This summer, more than 100 canoe families from Indigenous Nations across B.C., as well as regions as far as Alaska and California, will unite in Campbell River for the bi-annual Tribal Canoe Journeysfestival. The ceremonial event aims to strengthen relationships between the peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast while demonstrating to Indigenous youth the importance of maintaining a lifelong connection to their heritage. With a particular focus on the water and land that sustains and supports them, for many it is also a journey of health and healing. The 2017 Tribal Canoe Journeys will be hosted by the We Wai Kai and We Wai Kum nations, and involves five days of celebrations, feasts and performances.
Starting on August 5, families will arrive in Campbell River aboard majestic, hand-carved canoes - many of which are crafted from a single log - which are historically as significant to Pacific Northwest culture as the automobile is now to North America. Tribes hail from as far south as California and as far north as Alaska, and will commemorate their reunion with an elaborate welcome feast along with festivities that will continue daily until August 10. The public are welcome and encouraged to attend and witness the protocol and ceremonies.
Tribal Journeys was first introduced nearly 30 years ago as a reminder to Indigenous families today to continue to practice the beliefs, customs and retrace the journeys of their ancestors. The families' arrival via canoe is symbolic as canoes and water have traditionally played a key role in daily life, and still do today. Additional Tribal Journeys events are highly culturally significant, like sharing songs that reflect the diversity of regional languages, traditional dress that identify each Nation, and feasts that incorporate ingredients from the land. Throughout the five days of celebration, elders encourage Indigenous youth to uphold a lifelong connection to their heritage, and to build relationships with other Nations.
The canoe arrival is visually stunning and a must-see; invited guests are also encouraged to take part in the welcome feast following the arrival, where Tribal Journeys staff members will be on-hand to explain cultural protocol and answer questions. Thousands of spectators will follow the canoes as they journey to their final destination in Campbell River, and at each stop more canoe families will join the journey.
"Tribal Journeys is such an important event to all the Indigenous peoples within the Pacific Northwest. It allows us to embrace, celebrate and put into practice the legacies left to us by our ancestors," said Paula Amos, manager of Regional Initiatives and Communications for Aboriginal Tourism BC
Those who wish to participate in an Aboriginal canoe experience or cultural excursion firsthand can visit Aboriginal Tourism BC's website, which provides a comprehensive list of adventure activities offered across the province, including Takaya Tours' canoe and sea kayak tours in Indian Arm, l'Hos Cultural Tours' high-speed Zodiac adventures through Desolation Sound and more. For more information on Tribal Canoe Journeys, click here.
