Seattle celebrated the sesquicentennial of its 1852 founding in 2002. On August 31, the commemoration ended with The Spirit Returns, a group of 15 tribal canoes from Washington and British Columbia that paddled along West Seattle starting at Seacrest Boathouse. Their destination, Terminal 107 Park, was the location of Chief Seattle’s childhood home and the proposed site of the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center. Here, they were welcomed by the head of the Duwamish people.

The week before the official event, a group of young paddlers participated in a practice paddle off Redondo Beach. Here, nine-year-old Ashley Shelafoe (Duwamish) steadies herself during the lesson.

Caption information source: “Duwamish share lessons of the water: Canoe paddle a tribute to harmony with white settlers”, by D. Parvaz, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 29, 2002, pages B1, B8.