This is my friend John a master wood carver from the Snoqualmie Tribe.
I must say I have had the honor to ride in their Canoe and it was so exciting.
Canoe Journey
Digging out a canoe from a cedar log was integral to a tribe's existence and community for generations, but the practice gradually disappeared over the past century. In 1989, a Quinault canoe racer named Emmett Oliver revived the tradition with the "Paddle to Seattle," in which Native Americans journeyed by canoe from the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island to Seattle for the Washington state centennial celebration.
Canoe journeys are now an annual event and are intended to connect participants to Native culture and stress discipline, sobriety, strength and teamwork. The destinations change yearly. Last year, thousands from Washington to Canada landed on Shell Beach, on Vancouver Island, B.C.
Native protocol requires paddlers to request permission to come ashore, and the welcoming celebration lasts for days. This year, the gathering is the largest ever, with paddlers coming from as far south as Oregon and as far north as St. Paul's Island, Alaska. The Lower Elwha tribe near Port Angeles is hosting the festivities through Saturday.
Digging out a canoe from a cedar log was integral to a tribe's existence and community for generations, but the practice gradually disappeared over the past century. In 1989, a Quinault canoe racer named Emmett Oliver revived the tradition with the "Paddle to Seattle," in which Native Americans journeyed by canoe from the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island to Seattle for the Washington state centennial celebration.
Canoe journeys are now an annual event and are intended to connect participants to Native culture and stress discipline, sobriety, strength and teamwork. The destinations change yearly. Last year, thousands from Washington to Canada landed on Shell Beach, on Vancouver Island, B.C.
Native protocol requires paddlers to request permission to come ashore, and the welcoming celebration lasts for days. This year, the gathering is the largest ever, with paddlers coming from as far south as Oregon and as far north as St. Paul's Island, Alaska. The Lower Elwha tribe near Port Angeles is hosting the festivities through Saturday.
