Hoh tribal members in the 2003 Paddle Journey plan to leave the mouth of the Hoh River today between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. to begin a 170-mile paddle to the Tulalip reservation.
One 13-person fiberglass canoe carrying Hoh youth, adults and elders — and friends from the Cowlitz and Squaxin Island tribes — will make the journey north up the Pacific coast, then east along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Hoh canoeists — which the tribes call “pullers” — plan to travel two hours to reach Strawberry Point and camp overnight.
Participants will leave again Friday morning for another two-hour paddle to LaPush, where the Quileute tribe will raise a repaired totem pole.
“We have told the Quileute we will try to be there before noon to celebrate the totem dedication with them,” said Hoh tribal hereditary chief Herbert Fisher, also known as Chief Klia.
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The rest of the story appears in the Thursday Peninsula Daily News.