PORT ANGELES — At least 90 canoes with 10 to 50 people each will arrive Aug. 1 on Hollywood Beach as part of the Paddle to Elwha 2005 Canoe Journey.
Once they arrive, tribal members from Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Canada will stay until Aug. 6 and depart Aug. 7, Lower Elwha Klallam tribal chairwoman Frances Charles told the City Council on Tuesday.
The City Council formally recognized the event and offered the city’s help with a resolution read by Mayor Richard Headrick.
The resolution wasn’t in presentation form yet but once it is completed, he will deliver it to Charles personally, Headrick said.
Charles said, “It’s an honor to be here and recognized.”
Empowering event
The event is empowering for the tribe’s youth and everyone on the reservation is busy making crafts to sell during the event, she said.
Charles asked Headrick and the City Council to be on the beach when the canoes arrive.
They hope that will be in the early evening of Aug. 1, although there’s no timeframe, she said.
The Paddle Journey ceremony includes each canoe being welcomed ashore. Charles said each canoe has a spokesperson who delivers a speech before coming ashore.
The annual drug- and alcohol-free event is intended to revitalize Northwest Native American culture in communities and schools.
This will be the first time the event has culminated on the Olympic Peninsula since the Quinault tribe hosted the 2002 finish in Tahola in northern Grays Harbor County.