Tribal footsteps ... March 12, 2019

Way up in the northwestern most tip of the contiguous US is Cape Flattery and the surrounding land is where the Makah people call their homeland. 
Because we are early birds for the tourist season we enjoyed very peaceful days and nights with no crowds and lot's of space to roam. 
The local people were very welcoming and their wonderful cultural museum was full of information about their beliefs, customs, language and historical insights in addition to displaying many artifacts of one of their uncovered coastal villages dated between 300-500 years ago. Respecting their wishes and beliefs, we didn't take any photos. 

Smaller tribes such as the Quillayute and Hoh people also have their homelands along the coast. Living in such a beautiful setting next door to the national park and near the small logging town of Forks, WA, encourages the tribes to embrace the opportunities associated with tourism, which today gains another boost as the area is the setting for the popular Twilight series. 

As we travel around the US, it is heartwarming to experience the friendliness and perseverance of the indigenous people, especially as we learn more and more about their real existence pre and post European contact. The common threads between Native Americans of the US and First Nations people of Canada remind me so much of the rich cultural heritage of the diverse people of Myanmar. Cultures of which I am proud to call my own, embrace, learn about, and share. 

The people of the coast share their world with many animals as well. A major part of Makah culture is their relationship with whales. And, at this time of the year, gray whales are making their annual Pacific Coast trip from their Winter home Baja California to their Summer home in Alaska, and many of them take a little detour round the Cape and head through the Strait of Juan de Fuca into the Salish Sea and often by our house. 

A short drive from our rental cabin and then a brisk morning hike through the forest takes us out to the Cape. Greeting the Sun, we had the place all to ourselves for a couple hours and relished in the natural sounds, watching the seabirds, the eagles and waves crash upon the cliffs as they have done seemingly forever. 

With Peace & Love, 
Madi