
Bucking a rip tide, 13 Native ocean-going canoes landed at Port Townsend, WA today, July 21st. This group started in South Puget Sound with a few canoes departing July 15th from Squaxin Island Tribe. More canoes joined when they stopped at Nisqually, Puyallup, Muckleshoot, Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam. Their next two stops before crossing over to Vancouver Island, B.C. are Jamestown S’Klallam and Elwha Klallam Tribal Communities.
Other canoes that should be on the water at this point in the journey (we haven’t heard from them directly but assume they are on schedule).
Quinault and Quileute started on the July 18 and should be at Wyaatch tonight. They will take off for Makah tomorrow (the 22nd). This is the West Coast Washington Group.
Nooksack and Lummi should have landed at Swinomish today. Next stop, Samish. This group is the San Juan Islands Group.
Chenahkint Ehattesaht, Mowachaht, Muchalaht, Friendly Cove, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Ucluelet, and Ancla Huu ay aht departures and stops are behind the West Coast Vancouver Island Group, who left from Nuu Chah Nulth July 13th. Next stop for this group is Ditidaht.
The Northern Route Canoes left Bella Coola on July 8th. They’ve stopped at Eucott Bay Hot Springs, Rattenbury, Bella Bella, Koeye, Clam Beach, Takush, Indian Cove and Fort Rupert before joining the group out of Fort Rupert on July 16th.
The combined groups - Northern Route canoes and the Salish Sea Route - have continued with stops at: Alert Bay, Adams River, Kelsey Bay, Browns Bay, and they should be at Campbell River tonight. Next landing will be at Courtney Comox on July 23.
There may be about 55 or 60 canoes enroute at this point in time. Included in the count are canoes that trailered to the take-off points because their villages are far off the path of the routes, such as Yakama in Washington State; Umatilla and Celilo in Oregon, and several Alaskan and Canadian canoe participants.
View All Canoe Routes on TribalJourneys.com CLICK HERE
Be safe on the water, and KEEP those LIFE JACKETS ON … it’s the law. There will be fines this year for any who are not wearing life jacket floatations. Remember.. the life you save may be your own.