The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians recently launched a new “data canoe” to monitor water quality on Oregon’s South Coast.
The project pairs environmental science with traditional canoe carving. It’s part of a federally funded program aimed at supporting Native youth’s mental health and well-being by strengthening their connections to culture and community.
Called maniis tei hap’, or “healing our waters,” the project brought together about 20 Native young people from several tribes. Confederated Tribes Chief Doug Barrett and Coquille Indian Tribe Chief Justin Futch taught them traditional canoe-carving techniques. The youth also helped develop the designs painted on the canoe.
Equipped with a camera and solar-powered sensors, the canoe is designed to be towed behind another canoe while collecting water-quality measurements.
The equipment measures water temperature, pH, turbidity and dissolved oxygen. Those measurements can help scientists understand water conditions and their effects on fish and other aquatic life.
The Confederated Tribes already monitor water quality in rivers, streams and estuaries on the coast. Lyndsay Carroll, an educational outreach coordinator for the tribes, said the project’s use of a traditional canoe was intentional.
“It was definitely a deliberate choice,” she said, “especially to teach the youth about canoe culture and everything that goes into that.”
The project receives funding through Native Connections, a federal program focused on preventing suicide and substance misuse and promoting mental health among Native youth. It supports approaches rooted in culture and community.
“Especially where we live, water is extremely important to our way of life,” Carroll said. “For Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, it’s part of our culture.”
The canoe’s launch at John Topits Park marked its first round of water-quality monitoring.
