Canoe as Teacher

Oct 15, 2026

Explores the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family’s revival of the Skwxwú7mesh ocean-going canoe and related traditions, grounded in stories shared by community knowledge holders including Wes Nahanee and Larry (Shucks) Nahanee. The article examines “canoe as a teacher” by linking Indigenous pedagogies to canoe journeys, emphasizing how annual Tribal Canoe Journeys support cultural continuity and community healing, especially within urban Indigenous contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Canoe as a Teacher

The Canoe as a Teacher

The Skwxwú7mesh People

Canoe as Teacher Larry (Shucks) Nahanee, Chiaxten Wes Nahanee, Lilia Yumagulova, Kathleen Sperry & Jonathon Reynolds Abstract This article is about the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family and is based on stories shared by the Skwxwú7mesh Chiaxten (“Protocol Keeper”), Wes Nahanee, and the President of the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family, Larry (Shucks) Nahanee. The article tells the story of a revival of the Skwxwú7mesh ocean-going canoe and traditions, particularly through the annual Tribal Canoe Journeys. Through the stories, reflections, and teachings shared by Wes and Shucks, this paper looks atthe “canoe as a teacher” and how Indigenous Pedagogies are attained through Canoe Journeys, particularly in the urban Indigenous context where this canoe resurgence means cultural continuity and healing. Résumé Le présent article porte sur la Squamish Ocean Canoe Family [Famille des canoteurs de mer de Squamish] et s’inspire des histoires racontées par Wes Nahanee, le Skwxwú7mesh Chiaxten ou « gardien du protocole », et Larry (Shucks) Nahanee, président de la Squamish Ocean Canoe Family. L’article raconte la renaissance du canot de mer etdes traditions des Skwxwú7mesh, particulièrementdes expéditions tribales annuelles en canot (Tribal Canoe Journeys) . Grâce aux histoires, aux réflexions et aux enseignements transmis par Wes et Shucks, le présent article explore le rôle du « canot comme enseignant » et les expéditions en canot comme une occasion d’appliquer les modes d’enseignement traditionnels, particulièrement pour les Autochtones vivant en milieu urbain, où cette résurgencedu canot est source de guérison et de continuité culturelle. Keywords: Squamish Ocean Canoe Family, canoe, Indigenous Pedagogy, Tribal Canoe Journeys, cultural resurgence, cultural continuity. Mots-clés : Squamish Ocean Canoe Family, canot, pédagogie autochtone, expéditions tribales en canot, Tribal Canoe Journeys, résurgence culturelle, continuité culturelle 54 Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 24 (1), 2021 Canoe as a Teacher Canoe C is for the creator who put us on this earth. A is for our ancestors who helped us travel these waters and guide us. N is for all nations to stand up and be proud of our heritage. O is to find the opportunity to better ourselves and help others to be drug and alcohol free. E is for the excitement of travelling on the waters, and meeting and greeting other canoe families. And that’s what canoe means to me. -Frank Nahanee, used with permission. The canoe has received much attention from Canadian scholars as a subject of canoe “nationalism”—a movement that adopted the canoe as a symbol of Canada’s settler colonial history (Dean, 2013) . Some scholars have engaged with this topic in an effort to reconcile tensions between Canadians’ desired/perceived relationship with the land and waters and Indigenous sovereignties (past, present, and future) over these lands and waters (Dean, 2013; Grimwood, 2011; Peace, 2015) . As Liz Newbery (2012) writes, since the concept of “wilderness is dependent on the displacement of Aboriginal people, canoe-tripping in wilderness spaces is not and can never be innocent or uncomplicated”(p. 42) . Far fewer articles have directly conveyed the voices and the stories of Indigenous Peoples (Cole, 2002) . This article is about the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family and is based on the stories shared by the Skwxwú7mesh Chiaxten (“Protocol Keeper”), Wes Nahanee, and the President of the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family, Larry (Shucks) Nahanee. The article was primarily written by Lilia Yumagulova, a Bashkir researcher who is currently a visitor on the Sinixt lands, with assistance from Kathleen Sperry, a non-Indigenous researcher and archaeologist. This respectful phenomenological research approach was made possible through the relationships and connections made by Jonathon Reynolds, the Executive Director of International Sustainability Foundation who has worked with the Squamish Ocean Ca

FAQs

What is the central focus of the article?

The article focuses on the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family and the revival of Skwxwú7mesh ocean-going canoe traditions, using community stories and reflections to explore “canoe as a teacher.”

How does the article connect canoe journeys to Indigenous pedagogy?

It argues that Indigenous pedagogies are attained through canoe journeys, especially through the teachings shared in stories and reflections connected to annual Tribal Canoe Journeys.

Why is the canoe resurgence described as important for urban Indigenous contexts?

The article describes the canoe resurgence as a form of cultural continuity and healing for Indigenous people living in urban settings.

Oct 15, 2026

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