Our History

In the winter of 2016, Indigenous Midwife, Herbalist, and Cowlitz Tribal Member Rhonda Lee Grantham provided care as part of the Standing Rock Medic Healers Council. While treating water protectors who were also PNW Natives, she made a promise to them that she would somehow continue to support the healing journey that they had begun, and wanted to continue. Every year, the Intertribal Canoe Journey invites Indigenous people to travel their ancestral waters, carrying the vitality of sobriety, community, and their traditional culture. Upon returning from Standing Rock, it became apparent that Intertribal Canoe Journey was a perfect opportunity to continue the work of supporting indigenous healing in the Northwest. With the help of herbalist friends and donations, the Canoe Journey Herbalists healing space was born.

In the first year, volunteers busily provided everything from herbal first aid, trauma care, footbaths for Elders, and support for ongoing chronic issues. Over the years, we have expanded our services to include traditional Indigenous healing, and have expanded our team, and quality of care immensely. With Canoe Journey being cancelled this year (summer 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are saddened to not be able to serve our community in the context Canoe Journey, but we are grateful to continue to answer the call for healing by expanding our services in by other means. Please review our “Programming” page for more information about our current offerings and how to get involved.

Timeline

2017 – Year 1 – Paddle to Campbell River
● Summer: Paddle to Campbell River – Rhonda Grantham and Sophie
Geist pack Vana White (borrowed, falling apart van) full of medicines and
left over supplies from Standing Rock, donations from Olympia Free
Herbal Clinic, Mountain Rose Herbs, and other community donations and
head along the Canoe Journey route toward Campbell River in British
Columbia, Canada.
● Fall: Bus is donated from person who had it in Portland after it came
home from Standing Rock

2018 – Year 2 – Paddle to Puyallup
● Began partnership with Hilltop Urban Gardens in Tacoma who began
growing medicine for Canoe Journey
● Started several herbal medicine gardens with donated community plots to
gorw medicine for Canoe Journey
● Hundreds of transplants donated by Roseroot Herb Farm and other
community members
● Formed a focus group to create solid, safe, and affective remedies prior to
Journey that could treat a myriad of conditions that come up so we no
longer had to come up with remedies on the spot like the year before.
● Began partnership with Toby Joseph and Center for Indian Progress –
opened up funding opportunities and community partnerships – began
doing community harvest and workshops with urban Native populations
● Adopt – A – Remedy Program is created – opens up big possibilities for
community collaboration
● Indigenous Peoples Day pop-up
● Dios De Los Muertos pop-up event at Northwest Detention Center –
serving families of detainees
● Funding received from Olympia Free Herbal Clinic, Nah Ihlani Fund,
Snoqualmie Elders Retreat
● CANOE JOURNEY – PADDLE TO PUYALLUP: took a crew of 10 healers
along the route with us to provide care. Included midwives and
birthworkers, herbalists, and traditional healers.
● September – Moved into our first office space

● September – Medicines we worked to hard to plant in various locations
are ready for harvest, creating huge amounts of abundance for next year’s
journey!
● December – Interviewed and accepted 12 interns who contributed to
developing and solidifying the organizations systems and structure.

2019 – Year 3
● Expansion of community partnerships with Squaxin, Evergreen Herbal
Medicine Club
● Submit applications for our first grants and receive funding!
● Began Indigenous Apprenticeship program
● Chehalis Community College Diesel Club volunteers work on the bus
● Hosted a 3 day training for all volunteers planning to attend Canoe
Journey
● CANOE JOURNEY: Hosted 40 volunteers during Canoe Journey! While
they were not all with us at the same time, this level of support
exponentially increased our quality of care and the amount of people we
were able to serve. We were able to provide first-aid form RNs, midwifery
services, traditional Indigenous healing, herbal medicine consults, and
basic acute therapies.
● Applied and received major grant funding that will contribute to the
projects sustainability and longevity
● Completed strategic planning retreat with important community
stakeholders
● Established advisory circle

2020 – Year 4
● Indigenous Herbalist Pathway apprenticeship is solidified and launched –
we receive over 100 applications and begin year long apprenticeship
program with our wonderful participants!