STANWOOD — The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians welcomed Grandmother with stories, drumming and singing.
The family title doesn’t refer to a person. On Monday, the tribe celebrated a reunion with a piece of its history, a 28-foot dugout canoe carved more than a century ago from a cedar tree.
“This is a big thing for us to bring home our heritage and our history,” Tribal Chairman and Fisheries Manager Shawn Yanity said. “Some of these artifacts are really rare. Today, we are able to bring our grandmother home.”
For 23 years the shovel-nose canoe has been in storage alongside antique cars and a horse-drawn buggy in a garage at the Stanwood Area History Museum. A few years ago the Stanwood Area Historical Society was considering using the canoe as a centerpiece for a display when one member’s research led them to a startling conclusion.