Indigenous-led whale watching tour debuts in Seattle
New tour blends Coast Salish history, culture and wildlife viewing through Indigenous storytelling
A new Indigenous-led whale watching experience launched June 16 in Seattle, offering visitors a tour rooted in Coast Salish history, culture and traditional knowledge, according to reporting from Underscore Native News and ICT. The inaugural voyage of the "First Stories of the Salish Sea" tour included Indigenous storytelling, cultural education, and sightings of orcas and a humpback whale in Elliott Bay.
Valerie Segrest, a citizen of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and chief executive officer of Taproot Travel Co., said the tours are designed to share Indigenous perspectives with visitors, according to Underscore Native News and ICT reporting. During the nearly four-hour tour, Owen Oliver, a citizen of the Quinault Indian Nation and Isleta Pueblo, shared stories about treaty rights, Coast Salish history and animal relatives while Elizabeth Campbell, a citizen of the Spokane Tribe, led a tasting featuring teas made from Native plants.
- 1.Nika Bartoo-Smith. Indigenous-led whale watching tour now offered in Seattle. Underscore Native News + ICT.
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