Canoe Journey Journal

Canoes land in Tulalip on Sunday. Photos by Kirk Boxleitner, Marysville Globe.

The Port Gamble S’Klallam won’t depart the friendly confines of Hood Canal until Wednesday but some tribal canoes have been under way since July 3.

Canoes will follow a half dozen different routes to Makah. Some are working their way down the east shore of Puget Sound. Others are following the east and west coasts of Vancouver Island. Still others are winding their way up from the south Sound or braving the open coastal waters. The canoe families camp along the way, often hosted by other tribes. It’s a chance for families to reconnect and tribes to show their generosity.

Colleague Kirk Boxleitner of the Marysville Globe was kind enough to share the photos (above) of canoes landing in Tulalip on Sunday. Some of these canoe families had traveled from as far as Sechelt, north of Vancouver, B.C. These same canoes will paddle into Suquamish today, joining a handful of south Sound canoes that arrived in Agate Pass on Sunday.

About 20 canoes are expected to land in Port Gamble on Tuesday afternoon. S’Klallam pullers will spend hours on the water, guiding in the visiting canoes as they land. A clam and cockle bake will follow. The public is invited to join the landing. Shuttles will be available to carry visitors to the Point Julia beach. Canoes can also be seen on the west side of the bay from downtown Port Gamble.