chinuk kənim tilixam

Canoe Journey is a revival of the traditional method of transportation and it can be a profound cultural experience for a participant. Canoe Journey began in 1989, when the Paddle to Seattle took place as part of the 100th anniversary of Washington Statehood. In 1989 fifteen Tribes participated in the Paddle to Seattle.

Each year, a different Tribal Nation hosts each and every Canoe Family, which includes pullers (paddlers), support crew and often times Elders and family. Indigenous canoe families from as far as way as Aotearoa, Taiwan, Hawai’i, New York, California, and Alaska participate. The Heiltsuk Nation of Bella Bella, British Columbia typically travel the longest distance every year entirely by canoe only. Depending on the distance, the paddle can take up to a month.

The chinuk kənim tilixam (Chinook Canoe Family) originated in the early years of the 21^st century and traveled jointly at first with the Grand Ronde Canoe family. The 2005 Paddle to Elwha marked their first joint canoe journey*. Tony Johnson, current Chinook Indian Nation Tribal Chair who was then working at Grand Ronde, and Bobby Mercier of Grand Ronde were two of the main organizers of these early journeys.

When a canoe family sets out they generally paddle to their nearest neighbor and camp for the night, singing and dancing for their hosts. The following day the two, three or more canoe families paddle to the next neighbor and asks for permission to come ashore to camp and sing and dance for their hosts. The next day the five, ten or more canoe families paddle to the next camp where the protocols are repeated. At the final landing in the hosting Tribe’s territory there and be 100 or more canoe families traveling together.

At the final destination the canoe families camp for a week to rest and to spend time with old friends. Besides meals, the hosting tribe provides camping space, laundry and bathing facilities for the thousands of people who are there. In return, each canoe family will sing and dance for the host tribe and then there is an exchange of gifts as a thank you. On the final day the Host Tribe hosts a potlatch, they sing and dance for their guests and afterward give gifts, everything from a sticker to necklaces, shirts, cups, blankets, baskets and paddles. It is an impressive sight to see when the hosting tribe brings our pallets and pallets of gifts to be distributed.

*McClary, Toby. Tribal Members Participate in Traditional Canoe Journey, Smoke Signals, Grand Ronde, Oregon, 15 July 2006, p. 5. That same issue features a page later a picture of one of the canoes likely used on that first journey “hand-made . . . by Chinook Tribal member and [Grand Ronde Tribal] Interim Cultural Resources Manager Tony Johnson and his family.”