Did you see lots of canoes paddling close to Owen Beach today? Here’s what’s happening
Dozens of canoes dotted the waters off Owen Beach on Wednesday as part of a tribal event.
Various canoe-departure times were shown on a schedule for the “Power Paddle to Puyallup 2024 Youth Canoe Journey” at the beach at Point Defiance Park, 5400 N. Pearl St. There were some 75 canoe families registered for the event, the Native-owned business Eighth Generation stated on its website.
During canoe journeys, tribal families navigate ancestral waters and are welcomed by communities along the way, according to GoSkagit.com.
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The Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey 2024 lasts from Wednesday to Monday, according to a July 18 news release. The Puyallup Tribe stepped up to host this year’s journey after the original presenter, the Ahousaht First Nation in Canada, could no longer.
The Puyallup Tribe has teamed up with FIFA for the 2026 World Cup, and holding a journey is part of that partnership, per the news release.
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Young tribal members will learn critical teachings during the canoe journey, including about tradition and identity.
“It’s about our way of life, it’s everyday living, it’s about giving thanks for what we have, and to be grateful and to give back,” the tribe’s Heritage Division manager Connie McCloud said in the release. “It takes a village to raise a child, it takes all of us to help teach, and if there’s anything I’ve learned about canoe journeys it’s that you’re always parenting regardless of age.”
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This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 2:55 PM.
