2 AUGUST 15, 2007
Smoke Signals
On the morning of Saturday, July 28, this group of Grand Ronde Tribal members paddled from the Tulalip Tribe to the Swinomish Tribe.
CANOE JOURNEY
continued from front page
about 20 miles.
On Saturday, July 28, the Canoe
Family prepared for its longest
single-day paddle of the trip. At
about 3:30 a.m., Tribal members
left Tulalip and headed for the
Swinomish Tribe, a distance of
about 36 miles. Four people were
loaded aboard a support boat, skip
pered by Social Services Manager
Dave Fullerton, to rotate in and
out of the canoes for those who
needed a break.
Some pullers, however, didn't
need a break and paddled the
entire distance. Among those who
pulled the 36 miles was Chinook
Tribal Elder Phillip Hawks. Not
only did Hawks, 70, paddle the
entire day, but he paddled every
single mile of the trip. Hawks was
honored with a Pendleton blanket
by Tribal member and Language
Specialist Bobby Mercier.
"I've been a loner most my life,"
said Hawks, "so this is a real honor
for me to be recognized like this."
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It was after 1 a.m. when the Grand RondeChinook Canoe Family took the floor at the Swinomish longhouse on
Sunday, July 29, for protocol.
On the evening of Saturday, July
28, after the canoes had landed
and the paddlers had eaten and
showered, protocol was held in
the Swinomish Longhouse. Each
Tribe that had stopped to rest in
Swinomish performed songs and
dances for the hundreds of people
packed in the longhouse.
The longhouse was about 60
feet tall, had three large fire pits
dug into the dirt floor and was
supported by eight huge beams
with Northwest Native American
designs carved into them.
For Grand Ronde and Chinook,
a five-hour wait occurred before
they took the floor. Despite being
tired and sore, members sang
and danced until about 2 a.m.
Sunday, July 29.
Tribal Elder Dolores Parmenter,
64, participated in this year's jour
ney. Although she did not paddle,
she was beneficial to the Grand
RondeChinook camp. As a member
of the Canoe Family, Parmenter
shared her wisdom, teaching youth
how to sharpen knives and lifting
spirits of those who needed it.
Also part of the Grand RondeChi
nook camp were three generations of
Grand Ronde Tribal members includ
ing Tribal Elder Larry Cole, Kathy
Cole, Nick Faas and Zach Edwards
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Grand Ronde and Chinook canoes are dwarfed as they are paddled past an oil tanker near Anacortes, Wash.