PORT ANGELES — At least 17 canoes from West Olympic Peninsula tribes and Vancouver Island First Nations will arrive in Port Angeles today on their journey to Squaxin Island.
The canoes are expected between noon and 4 p.m. at Hollywood Beach, where they will be greeted by Lower Elwha Klallam tribal singers and dancers.
Six canoes from the Hoh, Quileute and Makah are anticipated to pull ashore, along with 11 First Nations canoes that will cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria.
The Quinault tribal canoe families may rejoin the journey in Port Angeles, after a number of Quinault pullers gathered Friday for the funeral of a tribal member in Taholah.
The pullers, with the addition of the Elwha canoes, will depart from Hollywood Beach early Wednesday, bound for Jamestown Beach in Sequim, for a welcome from the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe.
Jamestown Beach is located south of Dungeness, at 1272 Jamestown Road.
On Thursday, the canoe journey paddlers will arrive in Port Townsend at Fort Worden State Park.
Port Townsend does not have a resident tribe, so the three tribes of the Klallam Nation — the Lower Elwha, Jamestown and Port Gamble — will combine to host the pullers.
This year’s journey will end with a formal landing in Olympia on July 29.
A weeklong potlatch will take place on Squaxin Island from July 30 to
Aug. 5.
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.