Choo-Kwa Ventures' Northern Dancer canoe. David Wiwchar photo

A cultural renaissance on the Pacific Northwest of North America has led to an exciting eco-tour business opportunity for First Nations as they re-embrace their connection to huge, ocean-going canoes. As recently as 150 years ago, 20 to 60 foot cedar canoes lined the white sand and gravel beaches in front of native villages from Washington State, north through BC and up to Alaska. The largest canoes were used for whaling, warring and weddings.

Through smallpox epidemics, forced relocations and residential schools, the once populous villages emptied, leaving huge longhouses (up to 640 feet long) to be subsumed by the surrounding forest. Today, more than half of BC's First Nations people live in urban centres away from their home communities. But back at home, ancient sounds are once again becoming familiar. The sound of axe, adze and saw are filling the air around long carving sheds, as people chip away at huge red cedar logs, transforming them into canoes.

Almost a decade ago, a few ocean-going tribal canoes gathered in Bella Bella for what became the annual Tribal Journeys canoe festival, which now hosts almost onehundred canoes from Australia to Alaska. The canoes and First Nations paddlers converge annually in the Pacific Northwest for the week-long Tribal Journeys event. Next year's event is being hosted by the MakahNation at Neah Bay, Washington.

Brothers Joe and Carl Martin were taught the ancient art of canoe building as teenagers, and are now working all along the coast, carving canoes for various First Nations. They carved a canoe for the Makah whalers, numerous canoes for Nuu-chahnulth First Nations to participate in canoe journey festivals, and this past summer carved two canoes at the Tin Wis Resort in Tofino to show both tourists and visitors how these magnificent vessels are shaped.

The launching of a 36-foot canoe carved by Alan and Wayne Dick. David Wiwchar photo

Meanwhile, a new type of canoe has started landing on beaches. Sneeringly dubbed a "Tupperware canoe" when it first appeared in 1997, the 30 foot fiberglass canoe was the brainchild of native artist Roy Henry Vickers as he prepared for a personal, yet very public healing journey.

"I'm an alcoholic in recovery," says Vickers. "I went to a medicine man to learn our ancient ways of sobriety, which connected me to the old ways of being spiritual, and that led me to the canoe which is a sacred part of who we are."

Vickers, along with a marine engineer, and Western Canoeing and Kayaking Co. of Abbotsford, worked together to construct Northern Dancer, the first west coast styled, ocean-going canoe to be built of something other than wood.

"I wanted a canoe that blended a traditional design with modern technology and materials," says Vickers. "The canoe we developed was light (440 lbs), maintenancefree, handled exceptionally well on the open ocean, and didn't require the taking of an old-growth tree."

This archival photograph shows Hupacasath paddlers poling themselves through rapids in a cedar dugout. David Wiwchar photo

Vickers, along with a crew of supporters from his home community of Hazelton and a number of RCMP constables, embarked on an epic journey covering nearly 1,700 miles in 29 days as they paddled from Hazelton to Victoria in Northern Dancer.

A decade later, Western Canoeing has now constructed almost thirty of these canoes, many for the growing First Nations eco-tourism sector.

"Success in eco-tourism comes from knowing yourself and knowing your histories and territories," says Vickers. "Sacredness is not selfishness. Sacredness is inclusive, not exclusive, and we need to share our histories and experiences with all peoples so we can develop a better understanding of all peoples, and them of us, as we work towards a better world."

Two of Vickers' canoes were purchased by the Hupacasath First Nation in Port Alberni, for a new business called Choo-Kwa Ventures.

"Choo-Kwa means 'come here' in our Nuu-chah-nulth language," says Hupacasath Chief Councilor Judith Sayers, standing beside the Northern Dancer canoe painted with Hupacasath eagle and sea serpent designs. "More than half a million people a year drive through our lands on their way to Pacific Rim National Park. We want those people to come learn about our culture, our territory, and about us as a people."

Choo-Kwa offers a number of tours up the Somass River or into the Alberni Canal aboard their canoes with Coast Guard certified Hupacasath guides and paddlers.

In Tofino, a similar eco-tour business has opened, offering guided tours around spectacular Clayoquot Sound aboard traditional Nuu-chah-nulth dugout cedar canoes.

"I'm proud to steer the canoe in this business direction," says Tla-o-qui-aht member Giselle Martin, who along with partner Douglas Wright owns and operates Tla-ook Cultural Adventures. "I hope we can use our cultural knowledge to help create a greater understanding of who we are as Nuu-chah-nulth people, and create employment for people in our Tla-o-qui-aht community."

We highly recommend a visit to the BC Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (www.moa.ubc.ca/). Pictured here is the Museum’s exterior display of longhouses and totems. The Royal BC Museum in Victoria (www.rbcm.gov.bc.ca) also has an excellent First Nations display. Courtesy of Al Harvey: www.slidefarm.com

Of the canoes used by Tla-ook, one was hand carved by Giselle's father, Joe Martin, as a gift to her and her sister Marie, while the other is leased from Tla-o-qui-aht Ha'wilth (Chief) Alec Frank Sr.

Throughout Nuu-chah-nulth territory that stretches from Brooks Peninsula on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, south to Port Renfrew and across Juan de Fuca Strait to Neah Bay, the 16 Nuu-chah-nulth Nations are re-embracing their canoe culture and sharing that passion with others.

"There's been such a change over the years," says 81 year-old Tseshaht Elder, Alan Dick, at the launching of a 36 foot canoe he and his son Wayne carved together in Port Alberni. "We used to go everywhere by canoe. I remember as a child traveling from village to village, potlatch to potlatch in our family canoe. Today, I drive a Dodge Dakota," he laughs.

"The best thing we can do to help ourselves is to forge a new relationship with non-native people based on mutual trust, respect, and understanding," says Judith Sayers. "The canoe is often used as a metaphor for our world, so by inviting people into our canoe we're inviting them into our world. And hopefully we'll have some fun while we're at it."

© David Wiwchar is editor of Ha-Shilth-Sa, Canada's oldest First Nations newspaper, published by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. Ph: 250-724-5757. Web: www.nuuchahnulth.org/.

TLA-OOK CULTURAL ADVENTURES, Tofino, BC. Ph: 250-725-2656. www.tlaook.com

CHOO-KWA VENTURES, Port Alberni, BC. Ph: 250-724-4006. www.hupacasath.com/chookwaventures

Ed. note:WaveLength hosted a First Nations blessing ceremony with Roy Vickers' Northern Dancer canoe and the RCMP at our Ocean Kayak Festival at Royal Roads University in 1997.