Canoe journeys are rigorous, challenging trips that go for hundreds of miles. 

Each year, canoe “families” from different tribal nations paddle between villages on the Salish Sea, joining local celebrations and ceremonies along the way. They camp at each stop until reaching that year’s destination tribal site. 

For indigenous people who take part, it’s an important way to connect with their culture as well as other tribes. It’s also a chance to explore nature and their own inner strength. 

The Lummi Youth Canoe Family took its last journey in 2019. Now, two brothers are trying to revive the group.

Raven and Free Borsey first joined the Lummi Youth Canoe Family in 2013.
The twin brothers say joining the group as teenagers changed their trajectory in life and gave them a better understanding of the natural world.

Now, more than a decade after their first canoe trip, the twin brothers have received the Bullitt Prize, a $100,000 dollar grant from Washington Conservation Action aimed at developing young environmental leaders in the state, under the age of 35. 

Their goal is bringing the trips back for new generations of Lummi youth and expanding the programming year round.

Guests:

Raven Borsey, Bullitt Prize Recipient 

Free Borsey, Bullitt Prize Recipient

Relevant Links: 

Bullitt Prize info