For the first time in a century, First Nations from Campbell River and Comox built an ocean-going canoe using traditional methods.
It was finished earlier this month, and paddlers from the We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum, and K’Omoks nations brought it from Sayward to Quadra Island for a ceremony and celebration on July 17.
The canoe was built by carvers from all three nations, Junior Henderson, Max Chickite, and Karver Everson. They used a single windfall cedar, spending two months to prepare it, carve it, and steam it using traditional methods. They also created paddles for the 10-metre canoe.
They gifted the canoe and paddles to the new Tsa-kwa-luten Healing Centre on Quadra, which will provide culturally-grounded mental health and addictions treatment.
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