Penn Cove Water Festival - 2008

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. 2007 is the 16th 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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Canoe Race Schedule
RACES BEGIN AT NOON
AT CAPT. COUPE BOAT LAUNCH ON NINTH STREET
Races subject to change depending on types/numbers of canoes to register.

Race - Sponsor

1) Single Man Race - Compass Rose Bed and Breakfast
2) Single Woman Race - The Coupeville Inn
3) Mixed Doubles Race - NAHMA Investments
4) 6 Jr. Buckskin Race - George Lloyd, Elkhorn Trading
5) 6 Buckskin Race - Ken & Nan Leaman/Penn Cove Veterinary Clinic and Susan Berta - in honor of OJ Berta's 85th Birthday
6) 6 Woman Race - Joan McPherson & Molly McPherson, Attorneys
7) 6 Man race - Coupeville Lions Club
8) 11 Jr. Buckskin Race - Coupeville Lions Club
9) 11 Buckskin Race - Sandy Dubpernell, in memory of Barbara Stevens; Joan Lappin; Lindra Wandro
10) 11 Woman Race - Penn Cove Shellfish
11) 11 Man race - Penn Cove Shellfish

Family Canoe event (at 12:45 near Coupeville Wharf) - Anchorage Inn; Mariti Chocolates; Onee Hedeen; Toby's Tavern; Dale Roundy, Attorney; Lee James
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2008 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:

Performance schedule - Main Stage:
11 - noon - Shifty Sailors, Sea Shanties and Maritime Music, arrive down the street in their striped glory to open up the festival!
12:15 - 12:45 - Swil Kanim- Native violin player and story teller
12:45 - 1:45 - Family Canoes - arrival and protocol at beach near wharf, drumming and singing on stage
2:00 - 3:00 - Tulalip Family Singers - A multi-generational Tulalip Family singing and drumming group led by Ray Fryberg
3:15 - 4:15 - Swil Kanim
4:30 - 5:30 - Tsimshian Dancers - Native Dance Group

Museum performance schedule
12:00 - 12:30 - Lou LaBombard, storytelling
1:30 - 2:30 - Che oke' ten (Paul Wagner) & Michelle Garofano - Native Flute, drum & vocals
3:30 - 4:00 - Lou LaBombard - Native Story Teller

At noon, The Tulalip Singers will perform at the boat launch to sing, drum and bless the Canoe Races.

Below are descriptions/bios & more info on 2008 performances.
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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Swil Kanim
Swil Kanim is a world class virtuoso violinist who advocates self-expression to create stronger community.

He intertwines his music with storytelling, poetry, and audience interaction. His original compositions are mesmerizing and inspiring to all ages alike, so bring the whole family when he is performing.

Swil Kanim is a popular key-note speaker and also a notable actor; he starred as “Mouse” in Sherman Alexies highly acclaimed movie The Business of FancyDancing.

Biography:
Swil Kanim has been featured on KIRO TV NEWS, National Public Radio’s Earth on the Air, Northwest Public Radio, NW Cable News Network and the Canadian Chum Networks New Canoe.

In addition to appearing in 24 episodes of CBS’s Northern Exposure, his music and acting ability were highlighted by starring in Sherman Alexies critically acclaimed The Business of FancyDancing.

He was selected to perform as part of the Bellinghams Sister City Program in Teteyama, Japan where he continued on to Seoul, Korea for a memorial/reunion concert for orphans of the Korean Conflict.

The Indigo Girls asked Swil Kanim to be their opening act in Seattle to kick off the Honor the Earth Concert tour of North America.

Swil Kanim also performed for five years with the Growth and Prevention Theater Company (GAP Theater), based out of Seattle. The GAP Theater Company presented professional plays about racism and varying forms of bigotry for institutions across the Great Northwest.

He has done school assemblies for elementary and secondary education in Washington State, British Columbia, Canada, and in Sitka Alaska.

He has performed for the staff and participants of Re-habilitation Centers across the state of Washington.

At the American Indian Film Awards in San Francisco, Swil Kanim performed on stage, he was featured on the soundtrack of a documentary about Indian Boarding Schools, which won the Best Documentary award.

Swil Kanim has received the Certificate of Virtuosity from the Whatcom Chapter of the Washington State Music Teachers Association, the Bellingham Municipal Arts Award for Promoting Self-Expression in Community, and Woodring College of Education Professional Excellence Award.

In February of 2004 he perfomed with Andre Feriante and Paulo Cesar at Benaroya Recital Hall in Seattle, WA
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The Shifty Sailors, Sea Shanties and Maritime Music
Everyone knows the Shifties - but you can find more info. at their website.
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Tulalip Family Singers
A multi-generational Tulalip Family singing and drumming group led by Ray Fryberg.
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Louis LaBombard
Louis LaBombard is a tenured professor of Anthropology at Skagit Valley College, Whidbey Campus. He is the Chair of the Social Science Dept. and has been at the college for 18 years. Professor LaBombard holds several degrees in Anthropology and Sociology. Prior to coming to S.V.C. he was the chair of the Social Sciences Dept. of Navajo College, Tsaille, Arizona.

Lou is a member of the Seneca Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois confederacy). 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.

Along with his other classes in Anthropology, Sociology and Ethnic Studies, Lou taught Field Schools in Archaeology on the island. Held in the summer, students have explored the various siets 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.
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Che oke’ ten (Paul Wagner), Native American flutist, drummer/singer and storyteller of the Saanich (Coast Salish) tribe, shares the beautiful songs and stories of his ancient northwest coast Sissiwiss ("sacred breath"/"sacred life") spirituality, in cultural presentations and ritual and public performances, in the United States and abroad. Based out of Seattle, Washington, Che oke’ ten has worked with some of the Pacific Northwest’s great artists such as Eyvind Kang, Bill Frisell, Gina Sala and Johnny Moses.

Che oke' ten comes from a lineage of Shneh'em, medicine people who have dedicated their lives to healing work using many tools, including music. He continues this work through traditional sound healing and ritual performance.

Che oke' ten's Native American flute songs have come to him with visions of healing and prayer for all relations (tree people, animal people, human people). He believes music comes to us directly from Spirit; leaving yourself open to Spirit is the way; asking for the gifts to come so we can gift the music to those who need such blessings.

Along with his traditional Native American flute, Che oke' ten also plays mbira from Zimbabwe, didgeridoo, Chipendani (Zimbabwean mouth bow), guitar, bass, trombone, drum and voice.

Photos courtesy of the Island County Historical Society