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.
!