From Yakima to the North West point of Mainland US

Pete is resting up after the long haul (and the all night medicine dance), so keep posted for his views and wonderful narrative on our journey. We have been welcomed everywhere and that has been a real emotional and spiritual bonus.

Julie, Pete and our host Julian, otherwise knowns as Chief, are seen here in his short house where they held the Medicine dance at Yakima, his welcome, of home and spirit, gifts and hospitality will be in our hearts forever.

  

Next Hollyanna, (tribal name ‘Cougar Tracks’) and Glen who will hopefully have their honeymoon in Australind next year, are shown the morning after the night before.

She is a medicine woman and taught me so much about her culture and made us so welcome – she is a real inspiration, as a cancer survivor for the third time she remains positive, energetic and focused on educating others about cancer. Words can’t describe my admiration for her and her work. We left Yakima with a real understanding in strength of belief and that family and community support can move mountains. This is shared by most of the Native American groups we have visited.

We drove around the base of Mount Rainer and on to the coast. I was pleased to finally see the ocean again and smell the salt air. This is the home of the Quinault and Makah tribes, the coastal people I wanted to visit.
We stayed at Ocean Shores where the National Kite Association was holding their annual festival, so we joined in and met a couple from Adelaide – South Australia, we overheard their accent and honed in on them.

   

At Tahola, we met some amazing people among the Quinault Nation and I was able to work with the Diabetes educator. They walked us, fed us and wished us well as they packed us smoked salmon which is the best I’ve ever tasted!

After a four hour drive through rain forests and lake country that takes your breath away we found this delightful little rest haven and await for the morrow to visit with people from the Makah tribe to learn about their programs. They are similar in geography and population to the Bunbury Noongas with whom I work. I am considering them for our ’sister clinic- community exchange’, along with the Quinault tribe.

So now we are sitting in a nice little apartment on Neah Bay facing Canada across the water (looks like about twenty kms – but would hate to have to swim it). Its a busy passage with transport boats heading into Seattle, or Vancouver and out to sea. Pete and I have walked the beach, hiked the trail and been to the most northwest point on the US, so we are quite pleased with ourselves. Today is a public holiday for Columbus Day (!) glad we don’t actually have a Cook day!

The Olympic penninsular is definately a sight for sore eyes after the cross country trip we’ve been on for the last 3 months, don’t really want to leave. Weather is rainy and misty with patches of sun, but not that cold, (thank goodness). Don’t go away we are nearly all caught up with the blog and love hearing from you all. JO