Katzie canoe launches a return to tradition

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For the first time in generations, the Katzie First Nation can travel the rivers as their ancestors did, with a canoe of their own. On National Aboriginal Day the band launched its new 43-foot canoe, during a public celebration.

The canoe and 15 Katzie paddlers left Grant Narrows Park, with school children cheering them on. They were accompanied by another canoe, paddled by members of the Tsawwassen First Nation, who were on hand to offer support.

The canoes travelled down the Pitt River and up the Alouette River. A crowd of people stood on the bank of the Alouette waiting anxiously for the arrival of the Katzie canoe, while others stood along the Silver Bridge. As soon as the canoes were spotted, the crowds erupted into cheering and clapping, which lasted several minutes.

Katzie Chief Peter James was on hand to welcome the paddlers, "I thank you and I welcome you here. If it wasn't for you, the canoe would not move. As your leader, and on behalf of the Katzie people, we are grateful to you for bringing back something we lost a long time ago. Today we can hold our head up and say, We've got a canoe. We've got something to bring us together like our ancestors." James thanked the Tsawwassen band for participating in the launch and accompanying the Katzie canoe.

Colleen Pierre, a member of Katzie's Heartbeat of the Rez Ladies' Drum Group, was especially touched by the celebration.

"I've been working with the band for 18 years and after all this time the project is done. It's so special and you can just feel the energy of the paddlers when they are in the water."

The canoe itself was a long time in the making. Councilor Mike Leon explained that the logs were donated by a logging company five years ago. "Mark Point started building it - it was shaped and dug out, but then there were delays."

Finally the canoe was sent to the Native Brotherhood at the Mission Correctional Institute, where artists did the painting and carving. The wolf head, which is at the stern of the canoe, is beautifully carved, with eyes made from abalone shells. Leon said that Lorraine Pierre, a Katzie artist better known as Cookie, will carve the eagle head that will be added to the bow of the canoe.

Leon echoed Chief James' sentiments of how much the canoe meant to the Katzie people.

"It's the first dug-out canoe in our generation, in as long as we can remember. We're bringing our culture and tradition back," he said. "We travel along the river a lot to practice our culture and traditions."

In the days leading up to the launch, Leon had a hard time trying to conceal the boat from the public. "It's hard to disguise a 43-foot-long canoe when you're driving through town. People were just in awe when they'd see it go by. We got a lot of outside support, people honking and waving."

After the celebration on the river, the paddlers, Elders and members of the public were welcomed to a traditional salmon feast at the Simon Pierre Longhouse.