Educator heading to the UK for a canoe journey
Stewart Nahanee is a strong believer in education.
The dedicated ambassador of B.C.'s Aboriginal culture says sharing his knowledge not only impacts his pupils, but contributes to his own inner growth.
The North Vancouver resident and member of the Squamish Nation was recently awarded an Aboriginal Tourism Association of B.C. power of education award at a ceremony in Vancouver March 5. The annual awards program celebrates the achievements of B.C.'s growing Aboriginal tourism industry.
"I was totally ecstatic," says Nahanee, adding that it was an honour to be recognized for his contributions to the community.
The founder of Cedars Us, Nahanee, 47, offers drum-making workshops as well as the sale of drums and paddles, and other services. He actively spreads his knowledge on the West Coast, and has also had the opportunity to do so around the world. Currently, he's in the United Kingdom, gearing up for a canoe journey that will circumnavigate the British Isles. As part of the project, Cedars Us was commissioned to make 300 paddles to be presented to dignitaries along the way.
Nahanee was born and raised on the North Shore. He launched Cedars Us in 2000 and it's experienced tremendous growth ever since. He got the idea for the business after his wife ordered some drum frames from someone else. When he saw them, he realized that he had the skills to build them, so gave it a shot. Proving to have a knack for their construction, Cedars Us was launched.
"I started out by working underneath my back porch with a saw and a belt sander," he says.
A year later, Nahanee built a shop in his backyard and began offering workshops to introduce others to the cultural practice. He gives workshops locally, at North Shore schools, and offers private sessions. He's had many people from all over the world request a lesson when they've come to visit the Lower Mainland. In addition, Nahanee frequents international conferences and events as a workshop facilitator.
Nahanee also does other types of woodworking, including the construction of canoe paddles and cedar boxes and does logo lasering. He hopes to create some products to be sold as souvenirs at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Apart from Cedars Us, Nahanee is an avid paddler. At age 16, he started racing canoes, continuing until 1997 when he was forced to stop due to an injury. However, the pull of the paddle proved to be too strong, so he got involved with the Squamish Nation and other organizations offering canoe journeys. Nahanee's gone on a number of adventures over the years, including travelling down the Fraser River as well as from Port Hardy to Victoria and North Vancouver.
Through those experiences, Nahanee met Chris Cooper, the man behind Spirit Dancer Canoe Journeys, a non-profit society. Originally from Yorkshire, England, Cooper now calls Pitt Meadows home and has been in the adventure travel business for more than 35 years. A professional guide, he's organized expeditions to the Arctic, winter ski expeditions to remote areas as well as canoe programs.
Cooper is incredibly excited about the launch of the British Isles Canoe Journey, a dream he's long held, to travel by canoe, an icon of Canada, in his homeland.
"The focus of the journey and the mission statement is to have youth and young adults involved in an innovative challenge and to provide them with opportunities to learn about history and culture, a different environment completely than what they're used to and to make some great friendships around the UK," he says.
A massive project in terms of logistics and timing, the journey will be run clockwise around the UK coastline starting in London May 1 on the River Thames and will finish in London in the fall of 2010. The first leg runs until September and includes 100 days on the water and an estimated distance of 1,400 nautical miles. Paddlers will travel in the Spirit Dancer canoe, which is made from fibre glass and wood and is 42 feet long.
"We want to demonstrate to the world leadership through the power of the paddle," says Cooper. "The paddle will propel that canoe right around the British Isles and we want to make sure that people are aware that we are trying to do something special."
Nahanee is one of the initial participants in the journey. He left for England April 14 and will be on the water from May 1 to 14.
"It's going to be great," he says.
In addition to being a participant in the journey, Nahanee made more than 300 western red cedar paddles from wood from fallen trees in Stanley Park.
They're going to supporters of the journey at home, including the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, which donated the wood, and the Rotary Club, as well as overseas, they'll be distributed to dignitaries in the communities the paddlers visit.
Other participants include students and staff from BCIT and the University of British Columbia, as well as Vancouver police. They'll be joined by individuals from the UK in the canoe.
Other North Shore residents who are involved in the project include Xwa-lack-tun (Rick Harry), one of the artists who provided art on the canoe, and Nahanee's brother Wes who helped him with the paddles and is also participating in the journey.
For more information on the British Isles Canoe Journey, visit www.spiritdancercanoejourneys.ca.
Erin McPhee, Reporter, North Shore News
Sunday, April 27, 2008
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