NWIN #11 – September 2005

NWIN Program 11:
Lummi Tribal member Chenoa Egawa hosts the program from the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation and the nearby city of Port Angeles, Washington. In the program open, Lower Elwha Klallam Chair Frances Charles discusses the importance of the canoe journey, “Paddle To Elwha 2005.” More than 52 canoes, 35 canoe families and thousands of Tribal and First Nations members participated in this year’s event including Aleuts from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska.

“Paddle To Elwha 2005. Reflections of Our Past: Honoring Our Ancestors”
Niki Cleary  reporter, Tulalip and Morgan Howard reporter, Tlingit
Two NWIN camera crews begin the canoe journey more than one hundred miles away from the final destination and gathering place of the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation. Reporter Niki Cleary and photographer Mark Anderson, Cowlitz, join with the Quinault Canoe family and depart from Taholah, Washington while reporter Morgan Howard and photographer Brian Berry join with the Squaxin Island Tribe and depart from southern Puget Sound to begin the canoe journey. The two crews are there during the eight plus day journeys to capture on tape the enchantment and the hardship of the journey and the thoughts of those who participated. The N.W.I.N. reports include the scope and the depth of  cultural significance and meaning of the canoe journey to the Tribal and Band members who ‘travel the highways of their ancestors.’

“Native Education”
Deborah Parker, reporter Tulalip
Washington State Representative and Tulalip Tribal member, John McCoy sponsored Washington State House Bill 1495 entitled; “Encouraging Tribal history to be included in the common school curriculum.” The bill was signed into law April 28th, 2005 by Governor Christine Gregoire and is now in effect at the beginning of the 2005/06 school year. NWIN takes a look at how the Tribes will implement their culture and history into the area school district curriculum. The report also addresses the importance of relevant curriculum to the success of Native Students. 

“Reflections of Our Past: Honoring Our Ancestors”
Chenoa Egawa, reporter, Lummi
The participants of this year’s canoe journey made a strong political statement that  Native American culture is alive and well in this region. Many of the thousands of Tribal and Band members who participated in the journey also joined in a healing ceremony on August 2nd, 2005  on the shores of the Tse whit zen village site in Port Angeles, Washington. The Klallams have called this area home for at least 50  (area archaeological evidence shows more than 100) centuries  but the sacred Klallam village of tse whit zen was burned and the residents forced out in order to build lumber mills more than a century ago. When the state of Washington began a construction project on the same site in 2004, more than 300 intact Klallam skeletons and 10,000 artifacts were removed, before the construction was halted. More than 35 Tribes and Bands gathered to pray and honor the ancestors who have been disturbed at the village site.