It was a current event on a Swinomish Channel steeped in history.

Tribal canoe families from throughout the region arrived here just before noon a week ago Tuesday as part of the Paddle to Muckleshoot, the continuation of a cultural tradition dating to when the Salish Sea was a Native American superhighway.

The 2023 Canoe Journey was the first such celebration in four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Swinomish and Samish nations were on its route.

The display of handsomely painted canoes on the channel, modeled after those that in previous eras regularly connected Coast Salish tribes, was a...