Tribal canoe arriving at Suquamish yesterday.
By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
With nearly perfect conditions forecast on the water, more than 100 tribal canoes are expected to arrive at Alki Beach tomorrow afternoon. It’s the second-to-last stop on the 2026 Tribal Canoe Journey, an annual event that brings together Pacific Northwest tribal canoes to join in a paddle-powered journey to a hosting tribal nation, which this year is the Nisqually Tribe.
Most of the canoes will be coming to West Seattle from the Suquamish Tribe’s Port Madison Indian Reservation along Agate Passage in North Kitsap, a distance of about 13 miles. Some canoes started their journeys from the Washington coast or Northern Vancouver Island more than 2 weeks ago to get to central Puget Sound in time. (see map) If the forecast holds true, canoes will have a 7mph wind at their backs and temperatures in the high ‘60s under sunny skies. The tide will be coming in as they make their way across the sound, with expected arrival on the beach in front of the Alki Bathhouse sometime between 1-3 pm.
Canoes staged today on shore at Suquamish ahead of departure to Alki in the morning.
As we reported in a June preview, the Muckleshoot Tribe is hosting the West Seattle stop on the journey and will welcome canoes to shore and provide overnight camping, food and an opportunity to share culture at their tribal campus in Auburn. They will also provide security for the canoes, many of which will stay on the beach awaiting the next leg of the journey to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians landing in Tacoma on Thursday.
The Muckleshoot are providing event parking and shuttles for participants and the general public at a Port of Seattle parking lot (2949 SW Florida Street) next to Jack Block Park. Expect increased traffic in the area, but the Seattle Police Department tells WSB that they don’t have any officers assigned to the event.
The last time canoes landed at Alki as part of the tribal journey was in 2023, when the Muckleshoot welcomed 126 canoes. There is no departure ceremony per se, but canoes are expected to begin leaving Alki between 6 am-8 am on Thursday morning. The Nisqually Tribe will host the Medicine Creek Potlatch journey celebration, with 6 days of camping and protocol, starting with the ceremonial landing at Sequalitchew Creek in DuPont on Friday.
While dozens of canoe families are arriving at Alki, the Duwamish Tribe‘s canoe family will be leaving Don Armeni Boat Ramp at 2 pm Tuesday, heading to Blake Island to host a camp there; we’ll have a separate preview later tonight.
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