Haines resident and Tlingit Master Carver Wayne Price will be teaching his craft by carving a Traditional Tlingit Dugout cedar canoe for Haa Kusteeyí Celebration 2019 in Carcross.

May 13, 2019

 

News Release                                                                                                   For Immediate Release

 

Haines resident and Tlingit Master Carver Wayne Price will be teaching his craft by carving a Traditional Tlingit Dugout cedar canoe for Haa Kusteeyí Celebration 2019 in Carcross.

 

CARCROSS – Carcross/Tagish First Nation recently received confirmation that the funding of $100,000 was approved through the Canada Council for the Arts to support the building of a Traditional Tlingit Dugout Canoe by Master Carver Wayne Price from Haines Alaska.

 

Wayne Price will arrive in Carcross on May 16th and will be staying in C/TFN Traditional Territory until the project is completed. C/TFN staff traveled to Haines Alaska when confirmation was obtained to pick up a 30 feet long and 4 ½ feet diameter cedar log that will be used by Wayne to carve the Dugout canoe.

 

Now that the funding is in place, C/TFN plan is to begin the actual log carving work this week and hopefully have it completed for the Haa Kusteeyí Celebration 2019 on July 26th in Carcross. C/TFN goal is to have the Traditional Tlingit Dugout canoe launched and paddled for the Haa Kusteeyí Opening Ceremony. The carving project will commence by a blessing ceremony of the log and a celebration within the community. The carving will be done onsite at the Carcross/Tagish First Nation Learning centre from May 17th until the end of July.

 

Carcross/Tagish First Nation would like to extend an open invitation to all interested carvers from both the Yukon and Alaska and also to everyone interested in learning the Traditional Tlingit Dugout canoe carving skills to participate and volunteer some time toward assisting Wayne with this project.

 

The Traditional Tlingit Dugout canoe will be approximately 30 feet long finished with a separate bow and stern piece that will be attached. The Dugout canoe will have the capability to perform on both inland waterways and on the ocean. C/TFN Master Carver Keith Wolfe Smarch will work closely with Wayne Price on final details including the design and colors of the canoe.

 

Tlingit Master Carver Wayne Price is very experienced and participated in many different Traditional Tlingit Dugout canoe projects in the Yukon. As per Wayne; “the healing journey begins as soon as the carving starts”.

 

 

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Contact:

 

Carcross/Tagish First Nation
Governance Department, Communications

Daphne Pelletier Vernier
daphne.vernier@ctfn.ca
(867) 821-4251 ext. 8235

 

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