CANOE JOURNEY TIMELINE
When Europeans began exploring the region, the tribes were used to meeting and welcoming strangers who
arrived by boat. Sadly, the Europeans did not understand the hospitality culture of the coastal tribes as the
tribes were displaced over the next two centuries. The canoe culture, as practiced by the Native American
tribes of the Pacific Northwest, had all but disappeared until the Canoe Journey events began to grow in the
1990s. Techniques of canoe making and use had largely vanished and fewer and fewer tribal people knew how
to pull a traditional canoe. Numerous tribes participated in the 1994 “Youth Paddle,” held in Olympia, as well
as the subsequent Puget Sound “Full Circle Youth Paddles” of 1995 and 1996. By the time the Tribes of the
Pacific Northwest responded once again to an invitation to La Push in 1997, a new tradition was well in the
making and a cultural resurgence was underway.
Photo taken by Allen Frazier
The Nisqually Tribe has participated in the
annual Canoe Journey since 1994 and has used
the Canoe Journey to strengthen its culture,
community, and families. Historical cultural
practices, from carving techniques to gifting
ceremonies, cedar weaving to regalia making,
have been revived and rediscovered, while
songs have resurfaced to be shared at Journey’s
end. The Tribe’s pride of place and history are
once again enriching the lives of young and old
alike. The Nisqually canoe family has learned
and taught many of the older skills, and these
practices are once again being taken up by tribal
community members.
The Canoe Journey lands at Port of Olympia on July 30, 2016.
Please visit paddletonisqually.com for more information.