Canoes arrive in Port Angeles

PORT ANGELES — One by one they rounded City Pier on Monday, forming a great waterborne circle off Hollywood Beach.

One by one they came ashore, solemnly asking permission to land.

And one by one they received it — first in the Klallam language, then in English — from young members of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe.

Three and one-half hours after the first canoes landed at about 2:30 p.m., the host tribe’s own “Elwha Lightning” glided past the 55 other Native American and Canadian First Nations watercraft that were hauled onto the sand.

The 2005 Tribal Canoe Journey — the Paddle to Elwha — had ended . . . and begun.

Welcomed to Port Angeles were the Lummi and the Samish from North Puget Sound, the Swinomish, Skokomish, Tulalip and Nooksack.

From the South Sound came the Puyallup, Squaxin and Muckleshoot.

The Quinault, Hoh, Makah and Quileute had paddled up Washington’s Pacific Coast.

Gesture of peace

As each canoe came to the beach, its pullers raised their fluke-shaped paddle blades in a gesture of peace.

“We are honored to be here in your beautiful land,” said the speaker for the first two craft, Aleut three-person sealskin bidarkas from St. Paul Island, Alaska.

“It is a very good day you have arrived here at Tse-whit-zen,” came the answer.

“We are here to remember our sacred ancestors on this day. Come ashore, come ashore, my friends.”

Earlier Monday, the canoes’ arrival had been thrown off by high westerly winds on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The U.S. Coast Guard called back to Jamestown about 30 canoes that had stayed there Sunday night.

Even so, two canoes from Puget Sound were blown back onto Dungeness Spit later Monday.

Canoes leaving Vancouver Island also were delayed by about an hour, and a few of them were hoisted aboard their support boat due to the rough waters.

A few others remained in Canada for another day.

More in News

Port Angeles teachers’ union votes to honor paraeducators’ picket line on April 8

Members of the Port Angeles Education Association voted overwhelmingly… Continue reading

Funding needed for Port Townsend homeless shelter

Operation at Legion Hall to close April 30

Port of Port Angeles renews lease for Composite Recycling Technology Center

Agreement covers 26,000 square feet at airport business park

Fire district volunteers lauded

Clallam County Fire District No. 3 recently recognized seven members… Continue reading

Clallam to continue providing deputy to Forks

Contract includes wages, mileage and maintenance reimbursement

Maintenance closes section of Olympic Discovery Trail

A portion of the Olympic Discovery Trail is closed… Continue reading

Hanna Paoluccu of Alexander, N.Y., and Rosie Berg of Nevada City, Calif., members of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group and working with the Jefferson County Noxious Weed Board, remove poisonous hemlock weed from along the Larry Scott Trail in Port Townsend on Monday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Poison hemlock removal in Port Townsend

Hanna Paoluccu of Alexander, N.Y., and Rosie Berg of Nevada City, Calif.,… Continue reading

YMCA to build childcare facility

$1-2M still needed for $6.7M project

Port Townsend Police Department recognizes award recipients

The Port Townsend Police Department recognized officers, employees, volunteers… Continue reading

Port Angeles High School evacuated due to bomb threat

Nothing suspicious found, principal says

A tree that has grown out of its tree box and shattered a nearby curb and sidewalk in the 100 block of North Oak Street is among those targeted for removal and replacement in downtown Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Port Angeles tree and sidewalk replacement to begin Monday

The Port Angeles downtown tree and sidewalk replacement project… Continue reading

Grant for Forks treatment plant to be discussed

The Clallam County Opportunity Fund Advisory Board will discuss… Continue reading