08/14/2026
More than 100 Indigenous canoes are traveling ancestral waters toward the Nisqually homeland for the 2026 Paddle to Nisqually Medicine Creek Potlatch. Hosted by the Nisqually Indian Tribe, this year’s gathering carries the theme “Healing Through Our Waters By Honoring Our Ancestors.” Along the route, Native Nations and First Nations welcome canoe families ashore with songs, drums, meals, prayers, dances, gifting, and teachings.
The Canoe Journey is far more than traveling from one shoreline to another. Each landing follows cultural protocols, with canoe families asking permission to come ashore before being welcomed by their hosts. The people paddling are often called “pullers,” reflecting the physical motion used to move the canoe through the water. The final ceremonial landing is scheduled for July 31 at Sequalitchew Creek, followed by the Medicine Creek Potlatch through August 5.
The modern Canoe Journey movement grew from the 1989 Paddle to Seattle and has since brought together Indigenous canoe families from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. For the Nisqually people, who have participated in Canoe Journeys since 1994, hosting in 2026 brings generations together on their homelands to remember ancestors, strengthen relationships, and keep living cultural traditions moving forward.
