Canoe journey a chance to live the life

After more than 10 days and 277 nautical miles, Lisa Leno, 44, is ready to be home.

Leno and her younger sister, Dana, are the daughters of David and Lyn Leno, all formerly of Cathlamet.

Of Cathlamet, Lisa says, “I have good memories. It was the time of my life.”

These days the sisters work for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in the social services department.

Being half Grand Ronde and members of the tribe themselves as well as being surrounded by family makes their work that much more important and personal. Lisa is raising her cousin’s girls who are 11 and 14. On the phone during this interview, a young voice can be heard, lobbying for Lisa’s attention.

The youngster and Dana have just returned home after two and a half weeks on the road, taking part in an annual canoe journey with the tribe.

Every year the tribes of Canada, Washington and Oregon take part in a canoe journey to practice the tradition and celebrate heritage. Each year, more tribes are joining the journey. People are even coming from New Zealand and Hawaii to participate. Each year they head to a different tribal center. This year the final destination was Quinault on the Washington coast, and next year, all will travel to Bella Bella, BC, according to Leno.

The Grand Ronde tribe left Newberg, Ore., on July 20, paddling two canoes down the Willamette and the Columbia, through Willapa Bay with a final leg in the Pacific Ocean to Point Grenville, a place sacred to the Quinault Indians.

Support vehicles and other celebrants followed, meeting the rowers each day at selected locations, to camp and rest for the next day. More tribes and canoes joined them along the way.

Some days on the river were harder than others. Leno is not much for paddling long days, but she participated on a couple of shorter days when they only traveled seven to eight miles in good conditions.

After one particularly rough day on the river, the group decided to rest an extra day, and other tribes adjusted, opting to wait for them to arrive before they went on.

As a member of the social services team, Leno and her sister spent more time on land with other leaders, working with the 18 to 20 young people traveling with them. Eighty people including elders and babies came along this year.

“It’s a lot of work," she said. “You have to set up the kitchen, the tents, the entire camp and then take it all down again the next day. Days of port-a-potties and some days without showers. You really appreciate what you have in life.”

However, she said, “when you go on journey, you always learn there is something bigger than you.

"The environment is drug and alcohol free. There is no smoking and no tolerance for violence. We work on attachment and bonding, positively, to show the kids a healthy and balanced life. It is a good time to work on those things away from home. And the journey is an opportunity to live that life, to travel the same route our ancestors took by water and to give back for all the hard work they did.”

The canoe journey has been going on for 20 years now and this is the ninth year the Grand Ronde have been involved.

Over 50 tribes are represented by approximately 80 canoes, according to Leno. The final five or six days are spent in celebration, each tribe taking time to present some of their traditions and dances for the entire group, the host tribe giving the final presentation.

Leno is tired right now, but her love for the event is evident. She’ll be ready again next year.