Tribal members carry a canoe ashore during an Alki Beach stop over on their annual “canoe journey”.
File photo from 2023 by Patrick Robinson
Today, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Alki Beach in West Seattle serves as a vital stopover for the 2026 Intertribal Canoe Journey: “Paddle to Nisqually Medicine Creek Potlatch”. Hosted by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the event will see 80 to over 100 ocean-going cedar canoes arriving from across the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska, British Columbia, and the Olympic Peninsula.
The journey is a sacred living ceremony and a powerful act of cultural revitalization and sovereignty. Under the 2026 theme, “Healing Through Our Waters By Honoring Our Ancestors,” participants, known as “pullers”, navigate ancestral marine highways to strengthen community wellness and spiritual resilience. This annual tradition, which was sparked by the 1989 “Paddle to Seattle,” has helped tribes rediscover and share historical practices such as carving techniques, cedar weaving, regalia making, and traditional songs.
As the canoes approach the shore today, witnesses will see pullers raise their paddles straight up in the “Paddles Up” gesture, a traditional sign of peace indicating they come with empty hands and good hearts. A speaker from each canoe will then address Muckleshoot host elders in their native language to formally ask permission to come ashore, rest, and share meals before the fleet continues south toward the final destination in Olympia on July 31.
Members of the public are invited to witness this protocol but must strictly adhere to traditional Coast Salish etiquette and safety rules:
- Give Canoes the Right-of-Way: Ocean-going cedar canoes weigh hundreds of pounds and require 10 to 20 pullers to carry them above the tide line; spectators must maintain a wide perimeter and stay clear of active landing lanes.
- Strict Sobriety: The Canoe Journey is a drug-, alcohol-, and smoke-free cultural gathering focused on community healing.
- Respect Sacred Items: A canoe is considered a living entity, and regalia carries deep family heritage; never touch a canoe, paddle, drum, or an individual’s regalia without explicit permission.
- Elders and Veterans First: In Indigenous culture, Elders are treated with the highest honor. Please yield all seating, shade, and food lines to Elders and veterans.
- Photography Protocol: While general photos from public areas are typically allowed, ask permission before taking close-up portraits, and stop immediately if a leader announces that a song or prayer is private.
- Leave Pets at Home: Dogs can startle pullers carrying heavy loads or disturb sacred drumming and protocol speeches.
Following today’s landing, the visiting families will participate in evening protocol ceremonies before departing for the final leg of their journey. The week-long Medicine Creek Potlatch hosted by the Nisqually Indian Tribe will follow from July 31 through August 5.
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