Louie

Coupeville had it's annual Penn Cove Water Festival today, and we went to see the dancers and canoe races, as well as several booths with Native American crafts and art. It was a great day, and the Tsimshian Haayuuk Dancers put on a wonderful performance; here is their description of the dances:

"Each dance reflects a Tsimshiam interpretation of common themes such as fishing, hunting, first contact with non-Indians, family history and our relationship with the spirit world. Unique highlights of the group are:
* Theatrical and choreographed dances
* The use of wood box drums unique to the Tsimshian tribe
* Handmade dance regalia consisting of button robes, masks, and headpieces."

Of course, I loved seeing their hats woven from Red Cedar bark. The carved wooden masks were incredible: some were inlaid with mother-of-pearl from shells. Above and below are dancers representing the Eagle Clan.

The Tsimshian Tribe is from northern British Columbia along the coast north to Alaska, but many of the members live in the Seattle area now.

The little boy is only 2 years old, but loved being on the stage with his family, and would sometimes drum or dance along. He was adorable!