Tribal Journey Diaries - Part 7: The Swinomish Bighouse

July 23 – Samish to Swinomish

We departed Samish with an enriched sense of accomplishment, hearing great feedback about our performances and one stop closer to our final destination in Puyallup.

Pulling into sacred Swinomish lands was awe inspiring, gliding across the waters and pulling up to 3 massive gazebos in the shape of cedar hats – really enhanced the self-identity aspect of the journeys.

We shared an amazing feast with the Journeys crowd and heard some good stories and songs that nourished our bodies and minds as we got ready to dance. There were 5 families before us so we all came to sing and dance with them also.

The 3 Sisters Canoe Club is always a favourite and they ignited a fire in the big house with their Ironman competition. A handful of our boys went into the dance like warriors, dancing through 7 songs in a row; a real feat of endurance!

We exhibited much patience waiting for our turn to share, as some canoe families have a set of 10 or more songs; we had to wait 3 hours for our turn. With half the crowd already in bed, we livened up those still in attendance through our youthful and empowering engagement; we ensured they were excited to take to the floor with us. Chalk up another one for bountiful blessings we partake in through this epic canoe journey.