Penn Cove Water Festival - 2010
This year's Penn Cove Water Festival (see map) continues our renewed focus on the cultural history of the region, and once again brings back all time favorite performers, new performers, and the fun, family atmosphere that is unique to the festival.
The Penn Cove Water Festival Association is a small nonprofit organization consisting of community members from the Town of Coupeville, Port of Coupeville, South Whidbey, Orca Network, Beachwatchers, Native Tribal representatives and Skagit Valley College.
This committee has been working tirelessly to revitalize the festival and take it in a direction of more traditional Native American culture and traditions with emphasis on Native education and the importance of environmental resources as it relates to Native traditions.
2010 is the 19th year of the Penn Cove Water Festival, bringing the historic Water Festival to a new life as our Native community and neighbors participate in their annual tribal canoe races, and townspeople gather to celebrate our history and the waters that surround us.
Our community saw its first Water Festival back in 1930. While only eleven-man canoes participated in the first Water Festival, subsequent years brought larger canoes as well as over twenty-two tribes gathering each year to participate in races and share their heritage with the population of Penn Cove.
Today, the newly created Penn Cove Water Festival Association hopes to bring that spirit back to life by educating us on our Native community with not only tribal canoe races but increased Native arts and crafts, demonstrations, storytelling, dance performances, artist demonstrations, authentic Native foods, children's activities, and exhibits and displays.
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Help us by volunteering the day of the festival as volunteers are needed with
assisting the performers, artists, racers, and children's crafts. Contact members of the
committee for more information. See you there!
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Visitors to the 19th Annual Penn Cove Water Festival taking place in historic Coupeville will have a unique opportunity to participate in free educational boat trips aboard the 74' wooden sailing ketch, "Luna". Designed by Manual Campos, it was built in Argentina in 1941.
There will be naturalists on board to talk about various subjects pertaining to the waters of Penn Cove. These are free, family friendly mini-cruises and attendance will be on a first-come, first served basis. Sails will be departing on the hour, beginning at Noon until 5PM.
Space is limited to 20 participants per sail.
for a special sail on the Luna!
This two hour Fundraising Cruise for the Penn Cove Water Festival features anthropology professor Lou Labombard, telling about the life of the local Native Americans in pre-contact times.
Click here to learn more about this event - limited tickets available for this special sail!
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Canoe Race Schedule
RACES BEGIN AT NOON
AT CAPT. COUPE BOAT LAUNCH ON NINTH STREET
Family Canoes will can be seen at the boat launch or out on Penn Cove as they paddle and perform their protocol during the day.
Races subject to change depending on types/numbers of canoes to register.
Races with 2010 sponsors
1) Single Man Race - Compass Rose Bed and Breakfast
2) Single Woman Race - Joan Lappin
3) Mixed Doubles Race - Ken & Nan Leaman, Penn Cove Veterinary Clinic
4) 6 Jr. Buckskin Race - Toby's Tavern; Onee Hedeen
5) 6 Buckskin Race - The Coupeville Inn; Susan Berta
6) 6 Woman Race - Jan & Steve Holmes; LuceEd Computing Services; Lavender Wind Farm; Lyla Snover; Rowena Williamson; Jill Hein
7) 6 Man race - NAHMA Investments; Elkorn Trading; Anchorage Inn
8) 11 Jr. Buckskin Race - Puget Sound Energy; Sandy Dubpernell; Donna Keeler
9) 11 Buckskin Race - Ken and Nan Leaman/Penn Cove Veterinary Clinic, Susan Berta, in honor of Roger Purdue
10) 11 Woman Race - Penn Cove Shellfish
11) 11 Man race - Penn Cove Shellfish
Family Canoes - Coupeville Lions Club
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2010 Performances
Thanks to a grant from the Coupeville Festival Association, Washington State Arts Commission and the Tulalip Tribe, the Penn Cove Water Festival will feature the following performances in downtown Coupeville during the Water Festival:
Performances - Main Stage:
In-between performers, updates about the canoe races, festival history, the art show, and opportunities to purchase CD's and meet the many talented musicians that are a part of this festival!
11 - noon: Shifty Sailors - Sea Shanties and Maritime Music, arrive down the street in their striped glory to open up the festival!
12:30-2:00: Gene Tagaban - dance and story-telling
2:30-4:00: Tsimshian Haayuuk Dancers - Traditional and ceremonial dances involving you, the audience
4:30-5:00: Ted Vigil - Folk and traditional songs a la John Denver (possibly with Peter Ali)
5:00-6:00: Peter Ali - Flute and much more
In the Museum:
Lou LaBombard, storyteller, professor of Anthropology and member of the Seneca Nation will tell stories that will keep the entire family enthralled.
The Shifty Sailors, Sea Shanties and Maritime Music
Hearty sailing songs, sung with feeling in the maritime traditions of the Pacific Northwest.
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The Main Stage is on Front and Alexander Street
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Performer Descriptions/Bios:
The Tsimshian Haayuuk Dancers
Members of the Tsimshian Haayuuk Dancers are from the Tsimshian Tribe along the northern coast of British Columbia, Canada and Southeast Alaska. The group is based in Seattle. The purpose of the group is to:
* Serve as an outlet for Tsimshian Culture
* Bring awareness of the Tsimshian culture to the general public and other tribes
* Perform at Indian and non-Indian events
The nucleus of the group formed out of a committee that, in 1996, hosted the first modern potlatch in Seattle. The one day potlatch hosted, gifted, and fed more than 1,500 people. The group’s intent was to perform at this single event, but decided to stay intact. Since 1996, the group has performed in the Seattle area, British Columbia, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and at other events outside the Pacific Northwest such as the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis and in Orlando at Disney World.
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.
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Gene Tagaban
Gene Tagaban is a noted Tlingit storyteller and actor, shares his wisdom and talent via dance, native flute and storytelling.
Specializing in training, workshops, consultation, motivational speaking, storytelling and performing arts.
His gift is a powerful mode of storytelling. He creates a love of story and language, and includes attention to Native stories by family members and helps to create a value for learning and culture that young children respect and will follow.
Mr. Tagaban's amazing vocal versatility and physical story telling delight and enrapture audiences of all ages.
He is a captivating performer of combined Cherokee, Tlingit and Filipino ancestry. He began dancing at the age of five and grew up listening to and learning the songs, dances and stories of Alaska's Tlingit people.
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Peter Ali
The lifting notes of the Native American flute reminds us of a time when this music was played for courtship, healing, and during rituals. Peter Ali brings a unique collection of his Native flutes and contemporary songs that only come from the heart. Self taught and playing for nine years Peter has performed all over the Puget Sound in the past four years, and has played for the Dalai Lama last May. Peter is descended from his Mother who is of Yaqui heritage from Bacadehuachi Sonora Mexico and a Father who's people are the Berber tribes of Morocco, North Africa. Peter continues the flute tradition as his Grandfather was also a flutist.
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Louis LaBombard
Louis LaBombard is a tenured professor of Anthropology at Skagit Valley College, Whidbey Campus where he has taught for 18 years. He teaches classes in Anthropology, Native American Studies, Ethnic Studies, Global Issues and Sociology, and is the Chair of the Social Science Dept.
Professor LaBombard holds several degrees in Anthropology and Sociology. Lou has lectured for many groups as a professional, international teller of Native American oral traditions, and has been a head singer and traditional dancer and MC, "whip man" and judge at Pow Wows around the country. Prior to coming to S.V.C. he was the chair of the Social Sciences Dept. of Navajo College, Tsaille, Arizona. His family has been here for 19 years.
Lou is a Seneca-Mohawk (Haudenosaunne) of the Iroquois confederacy, Wolf and Heron clans. He is a Viet Nam veteran and served as an airborne paramedic. He is married and has one boy in college and lives with his wife on a small farm on Whidbey Island. Fishing and hunting are favored past times.
Lou has also taught Field Schools in Archaeology on the Whibey Island in the summer, Students have explored the various sites on the Island(s) and excavated and analyzed materials from the Mitchell site at Polnell Point.
Professor LaBombard has lectured around the United States on subjects ranging from incorporation of Native American materials into the general teaching curriculum and the use of Native American story telling and oral traditions to various subjects relating to the archaeology and history of the West, Southwest and the Northwest Pacific Coast. Currently he is finishing a study of the techniques for retention of traditional cultures of select Native American groups compared with the Maori of New Zealand.
Ted Vigil
Ted is coming as "Featured Guest Performer." He is half Native American through his Mother. He is called, "The John Denver Tribute Artist." He looks, sounds and plays gituar just like John Denver did! It is truly amazing!!!
Photos courtesy of the Island County Historical Society