It was John Polm’s third week as superintendent of the Port Townsend School District when local Native American tribes extended a unique thank-you to the schools.

“I was still getting to know the schools and the tribes,” said Polm, whose arrival last year came in the wake of Port Townsend High School changing its mascot. “They went from the Redskins to the Redhawks, and the Jamestown, Lower Elwha and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes were instrumental in supporting the district by helping to educate the community.”

After the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe lobbied for 20 years to change the Redskins mascot – a Plains Indian–style chief in a feathered headdress, in use since 1928 – which it saw as racist, the Port Townsend School District Board of Directors unanimously accepted a mascot study committee’s recommendation to retire the name “Redskins” in 2013.

The “Redhawks” debuted in the 2014-15 school year, after students selected it as their new team name.

Polm credited the tribes’ support extending to the fiscal by helping to cover expenses ranging from changing sports uniforms to repainting the school gym with new logos.

Amy Khile, school district business manager, cited a total of $31,000 in tribal donations, with $500 each coming from the Quileute and Suquamish tribes, $5,000 from 7 Cedars Casino – a Jamestown S’Klallam business – and $25,000 from the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

“Our school district developed a close relationship with the tribes through that process,” Polm said. “And last summer, the school received recognition from the tribes by helping them beach their canoes at Fort Worden State Park. And those canoes were big. It took our athletes, our coaches and our school board members pitching in to bring them in.”

Polm was touched by the ceremony, as each of the 22 canoe groups asked for and received permission to land, and the school staff and students literally carried the canoes ashore.

“It was the only nonnative land they did a landing on,” Polm said. “The school district was honored to be part of that ceremony.”

One year after the 2016 Tribal Canoe Journey, the Paddle to Nisqually, not only has the Port Townsend School District received a repeat invitation, but Polm is hoping to mobilize even more volunteers.

CANOE LANDING

The Port Townsend canoe journey landing takes place Saturday, July 22, with most of the duties beginning as the canoes arrive at about noon that day, although Polm noted that other duties are slated for shifts that he expects to continue through July 24, when the canoes depart for British Columbia.

This event is very important to the tribe, and is a unique and fun experience for the volunteers.

Port Gamble S’Klallam canoe journey coordinators report that all the Puget Sound tribes are coming up to Port Gamble and Port Townsend, so Fort Worden should expect 500-600 people, which adds up to more volunteers than Polm initially expected.

For further details, contact Katherine Baril at lkatherinebaril@gmail.com.