NEAH BAY — Makah Days, a three-day celebration of family and culture, wraps up today with canoes races and a salmon bake.
Almost 100 vendors are selling everything from fry bread and Indian tacos to native arts and crafts during a street fair on Bayview Avenue that opens at 9 a.m. today.
Men’s and women’s canoe races will begin at 10 a.m. today.
At noon, a traditional salmon bake will begin near the senior center on Bayview Avenue.
Also at noon, youth sports fundraisers and games for students in fifth grade and under will begin.
Final playoffs
The final playoffs of the softball tournament and the slahal tournament will be at 1 p.m.
Slahal is a traditional bone game.
The annual gathering is an opportunity for family reunions and visits from Canadian relatives for the Makah, whose closest tribal relatives live on Vancouver Island in Canada.
It also marks the day the first U.S. flag flew over Neah Bay, which was Aug. 26, 1913, and celebrates both the ancient native tradition, which has been a way of life for more than 4,000 years for the sovereign nation, and the citizenship of the Makah in the United States.
There is no admission for Makah Days events in Neah Bay, which is at the westward end of state Highway 112.
A $10 use permit is required for other activities, such as hiking, camping, fishing or visiting Cape Flattery, Shi Shi or other trails and beaches.
Permits can be obtained at Washburn’s General Store on Bayview Avenue.
