PADDLES UP
All Nations
All Nations is proudly
drug, alcohol, & violence free.
Youth under 15 wishing to participate in our paddles must be accompanied by an adult over 18.
Please respect our rules.
Alaska Planning Session
Puyallup Tribe - December 5th
Puyllup Tribe will be hosting a Saxman's Skippers Meeting on December 5th. Please watch this space for further information.
ZOOM LINK HERE
All Nations
Alaska Planning Meeting
Thursday, December 10th
Please mark your calendar and join us on Thursday, December 10th at 7:00pm (Washington and Oregon) and 8:00pm (BC). We will be working through our planning process following the Puyallup meeting earlier in the month. Please contact Jodi or Michelle for more info.
Share this meeting notice and link with anyone considering making the trip north to Saxman.
All Nations is very grateful to Susan Conrad who joined us for a meeting to share her insight and experiences paddling the coast from Bella Bella up to Ketchikan. We will be using this information combined with guidance from BC fisheries to plan our route.
It is approximately 207 miles (180 nautical miles) from Bella Bella to Prince Rupert and approximately 117 miles (102 nautical miles) from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan.
There are large stretches of open ocean and Susan has provided great information on the waters, currents, camping options, and overall conditions.
We appreciate her sharing the two maps below. The days noted were for her solo paddles and may not reflect the scheduling All Nations will be using.
We hope to begin monthly newsletter updates in the New Year. If you have info you would like to share please contact Jodi or Michelle.
All Nations Committees Now Being Formed
All Nations will be participating in Canoe Journeys 2027 Paddle to Alaska. If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please contact Jodi or Michelle. First meeting will be held in September following Strong Women of the Water.
Emote!
2027 All Nations
Paddle Schedule
All Nations remains committed to ensuring paddlers are prepared for the journey ahead. We will be hosting our cold water training a day in advance of our departure for Alaska - there will be no Awaken the Canoes event scheduled.
We will also be hosting the annual Strong Women of the Water pull the weekend following Labour Day. Departure and route to be determined.
Our journey to Alaska requires enormous planning and resources which will limit our ability to deliver additional canoe pulls. We will be hosting regalia and gift making workshops throughout the year and hope that you can join us as we begin to prepare for our journey to Saxman.
Emote,
Testimony from a 2026 puller....
"My weekend at Strong Women of the Water with All Nations Paddles Up was nothing short of transformative. Pulling together with this group of Indigenous women, I felt the strength of tradition, community, and culture in every paddle stroke. The journey wasn’t just about being on the water—it was about the circle time we shared, the protocol we honored, and the movements that grounded us. We paddled through pristine waterways, singing to whales, sharing laughter and I connected deeply with both land and water and walked away with renewed purpose. It was a reminder that reconciliation is active work—done in community, through respect, and with open hearts".
Emote - Huy ch Qu -Gilakas'la -Thank you
Thank you to everyone who helps make All Nations programming successful. We appreciate each and every one of you.
With the backdrop of Vancouver, the Strong Women of the Water and Singing Coho canoes maneuver around tankers anchored in the harbour.
The journey to Keats Island was full of beautiful scenery, humpback and orca whales, and lots of laughter.
So much more
than a paddle...
The All Nations Canoe program is so much more than a paddle. Our schedule is designed to allow for interactive activities where participants can learn or master skills, or share their expertise with the fellow pullers. Pictured here are Robin and Ruth crafting their medicine bags following a morning canoe pull in Alert Bay.
We welcome you to share your skills with the group - from cooking, to cedar work, to drumming and singing, to weaving, and more. Reach out and let us know if you are interested in hosting a session!
New Paddles Honour
Inspirational Women
The Strong Women of the Water canoe will begin the 2025 season will a new complete set of paddles that honour the remarkable women who have inspired us. Eighteen members of our canoe family each provided up to four names which were inscribed on their new paddle.
Our canoe family is honoured to carry these women and their stories on our journey. We do so with utmost respect and humility.
Our deepest appreciation goes to Brice Malcom who oversaw the project and put his hands on each and every paddle to ensure they were done as envisioned. Emote.
Emote - Huy ch Qu -
Gilakas'la - Thank you
It really does take a village!
All Nations extends its sincerest appreciation to all those individuals and organizations who have help launch our 2024 season aboard the Strong Women of the Water Canoe, especially:
Tsawout Nation, Cowichan Tribe, Stz'uminus First Nation, Snuneymuxw Nation, Qualicum First Nation Campground, Snaw-Naw-As Campground, French Creek Marina, North Sannich Fuel Dock, Parkland Burnaby Refinery, True North, Hullo Ferry, Pacific Association of First Nations Women, and Captain Randy Sonnier and the crew of the Pearl.
We would also like to acknowledge our All Nations canoe family members who go the extra mile to ensure we are able to provide the best experience for our participants. Emote to the cooks, shoppers, and road crew who make everything possible.
We literally could not have done this without you! Emote!
Strong Women
of the Water Canoe
In 2018, Klahoose Elder Billy Barnes bestowed the name Strong Women of the Water to a group of pullers arriving in Port Townsend , Washington, enroute to Puyallup's Tribal Journeys.
The women carry this sacred name with great pride and each year since, welcome others to join the Strong Women of the Water (and the men who support them) pull.
Now, thanks to the generosity of All Nations supporters, we have placed our order for a new 36" Pacific Dance Canoe The Strong Women of the Water Canoe will arrive in time for Awaken the Canoes this spring.
Emote - Hu Huy ch-qu. Thank you to all those who made this amazing purchase possible.
MUCKLESHOOT PROTOCOL:
THE COMPETITION SONG
Sister Nations Klahoose, Tl'amin and Homalco brought their signature song to the floor during protocol. Always a favorite among the crowd, you be the judge...who has bragging rights this year, the Men or the Women?
