View full size image or right-click on image to save
Canoe paddle carved by Emmett Oliver (Swinomish), 1934
This canoe paddle was carved by Emmett Oliver of the Swinomish Tribe. He raced in the Lone Eagle dugout canoe during the annual Canoe Race of 1934. The Lone Eagle would be the same boat that raced against the UW crew in the 1941 Great Race. Long before white settlers introduced rowing to this region, Coast Salish tribes paddled the waterways and raced each other in canoes. While potlach gatherings were banned, canoe racing allowed local tribes to gather socially—eventually becoming a spectacle for white crowds.
ID Number: 2024.55.1
Date: 1934
Physical Description: 1 Paddle, Canoe; wood, paint; 54.5 in.H x 6.5 in.W x 1 in.D
Credit: MOHAI, 2024.55.1