Kasaan was thriving in its culture in May of 2024, filled with visitors from all around Southeast - even California, here to participate in the launch of the largest canoe Kasaan has produced in 100 years or more. The canoe, later to be named Xaadaas Tluuwaay (The People's Canoe), is a 30' red cedar Haida dugout.
This incredible canoe is the result of the decades of study and dedication of Kasaan's own Stormy Hamar. He has committed to the revitalization of the lost technology of producing and using historically accurate Haida seafaring vessels carved from old-growth red cedar trees. The materials for this project were partially funded by an Individual Artist Award from the Rasmusen Foundation, though the carving was done unpaid, completely of his own determined will to get people using Haida canoes.
The community came together on short notice to help move the canoe safely out of the shed and onto an altered boat trailer to be driven to its launch site. Stormy's son, Eric Hamar, accepted the responsibility for ceremonies. He welcomed our guests in full regalia and spoke of cultural revitalization and the importance of their support. He introduced Stormy and gave the canoe life with a new song before we took it to the water.
The children were loaded into the canoe and lifted along with it to be carried down the rocky shore. Some of them were nervous, but they eased and laughed with the adults holding onto the sides as the canoe began to float.
Next were a group of adults and children, many of them hoping to paddle to Celebration in Juneau a few weeks later. We got in with our lifejackets and paddles, and with Stormy in the captain's seat, we were off! The canoe felt unstable and scary to some, and others took to it naturally. Stormy's advice was to let our bodies stay calm and still if we were afraid, because fearful movements are what would tip us over. Luckily there was nothing to fear, even with a little texture to the water. A few circles around the dock, a quick trip to the beach to change some crew, and we were paddling off to dinner on the other side of the village.
It was a historic day, made possible by the people of Kasaan (past and present), dedicated friends, and the perseverance of the Haida people and our allies.
