Did you know we received a grant from Maritime Washington for a Maritime Heritage Trail?
You may have paddled from site-to-site and wondered about the history or natural history. We have added more interpretation to the signs at the sites, and are providing a guide here.
We will be embellishing each site webpage with more information as well as providing more information here – so keep checking back!
Foreword to the Inaugural Maritime Heritage Water Trail (MHWT)
“Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished.” Chief Seattle, 1854
Although not directly mentioned by Chief Seattle in 1854, there is no doubt that he would have also included the waters of x̌wəlč, or the Salish Sea.
Maritime heritage encompasses the rich and varied connections between people and the sea, including:
- Physical Resources: including tangible artifacts like historic shipwrecks, archaeological sites, lighthouses, docks, and traditional vessels.
- Cultural Practices: the skills, traditions, and knowledge passed down through generations, such as boatbuilding, navigation techniques, fishing practices, and maritime folklore.
- Historical Narratives: Maritime heritage also includes the stories, oral histories, and archival documents that recount the history of seafaring communities, maritime trade, and naval activities.
- Indigenous Connections: Crucially, it acknowledges and preserves the long-standing relationships between indigenous cultures and the water, including their traditional knowledge, practices, and spiritual connections to the sea.
- Economic Activities: Maritime heritage also includes the history of the economic activities that have taken place on the water, such as trade, fishing, and other industry.In essence, maritime heritage is about understanding and preserving the diverse ways in which the sea has shaped human societies and cultures. It’s about recognizing the importance of our maritime past in shaping our present and future.Our goal in creating this water trail is to explore how the Salish Sea has been shaped by geological forces through the ages, and in turn how this set the stage for the physical resources, cultural practices, historical narrative, indigenous connections and economic activities since the Salish Sea region first became inhabited.