

By Eric Grossman and Helen Gibbons
May 2008

In an exciting new partnership between the Coast Salish (indigenous peoples of the Salish Sea ecoregion) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), members of western Washington Tribes and British Columbia First Nations will measure water quality in Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia during their annual summer canoe voyage, the Tribal Journey. http://tribaljourneys.com/

Currently, groups paddling more than 100 canoes are planning to set out from locations throughout Washington State and British Columbia, Canada, and travel during July 2008 along six principal paths to Cowichan, southern Vancouver Island, for the biggest potlatch of the year.

The annual Tribal Journey honors the centuries-old traditions of transport and trade by peoples living around the Salish Sea ecoregion—the large inland waterway that encompasses Puget Sound in the United States and the Strait of Georgia in Canada. Historically, Coast Salish people traveled the waters to meet and gather for festivities.

Use of traditional water routes was revitalized in 1989, and the modern summer Tribal Journey is now an important event for many Tribes and First Nations.

The landing of the Tribal Journey at Cowichan will also serve as the opening ceremony for the 2008 North American Indigenous Games.
http://www.cowichan2008.com/

This summer, a scientific component will be added to the Tribal Journey's rich array of cultural activities. Four to six of the canoes (the number has yet to be finalized) will carry water-quality probes and Global Positioning System (GPS) units on each of four to six of the principal routes to Cowichan.

The probes will measure surface-water temperature, conductivity (salinity), pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and turbidity.

Upon completion of the Tribal Journey, the data will be downloaded and used to compile a database of water-quality measurements across the Salish Sea, maps, geographic-information-system (GIS) data layers, and reports that will help Tribal, Federal, State, and local entities identify water-quality issues and ultimately manage Salish Sea resources. USGS geologist Eric Grossman has been invited by the Coast Salish to provide scientific advice and technical expertise in planning and conducting the study and analyzing the data.

"The annual Tribal Journey of the Coast Salish offers a unique and unprecedented opportunity to measure the pulse of the Salish Sea's environmental health," said Grossman, who has been studying the effects of urbanization on water quality and habitat in Puget Sound (for example, see "Deltaic Habitats in Puget Sound—Natural Versus Human-Related Change," Sound Waves, December 2004/January 2005).
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/fieldwork3.html

Grossman and Coast Salish partners are excited about the upcoming project. Grossman notes that at the end of this summer's Tribal Journey, the Coast Salish and the USGS "will be able to map out data captured simultaneously across a broad expanse of the Salish Sea." The data will provide a snapshot of conditions during summer 2008 that "we can compare with processes that affect water quality throughout the region—such as river discharge, tides, winds, currents, and coastal upwelling—and with future measurements along successive journeys."

The feasibility of conducting water-quality studies during a canoe voyage like the summer 2008 Tribal Journey was successfully demonstrated during a 1,200-mi-long canoe trip down the Yukon River in summer 2007. The Yukon River Healing Journey—from Moosehide, Yukon Territory, Canada, to Russian Mission, Alaska (approximately 130 mi from the mouth of the Yukon as the crow flies)—was undertaken to promote environmental awareness and celebrate cultural ties, with visits to indigenous villages along the way. During the planning stages, Jon Waterhouse, director of the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC), asked Paul Schuster, a USGS hydrologist who helped the council establish a regional water-quality-monitoring program, if he could suggest a way to "marry culture and science" on the Yukon River canoe journey. Schuster said, "Why don't you just drop a water-quality probe off the side of the canoe?" and soon they were designing a project to make continuous water-quality measurements along more than half the length of the 2,300-mi-long Yukon River. Instrument manufacturer YSI Inc. lent a state-of-the-art water-quality probe that was towed behind the modern two-person canoe captained by Waterhouse. The canoe was also fitted with foldout solar panels and an inverter for charging batteries to run a computer, video, and GPS unit, illustrating "how the YRITWC and indigenous people of the Yukon River watershed are blending traditional practices with modern technology to take care of the land and water" (YRITWC newsletter, Currents, July 2007, v. 2, no. 2).http://www.yritwc.com/programs/WaterQuality.htm

A canoe is an ideal platform for towing the water-quality probe: "If you go too fast," said Schuster, "the probes don't work." Motorboats, even at their slowest speed, move fast enough to cause air pockets to form around the water-quality probes (a process known as cavitation), which interferes with the probes' performance. The solution is to use new technology with old. Waterhouse and his paddling partners towed a 15-lb, torpedo-shaped water-quality probe off the stern of their canoe, measuring surface-water temperature, conductivity (salinity), nutrients, pH, and total dissolved solids. Schuster, who had been part of a 5-year-long USGS study of water quality and climate change in the Yukon River basin (see Yukon River Basin Studies) called the results "a unique and very interesting dataset," adding, "We learned a lot about the river that we hadn't discovered in the 5 years we'd been working there."
http://ak.water.usgs.gov/yukon/index.php


The idea of integrating a water-quality study into the 2008 Salish Sea Tribal Journey was developed in late 2007 and formally adopted at the Third Annual Coast Salish Gathering, held February 27-29, 2008, in Tulalip, Washington.
http://www.coastsalishgathering.com/

At the Gathering, Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, familiarized Coast Salish elders and leaders with the study and the intention of the Coast Salish-USGS partnership to address issues related to the recent deterioration of ancestral waterways and marine resources that for millennia have sustained the Coast Salish. Among the goals of the Coast Salish Gathering were to integrate the diverse indigenous peoples of the Salish Sea under one Coast Salish voice and to adopt an environmental science and policy agenda that will help the Coast Salish sustain their environment and marine resources, which are closely linked to their culture and identity.
http://www.swinomish.org/

During the Gathering, Coast Salish elders and leaders, and scientists from Tribes, First Nations, academia, and numerous agencies—including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, and Parks Canada—highlighted critical impacts to nearshore ecosystems that mirror problems identified by the Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership. These impacts include historical changes in fish-, bird-, plant-, and invertebrate-community structure; increases in parasites (sea lice) and invasive species; sedimentation impacts to shellfish-harvest areas and fish migratory pathways; impacts of trawling on benthic ecosystem structure and function; and increases in pollution from both point and nonpoint sources, especially wood-pulp mills, metal refineries, and dairy farms. Improving our understanding, and ability to predict the extent, of these impacts to nearshore habitats, estuarine processes, and marine resources is the principal mission of the USGS Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound Project, in cooperation with its many partners.

"The Coast Salish have extensive traditional ecological knowledge of their environment and patterns of change across the Salish Sea," said Grossman, noting that the plan to collect water-quality data during the 2008 Tribal Journey "will provide a unique opportunity to use traditional ecological knowledge and western science to improve understanding of ongoing change to the region's ecologic and cultural resources and the processes that affect them."

Grossman will serve as scientific advisor to Coast Salish for the Tribal Journey, and Sarah Akin of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community will serve as project coordinator. Grossman and Akin have been conducting workshops for Coast Salish participants in preparation for the Tribal Journey.

To learn more about the Tribal Journey, visit http://tribaljourneys.wordpress.com/tri ... -of-the-nw

To learn more about the history, peoples, and mission of the Coast Salish, visit URL http://www.coastsalishgathering.com

http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2008/05/index.html