Portland All Nations Canoe Family

Earthwise Design is honored to support the Portland All Nations Canoe Family (https://www.portlandallnationscanoefamily.org/) in the design of a new Indigenous canoe shelter that will replace an aging temporary structure that has been challenging to maintain. The new shelter will be approximately 1,100 S.F. and will establish a secure home for the Canoe Family’s two carved canoes at Topaz Farm on Sauvie Island—protecting, celebrating, and giving lasting presence to traditional canoes within a working landscape rooted in stewardship, intertribal collaboration, and community connection.

The project embodies Earthwise Design’s regenerative philosophy through the use of upcycled wood products donated by Timberlab (https://timberlab.com/). High-quality materials left-over from other Pacific Northwest construction projects are being given new life through thoughtful, culturally grounded design—reducing waste, honoring material lifecycles, and aligning with Indigenous values of respect, reuse, and responsibility to the land.

Designed through a deeply collaborative process between Earthwise Design, the Canoe Family, and Athena Rilatos (she/her), an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the canoe shelter centers Indigenous knowledge and lived experience. The project also recognizes the contributions of Nanette Beyale (they/them), Diné (Navajo), whose support in creating a physical model of the canoe shelter has helped translate cultural intent, scale, and craft into a shared, tangible vision. Together, the shelter is envisioned not only as long-term protection for the canoes, but as a meaningful place of care, teaching, and gathering—supporting cultural continuity and an enduring relationship with the river.