The power of Canoe Way: A Sacred Journey lies in its compelling synthesis of historical material, diverse Native voices, and beautiful footage of the people, places, ceremonies, and songs of the annual cedar canoe journey. As testament to Northwest Native communities' profound resilience in revitalizing traditional canoe cultures despite colonization's attempts to crush all things "Indian," Canoe Way proves itself an ideal Native Studies text by illustrating what is possible through heartfelt community cultural work that transcends politics and factionalism. In this moving documentary, we see that the canoes have come home to the people -- to stay.
Dr. Jane Haladay
Department of American Indian Studies
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
The survival of our American Indian cultures and languages is one of the major issues today faced by indigenous nations throughout the Americas. CANOE WAY is a moving and beautifully filmed documentary that shows how several Native peoples on the Northwest Coast have cooperated to preserve their cultures, educate and initiate children and adults, by renewing an old way--that of ceremonial travel by canoe from community to community.
There's inspiration and hope for the future in this unique film, as well as moments that may bring you to tears or laughter. In many ways, this film and the "Canoe Way" it documents can be seen as a model for other native communities to adopt, a sacred journey to reawaken their roots and reconnect with their neighbors and the flow of the natural world.
Joseph Bruchac
Author and Storyteller
It is difficult to describe the power of the Tribal Canoe Journeys through words alone. Canoe Way shows the images of the amazing cultural revitalization among Pacific Northwest coastal tribes, and tells the story through the words of the youth, adults and elders who participate in it.
Zoltán Grossman,
Professor of Geography and Native Studies,
The Evergreen State College