Paddling to Understanding

Celebrating Indigenous culture and making connections

Mary Brown's completed cedar paddle

This spring, three members of Lions Bay Emergency Support Services (ESS) have joined with members of the Bowen Island Emergency Preparedness team to take part in a very special project.

Called the Bowen Island Paddle Project, this endeavour offers a practical angle to cultural sensitivity training, and it's just one of the educational and training opportunities the Bowen team has shared with Lion Bay ESS.

"It's a program where we carve our own paddles under the watchful eyes of two Squamish Nation elders," says Lions Bay's ESS director Mary Brown. "The goal is for all the participants to go for a canoe ride under the steam of their own paddles at the end of the project."

"You don’t need any previous woodworking experience. In fact, there is no formal instruction in the form of lecture or demos. You learn by doing and watching others."

A Squamish elder oversees the woodworkers and offers gentle prompts and advice, but essentially follows the Squamish tradition of learning being largely experiential. Each carver starts with a 4x6 cedar plank, hand tools and a desire to carve and decorate their own paddle.

"The elders tell us of Squamish protocols and history," says Brown. "It's very cool."

She adds that it is tradition for carvers to give away the first paddle that they create.

"The part I loved the most was just getting into the spirit and rhythm of carving with 20 other people," said Brown. "There was very little talking, as we concentrated on the task at hand. The creative energy in the room was palpable."

Brown lost her son Michael in an accident back in 2023, so when it came time to pick a design for her paddle, the choice was easy.

"I put a white feather on as my design and a Salish eye on the other side. The feather is to remember my Michael. I have found a feather every day since September 15, 2023, the day we brought his ashes home."

To honour the tradition, Brown gave her paddle to Michael's wife, Jackie.

Tess Taylor, Emergency Program Coordinator for Bowen Island, says she was inspired to organize this project after hearing a presentation from North Shore Emergency Management Director Dr. Emily Dicken.

Dicken is a part of a program called Paddles Across Canada, which encourages interested participants to learn how to carve their own cedar paddle. Paddles Across Canada is a collaboration between the International Sustainability Education Foundation and the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family.

The program was financed through funding from the Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) to support local Indigenous Cultural Safety Training and relationship-building.

While in this case, the project was open only to emergency programs staff, it has been made available in other settings, including by the Abbotsford School District.

ESS Director Mary Brown demonstrates elements of the paddle carving process.

The Bowen/Lions Bay collaboration will wrap up later this month, when Mary Brown, Tess Taylor and their respective teams will meet up with their Squamish Nation mentors to celebrate the completion of the project.

For more information about organizing your own paddle carving event, click HERE.

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