Deception Pass State Park plays host to its fifth annual Native American celebration

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to the fifth annual Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration (formerly called the Native American Culture Celebration)with the Samish and Swinomish Tribes at Deception Pass State Park on Fidalgo Island, near Oak Harbor.

The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at the Bowman Bay boat launch and picnic area in the Fidalgo Island side of Deception Pass State Park. This event features canoes, singers, drummers, storytellers, and a salmon and frybread lunch. Artists from the two tribes will demonstrate weaving, cedar work and woodcarving. The event is presented by the Samish Indian Nation, the Samish Canoe Family, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Swinomish Canoe Family. Proceeds from the food sales go to the two tribal canoe families to support their participation in and training for the annual intertribal Canoe Journey.

In celebration of the maritime heritage of the two participating Coast Salish tribes, the event name was changed to Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration. The name change also celebrates the approval last year by the United States Board on Geographic Names and the Geographical Names Board of Canada of the name, “Salish Sea,” for the combined waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan De Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, and all their interconnecting inlets and bays, including Bowman Bay and Deception Pass.

Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. The park is outstanding for breath-taking views, old-growth forests and abundant wildlife. It is located on State Route 20 between Anacortes and Oak Harbor. The Bowman Bay area is accessible from Rosario Road, off State Route 20, by Pass Lake.

This event is part of a broader series of events celebrating Washington’s diverse cultures and presented by the Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program. This program is a partnership between the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission, and Northwest Heritage Resources. It is funded by a program grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, by an Arts and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act “economic stimulus” grant to Northwest Heritage Resources, and by funding from the two commissions and the Washington State Parks Foundation.

The event is accessible to persons with disabilities. If special accommodations are required in order to attend the event, please call (360) 902-8526 or (360) 675-3767 or the Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at (800) 833-6388. Requests must be made in advance.

Nikki

Nikki is a writer and editor for Do It Yourself RV, RV LIFE, and Camper Report. She is based on the Oregon Coast and has traveled all over the Pacific Northwest.