Submitted by Lopez Friends of Canoe Landings.

On Sunday, May 21, Indigenous paddlers from Washington tribes will converge on Lopez as part of The Gathering of the Eagles Canoe Encampment. This is an event being coordinated by Lummi community leaders and the Alliance of Earth, Sky & Water Protectors. Two or three canoes will arrive around 3 p.m. at Odlin County Park, Lopez. The voyaging canoes will be greeted by Lopez elders, followed by a Community Potluck at the Lopez Community Center at 5 pm, and Protocol and Cultural Exchange at 6 p.m. Please bring a food item to share and your dishes. Canoes will leave mid-morning on Monday, May 22, to paddle through the islands, traveling ancestral highways, ending at Lummi Nation for potlach, celebration and solidarity over the weekend of May 26- May28.

The public is invited to participate in the arrival and later celebrations on Lopez and at Lummi. Volunteers are helping in various ways to welcome the canoe families. Donations are sought via Gofundme at https://gofund.me/c21bc7fc to cover park fees, food, and supplies for the community potluck, and for gifts. Information will be updated on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/348680987204571