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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2011)
p, " AUGUST 15, 2011 SmOKE SlGNALS AUGUST 15,2011 SmOKE SlGNALS ft WDimoirLfDDsth Miragjs tigjtilfc)ir oaftlh DdlF . -.-erf - ' -.-'- "-'" - T a V I yYSr u 'wv ittts iv 3 A RfiJ .... ... .. - if r . . ' It 8 - t i Tribal mambars and Grand Ronda Family Canoa mambars Kim Roybal, laft, and Izayah Hall laad a co-ad danca during tha family's protocol for tha Paddla to Swinomish Canoa Journay on Thursday, July 28. Swlnomish Indian Sanata Chairman Brian Cladoosby, laft, shakas hands with Tribal mambar and Grand Ronda Canoa Family Skippar Bobby Marciar at tha and of tha family's protocol for tha Paddla to Swinomish Canoa Journay. Tribal mambar and Grand Ronda Canoa Family mambar Kyoni Marciar shakas hands with Swinomish Indian Sanata mambar Kavin Paul after gifting him a necklace during tha family's givaaway that was part of their protocol for tha Paddla to Swinomish Canoa Journey on Thursday, July 28. By Michelle Alaimo Smoke Signals photographer On Monday, July 18, the Grand Ronde Canoe Family paddled away from Squaxin Island, Wash., and began the annual Tribal Canoe Journey. Six days and 160 miles later they arrived at the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in La Conner, Wash. About 90 people from the Tribe, from Tribal youth to Tribal Elders, participated in this year's journey. The Canoe Family has now com pleted seven journeys, and some Tribal members have participated from the beginning. Most are along to paddle a stroke or two, or many more, but not Tribal Elder Dolores Parmenter. "It's so much fun, I just love it," said Parmenter, who has par ticipated in six journeys. Her first experience with Canoe Journey was Landing Day for the Paddle to Muckleshoot in 2006 at Lake Washington, near Seattle. Every year since then, Parmenter has driven her 1977 Chevrolet pick up along the route with the ground crew. Her pickup doesn't just get her from one stop to another, it also serves as her bed during the trip. The Canoe Family camps the entire time and regardless of the offers to set up a tent and air mat tress for her, Parmenter declines and sleeps on the bench seat of her truck at the campsite. Along with Parmenter, Tribal El ders Linda Brandon, Beryle Contre ras, Julie Duncan, Laura Gleason, Kathryn Harrison, Floriene Hoff and Claudia Leno attended Land ing Day on Monday, July 25, and stayed to watch the Canoe Family's protocol on Thursday, July 28. For Gleason and Leno, it was their fourth year attending Land ing Day, but it was the first time they witnessed the Canoe Family perform protocol for the journey. "I loved it, I loved it," said Glea son about protocol. "In my opinion, our kids were the best." Swinomish Elder John Cayou Jr. and his wife, Gwen, brought salm on, caught by John and canned by Gwen, and fry bread to the Canoe Family's camp for dinner one night. The Cayous ate dinner and prayed with them and the Canoe Family sang. The Cayou family and the Canoe Family, particularly Skipper Bobby Mercier, have become close over the years. Elders passed on the comforts of a hotel room and camped with the Canoe Family during their stay. Gleason said she loved camping with Tribal youth, supporting then and being on the journey. "People think they (the Canoe Family) are going on vacation, but they are not," said Gleason. The Canoe Family and the Tribe's Social Services staff members on the trip, especially Youth Preven tion Specialist Lisa Leno, Youth Program Assistant Shannon Stan ton and Lead Indian Child Welfare Case Worker Kristi Petite, took care of the Elders, making it pos sible for them to have fun and visit with each other at camp. Tribal youth make up a large part of the Canoe Family. Tribal member Kim Roybal, 18, has been part of six journeys. Like Parmenter, Roybal's first experi ence was Landing Day and protocol of the Paddle to Muckleshoot in 2006. After watching protocol, Roybal said she got excited and joined the Canoe Family. The following year, she paddled on her first journey and has participated ever since. For Roybal, this year was more fun than previous years because the Canoe Family paddled with more canoes from other Tribes along the route. Out of six days on the water this year, Roybal paddled three of them. She said her favorite part of the journey is protocol. This year, the Coquille and Chi nook Tribes sang, drummed and danced with Grand Ronde during their protocol time, which lasted al most three hours. The Canoe Fam ily sang numerous songs, including the Prayer, Thank you and Trail of Tears songs, and did a giveaway. Tribal member Kyoni Mercier, 13, daughter of Tribal member and Canoe Family Skipper Bobby Mercier, has taken part in the jour neys from the start of the Tribe's participation. She only paddled one day this year, but said she enjoyed teaching the new people on this year's jour ney songs and dances. According to Kyoni, there were a lot of new people on the journey this year, which she thought was the best part of it. There were also special guests from New Zealand along for the third time this year. For the first time, Maori Joe Conrad and for a second year his daughter, Wai mirirangi, took part in the journey. They are both captains of their own canoes, or wakas, in their homeland. Bobby Mercier has made two trips to New Zealand, where the Maoris hosted him and he par ticipated in their Waitangi Waka pageants, which celebrate the sign ing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document. Grand Ronde returned the favor by hosting Maoris the last three years on the Canoe Journey. Con tinuing with Grand Ronde tradi tion, the Maoris left with many items that the Canoe Family gifted them, including a vest that the men wore during protocol, a texturing adz blade and canoe rattle for Joe and a dentalium hat and beads for Waimirirangi. Roybal said she always looks 4 . Grand Ronda Canoa Family ladies perform a paddle danca, with Tribal member and Canoa Family member Alexandra Foster at tha front of the line, during protocol for tha Paddla to Swinomish Canoe Journey on Thursday, July 28. Photos by Michelle Alaimo forward to the experience and she is already looking forward to next year's journey, which will be hosted by the Squaxin Island Tribe in Olympia, Wash. Parts of the journey made Par menter cry. "We're honoring our ancestors, it's overwhelming," Parmenter said. "Our ancestors would be honored the way everyone worked together for the journey." B - . ' ' ! : j,--m . -r ffr i i iiiiin' i iiiiumwiiiiiiHiiiiii mufiriiiir win ' ' ' ' i" ' '" nmi inr " ' "" " " ,..t r-f.. .i.,.,. , -mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm " i '"Igl 1 11 I '" - - " -- -- -' - - ' - -4---. -: , - ' rti-iifliiii " fitt-tA't1J"-iftiii-rT- - --- ... mi rf 1 mm - mwt 1 " "' " " 11 ' Tha Grand Ronda Canoe Family is joined by members of the Coquille and Chinook Canoe Families for a group picture before they perform protocol for the Paddle to Swinomish Canoe Journey on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in La Conner, Wash., on Thursday, July 28. !
