Tribal Journeys Indigenous Youth Exchange Program announces 2019 results

Written by Sylvia Dean

Taipei - October 31, 2019 - In the summer of 2019, four members of the ATAYAL organization travelled to the Pacific Northwest United States to participate in and document the Tribal Journeys International Indigenous Cultural Exchange Program (now known as Tribal Journeys Indigenous Youth Exchange Project (TJIYEP)), where cooperating tribes paddled together to Lummi island from reservations the coast of Washington State, Oregon, California, Alaska and Canada.

This year, Orchid Island’s Tao Foundation did not send any delegates, but members of the ATAYAL organization, including Gary Smoke (Deputy Director), Tony Coolidge (Executive Director), Kate (Translator) and Johan Coolidge (Youth Participant), attended the event. Though the delegation was small, ATAYAL compensated by inviting members of the indigenous Taiwanese-American community in the Seattle area to participate, as well as gaining support from scholars, supporters and volunteers.

The Program

Hosting the Taiwanese delegation during the 2019 Tribal Journeys Paddle to Lummi Island was Hanford McCloud, tribal council member and Canoe Family captain. Participants in the annual event included indigenous delegations from Hawaii and New Zealand, as well as representatives from the Nisqually Tribe of Washington State and the Atayal Tribe of Taiwan.

The Experience

The ATAYAL organization was able to document the experience of Johan Coolidge, a youth member of the Taiwanese Atayal Tribe. During a full day of paddling, he recalls singing and sharing stories with the Hawaiians, as well as exploring tribal lands with them.

“During the event, we felt a sense of connection to the other indigenous tribes - we were treated as their own, and it made us feel really welcomed,” expressed Coolidge. “The yearly canoeing event is a way to reconnect and to pass down tribal traditions to their local teens.”

He states that the annual event helps him not only to learn from other tribes, but also to reflect on his own cultural legacy. “I see the exchange as a way to reconnect with my indigenous heritage. It makes me want to reach out to my own community and learn more about my indigenous culture.”

Cultural Significance

The Tribal Canoe Journey is one of the most significant Native American cultural events in the United States. Hundreds of participants from tribal canoe families from Alaska all the way to California cooperate to paddle along ancestral migration routes to meet the final host tribe. Tribal communities along the coast welcome paddlers with hospitality and sharing of cultural events among the tribes. Tribal Journeys is a program that provides an opportunity for indigenous youth to experience this traditional event firsthand.

Rebranding to Indigenous Youth Exchange Project

It has been made clear by the tribal leaders involved in this project that the most meaningful outcome of this annual event is its impact on tribal youth. Because of this, ATAYAL is refocused this exchange program to target indigenous youth, and changing the name from the Tribal Journeys International Indigenous Cultural Exchange Program, to Tribal Journeys Indigenous Youth Exchange Project (TJIYEP), where the ATAYAL Organization will continue to facilitate reciprocal visits and activities between the Tao tribe and the Nisqually Tribe, laying the foundations for a Sister Tribe relationship.

The Tribal Journeys Indigenous Youth Exchange Project (TJIYEP) will include a visit to Taiwan in the Spring of 2020 and a visit to the Pacific Northwest (USA and Canada) in July 2020.

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For more photos and information about TJIYEP in general, go to Our web page. For Interviews and a closer look at the 2019 Tribal Journeys results, please read our blog. For more information about ATAYAL or this press release, please contact:

Gary Smoke

Deputy Director

ATAYAL organization

E-mail: gary.smoke8@gmail.com