Lhqel’ts’qixune’tun, or Moon Beam, is a 41-foot cedar canoe carved from an immense log by Luke and his brother John, along with Kw’umut Lelum youth. Each year, the Kw’umut Lelum canoe family paddle over 200km along the highway of their ancestors as part of the Tribal Journey event. Luke tells the story of how the canoe received its name:
“Steaming the canoe had taken longer than expected. With each addition of heat and rocks the canoe hissed and spoke. As the night came on, we realized we would have to continue to work. While there is a teaching that says you shouldn’t undertake this kind of work at night, there is also an important teaching that says you must finish what you have started.
As it got dark, the moon rose high and full. I came out into the clearing where the canoe was, and I saw it shining in the bright moonlight and I knew the Creator and our ancestors were giving us the name. So, the canoe was named Lhqel’ts’qixune’tun – loosely translated as Moon Beam or The Shining in the Dark.”
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