On May 23 and 24, members of the Indigenous Connections Team and other East Shore members showed up to volunteer at Lummi Nation for the 5th annual potlatch for the Gathering of the Eagles canoe journey. After a week paddling through the ancestral waters of the Lummi people, the canoe families celebrated with a final night of dancing, drumming, singing, and feasting on the Stommish Grounds at Lummi. At the last minute, we learned that the Longhouse was no longer available, so we set up an indoor-outdoor kitchen (without a refrigerator) and prepared a meal for about 60-80 people. We moved around a lot of coolers! Lynn Roesch and son Andrew; Erika Jackson Kirkendall and family members Jason and Damian; and Carrie Bowman and Mike Radow worked with other UUs from Kirkland, Woodinville, and Olympia to create a mighty team. The paddlers and ground support crews were grateful. Protocol and gift-giving on May 23 lasted until 2:30 am on May 24.
The next day, the canoes launched from Lummi Nation and landed at the mouth of Whatcom Creek in Bellingham, a place where tribal members traditionally fished more than a century ago. Now the site of two parks, the canoes came ashore at Waypoint Park and were carried up to Maritime Heritage Park. Our kitchen crew had hot chowder, salmon, and sandwiches to share with anyone who came by – elders and canoe families were offered food first.
East Shore folks experienced the canoe landings as profoundly moving. Everyone noticed the deep sense of community, the faith that things will come together, and the openness to everyone who wanted a meal, including unhoused folks.
We hope you can join us on July 18 at East Shore when we welcome a totem pole carved by the Lummi House of Tears Carvers as a gift to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. The totem pole will be presented to the Tribe as hosts of the 2025 Paddle to Elwha intertribal canoe journey, and in recognition of their decades-long effort to remove the dam on the Elwha River.
by Carrie Bowman, Indigenous Connections