((PKG)) TRIBAL CANOE JOURNEY
((TRT: 08:52))
((Topic Banner: Tribal Canoe Journey))
((Reporter/Camera/Editor: Natasha Mozgovaya))
((Map: Seattle, Washington))
((Main characters: 3 female; 6 male))
((Sub characters: 1 female; 2 male))
((Blurb: For thousands of years, dugout canoes were primary means of travel for the Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Tribal Canoe Journey brings together thousands of people on a quest to revive and practice native languages and ancient traditions.
((NATS: Canoe paddlers song))
((Locator: Seattle, Alki Beach, Tribal Journey canoe landing))
((NATS))
((Eric Day Stooltsa
Swinomish tribe))
We call this our ancestral highway, because that's how our ancestors traveled long before the coming of the white man.
((NATS))
((Marilyn Bard
Quinault Tribe, UW Shellhouse Canoe Family))
It makes me feel absolutely ecstatic that this has come from just an idea that my father wanted for the 100-year centennial for the state of Washington, and the Paddle to Seattle, which was coined by the Quileutes. And then from there, it turned into the Tribal Journeys, the Canoe Journeys.
((NATS))
((Eric Day Stooltsa
Swinomish tribe))
I was actually part of the first one in 1989. So, all the tribal leaders at that time got together and talked about bringing the canoe family way life back. And we use this as a catalyst to start that.
((NATS))
((Locator: Seattle, WA - Burke Museum, Carver’s studio))
((Philip H. Red Eagle
UW Native Knowledge In-Residence Program))
My name is Phillip H. Red Eagle. On journey, they call me Uncle Phil. We wanted to use the canoe as a training device for culture, a return to culture. Marilyn Bard, her father was Emmett Oliver. And she had been working for a number of years to make sure his legacy was moving and working.
((NATS))
((Locator: Seattle, UW Shellhouse))
((Marilyn Bard
Quinault Tribe, UW Canoe Family))
My father, because he was the coordinator for the Paddle to Seattle, he wanted to see 100 canoes land on the beach one time in his life. This year, the Paddle to Muckleshoot, already there are over 120 canoes.
((NATS))
((Jared Edge
Kuwlkadim, Willapa Spirit skipper, UW Canoe Family))
I remember us being students, were like, ‘Hey, we know canoe journey is going on. It would be so awesome if we could get together with a group and go do that.’
((NATS))
((Philip H. Red Eagle
UW Native Knowledge In-Residence Program))
The native students had been gifted a canoe called the Willapa Spirit. We wanted to get the paddles made for the canoe. So, I started teaching the making of these paddles.
((NATS))
((Lia-Tui Sarong
Native Hawaiian, UW Canoe family))
I'm trying to get down to the line and make it as flat as possible.
((Alika Bourgette
Native Hawai’ian, UW Shellhouse Canoe family))
I've been carving for a little over a year on this single paddle actually. And really, the process is twofold. You're making it as it's making you into a carver.
((NATS))
((Kariel Galbraith
Tlingit tribe, UW Canoe family))
There's no way to know if you can do it until you prove it to yourself. I'm from the coastal tribe, so we have a canoe culture. I grew up with them around me, but not a lot of people going out in them regularly. I think the main purpose was to find community, to find people who are kind of in similar situations, urban natives usually who are looking for that kind of.
((NATS))
((Locator: Tulalip Bay, Tulalip Reservation Canoe Journey stop))
((Jared Edge
Kuwlkadim, Willapa Spirit skipper, UW Canoe Family))
We’re going to wake up around three in the morning. All my early pullers, this is my first group pulling in the morning. They're going to start getting all of their personal stuff ready so the land crew can throw it in their cars. We're breaking down the tents, making sure people get fed. It [the canoe] can feel how we feel. So, if we're feeling uncomfortable or upset or something on the water, the canoe is going to start reflecting that kind of energy.
((NATS))
((Tulalip tribe member))
May the tide be with you!
O-see-em! [Lushootseed: Thank you, honorable ones!]
((NATS))
((Philip H. Red Eagle
UW Native Knowledge In-Residence Program))
It's both physically and mentally and emotionally a very challenging journey. It's supposed to be. You’re going out to accomplish something. If you're going to have to paddle 30 miles, you have to paddle 30 miles. And that's not easy.
((NATS))
((Eric Day Stooltsa
Swinomish tribe))
You get out there by yourself six to 12 hours a day. It really gives you a lot of time to think about who you are and where you're going in your life.
((NATS))
((Locator: Overnight stop at the Tulalip Reservation))
((Adia Bowen
Upper Skagit tribe, UW Shellhouse Canoe Family))
Canoe Journey is like a combination of so many different cultural things brought together. It's the singing. It's the gifts that you bring to other tribes. And you have to do so many different cultural practices just to go on journey, learn about the tides and understand our earth in a way that's different than your other daily life.
((NATS))
((Philip H. Red Eagle
UW Native Knowledge In-Residence Program))
This is basically a contract. We have the 10 rules of the canoe. An example would be, no abuse of self or others. So that basically means no drugs, no alcohol, and no nastiness.
((NATS))
((Wesley Carrasco
Lenca tribe, UW Shellhouse Canoe Family))
The great thing about journey is that a lot of politics, a lot of those relationships are really brought together, even if there's problems within each other, even if you're beefing with your cousin or your neighbor or whatnot, you really put that aside for journey. It's one of the largest journeys in history. And so, part of it is just waiting your turn to be invited to land ashore. One of the things is you got to always have your paddles up as you're landing to show that you are coming in peacefully.
((NATS))
((Locator: North Tide Canoe, Alaska))
A total of 1500 miles, and it’s our first ever tribal journey and it will not be our last! Our spirits are truly soaring today, being among you all.
((Text on screen: The Muckleshoot Tribe was the host of the 2023 Tribal Canoe Journey.))
You are now our family and we treasure you very close to our hearts. We're very hungry, we're very tired, and we humbly ask permission to come ashore.
((NATS))
((Donny Stevenson
Muckleshoot Tribal Council Vice Chairman))
Welcome, welcome. Welcome to our land. Welcome you to our waters. Welcome you to our shores. We know that our ancestors are here to greet you, and we know that your ancestors have traveled with you. Please come ashore. You have permission.
((NATS))
((Jaison Elkins
Chairman, Muckleshoot Tribal Council))
We rely on everybody to come together to host, from people who just cook fish and shellfish, to prepare medicines, to give away our many different giveaway items. And we expect 8,000 people or so, I’m not too sure, and over a hundred canoes.
((NATS))
((Ryder Smith
Navajo, UW Shellhouse Canoe family))
I'm going to do it again and again. I actually got this. I accepted this necklace as a promise that I'm going to come back.
((NATS))
((Adia Bowen
Upper Skagit tribe, UW Shellhouse Canoe Family))
It makes me feel so just proud and just hopeful. Culture never went away. It just like took a pause. I feel like I understand myself better. I understand my ancestors better.
((NATS))
((Philip H. Red Eagle
UW Native Knowledge In-Residence Program))
It's more than just changing us, ourselves, the native people, but to help change attitudes about how we're treating our planet, because basically Native American culture is very much a environmental process. Being able to share the responsibilities with the environment and the world, because it gives and you give. It's just going to take some time. It took a lot of time for the culture to be taken away, and it'll be at least take that much time to put it back.
((NATS: Canoe paddlers song))