Jefferson Greene Canoe

Jefferson Greene, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, created this tule reed canoe and cedar paddle in 2022. As a living item, it will continue to go out onto the water to support language and cultural revitalization efforts with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

From Greene:

“Tule canoes and boats have been used for thousands of years until immigrant contact and invasion, war, genocide, depletion, adaptation and assimilation that we at times then lost ancient techniques that connected us to our subsistent way of living.

This tule reed vessel is about revitalizing the harvesting of materials, food and crafting techniques. Therefore, my comfort to build this was my vessel and connection to my ancestral territories, resources and way of knowing.

When we enter a vessel, we have our paddle in hand, we dip our paddle into the water, connecting, introducing ourselves, and acknowledging that the water is sacred, powerful, a giver and taker of life, a living being, so we ask the water to keep us safe on our journey.”