On Monday, July 29, through Friday, August 2, Kalispel and regional tribal members and the River Warrior Society are holding the eighth annual Paddle to Kalispel Powwow canoe journey [1-7].  The paddle usually voyages from Lake Pend Oreille and Qpqpe (Sandpoint), Idaho, to the Qlispe (Kalispel) Village in Cusick, Washington, during the week before the yearly Kalispel Powwow and around the time of the Festival at Sandpoint music concerts.  In this cultural journey, families and friends are again paddling in traditional, dugout, wooden and sturgeon nose canoes, as their ancestors did for travel, fishing, and fun, over 50 miles through their home lands and waters among the tributaries, lake, and river of the Pend Oreille watershed.

While oil and gas pipeline and fossil fuels pipeline-on-rails transportation and infrastructure expansions impose and risk further harms to indigenous people and places locally and across Turtle Island (North America), Native neighbors continue to revive, uphold, and practice their ancient cultures and sustainable ways, through admirable endeavors like this canoe journey and culminating powwow.  Paddle organizers invite and encourage tribal allies and everyone to contact them in advance or just join this joyful resurgence at various route locations, as they accommodate as many participants and observers as they can.

The canoe journey tentatively begins on Monday, July 29, with setting up camp at Sam Owen Campground off Hope Peninsula Road near Hope, Idaho.  On Tuesday, July 30, participants plan to paddle to the Bear Paw petroglyphs, share prayers and lunch there, then portage from the campground to Sandpoint.  Like during previous years, and as depicted in linked photos and articles about prior journeys, Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) activists and area groups intend to welcome the paddlers at Sandpoint, during their arrival on Tuesday evening and departure on Wednesday morning, July 30 and 31 [1-7].

The voyage will re-start around 9 am on Wednesday, July 31, from the boat ramp on the south side of City Beach Park in Sandpoint, and break for lunch near the Dover Bay, Idaho, docks.  Another portage may occur to/at the Riley Creek Recreation Area boat launch, 1099 Riley Creek Park Drive in Laclede, Idaho, before paddling to and camping on Kalispel tribal lands at the Carey Creek Game Management Area, on the north side of Dufort Road, near Hayden Ranch Road and Priest River, Idaho.  On Thursday, August 1, paddlers will portage around the dam from Albeni Cove campground, 2141 Albeni Cove Road in Oldtown, Idaho, and enjoy lunch in Newport, Washington, before launching again from downstream Pioneer Park and pushing toward the Bear Paw camp.  And on Friday, August 2, they will paddle, lunch at Davis Creek, and land at their destination of the Kalispel Powwow Grounds, 1981 Le Clerc Road North on the Kalispel Reservation.

Please see the enclosed event schedule, which is subject to change, and join WIRT in supporting this adventure.  If you would like further information about the trip itinerary, logistics, and ways to help, or if you hope to paddle, serve as ground crew, share a prayer or song, or feed participants breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and/or drinks, please contact Warren, Nathan, and/or Betty Jo Piengkham, by calling, texting, or facebook messaging them.

[1] 2023 Remember the Water Kalispel Powwow Paddle, July 31, 2023 Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[2] Sixth Kalispel Remember the Water Canoe Journey, August 2, 2022 Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[3] Fifth Kalispel Remember the Water Canoe Journey, August 4, 2021 Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[4] Fourth Remember the Water Paddle Report, August 9, 2020 Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[5] Spokane Conferences, Kalispel Canoe Journey, #No2ndBridge Actions, Fifth Panhandle Paddle, July 30, 2019 Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[6] Kalispel Canoe Journey, Sandpoint Festival Spotlight, #No2ndBridge Appeal Participation, July 30, 2018 Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[7] Early August Climate and Indigenous Activism Opportunities!, August 2, 2017 Wild Idaho Rising Tide