(SitNews) Klawock, Alaska - A three-day Canoe Paddle Workshop was recently held in Klawock in preparation for the 2014 Paddle to Celebration Canoe Journey. The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) in partnership with the One People Canoe Society hosted the workshop April 28-30.

The primary focus of the workshop was on making paddles for the Klawock Canoe to use during the 2014 Paddle to Celebration Canoe Journey. A goal of 15 paddles was set initially, but the group was able to make twenty-three paddles in just 3 days making the event a huge success. The extra paddles allowed for a set to be donated to the Klawock Tribe.

Day 3 of the Paddle Workshop. Pictured left to right: Karen Lawton, Cyndi Reeves, Tim Booth, Jeannie McFarland, Everett Athorp, Ken Yates, Jim McFarland. Front: One People Canoe Society carvers, Jim Zeller, Doug Chilton
Photograph courtesy SEARHC

The Canoe Journey is an important cultural event for tribes around the Pacific Northwest. The event shares native art, culture and history as well as brings tribes together from around the region to celebrate their heritage and share songs, dance and food.

Nations from the coast of Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington state participate every year in these Tribal Canoe Journeys.

SEARHC Behavioral Health Prevention "1is2many" Program and One People Canoe Society joined together for the Canoe Paddle Workshop taught by One People Canoe Society carvers, Doug Chilton and Jim Zeller. Twenty-four red cedar boards for adult paddles and twenty-four yellow cedar boards for youth paddles were donated by Bill Bennett with the Haa Anni' Program for the workshop.

Each day of the workshops also included a thirty minute youth suicide prevention training session given by SEARHC Patient Advocate, Cindy Reeves. The Alaska Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention and Intervention training which features the QPR (Question Persuade Refer) approach, teaches participants the warning signs, risk factors and protective factors and then provides information on how to reduce the risk of suicide by use of questioning, persuading and referring. Five participants received an Alaska Gatekeeper QPR certificate: Jim and Jeannie McFarland, Ken Yates, Timothy Booth and Everett Athorp.

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News: 

Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC)
www.

One People Canoe Society
https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-People-Canoe-Society/210965482258846

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