The Penobscot River and Penobscot Nation have been linked for thousands of years. The river has been a source of transportation and sustenance for generations.
And in more recent years, it has also served as a training ground for young paddlers looking to push their limits in competitive canoeing while connecting with their ancestral roots.
The Penobscot Nation Youth Program’s canoe team will be taking a break from waters of the Penobscot and spending time on the Connecticut River this week as it competes in the United States Canoe Association national championships in Northfield, Massachusetts.
The trip to nationals is a familiar one for the team, which has about a dozen members running from ages 10 to 17 and returned home from last year’s competition with multiple trophies.
One of those trophies belongs to Koa Neptune-Sanborn and Sagam Locklear, who excelled in the 10-mile junior event a year ago.
Neptune-Sanborn attributed that performance to “just sticking to it” during the lengthy paddle, and the 12-year-old is ready to compete again this year at the USCA championships. The event gets underway on Thursday and runs through Sunday..
Standing on the banks of the Penobscot earlier this week, Neptune-Sanborn said he thinks about the connection his ancestors have with the water. He’s been paddling since he was around 8.
“It means a lot to me, because I know that my ancestors were like almost surrounded by this, because this was their number one transportation,” Neptune-Sanborn said.
Michael Augustine, the director of social services for the Penobscot Nation, said the youth canoeing program provides an opportunity for kids to both connect with those roots and be active outside.
“I think that’s really what it comes down to, is that it is culturally something that we’ve always done. This is our interstate here — and what we use to feed ourselves, transport,” Augustine said. “And to have the next generation appreciate that and learn from the water — and learn about how to read the river and the way that the river can support — is really important.”
Augustine, whose daughter is on the team, called it a valuable way of connecting kids to a healthy activity.
“We have a great group of young ladies and men out there canoeing and choosing to do this and not be on their phones,” he said. “It’s a healthy way of keeping kids engaged and hopefully helping them make healthy life choices.”
Coach Apemesim Galipeau, who was previously a team member, said the USCA championships and the North American Indigenous Games are two of the team’s competitive priorities each year.
The team presents a way for youth and community adults and elders to connect, Galipeau said.
Augustine said that support from the tribal administration and community donors makes the team’s efforts possible.
Mark Ranco has been helping to connect Penobscot youth to paddle sports for 30 years and also helps advise the team.
“Yeah, it’s a way of life and our people have been sustained by the water — fishing, hunting,
travel from here to there. But for me, it’s meaningful to see the children develop their skill sets as paddlers,” Ranco said. “You can paddle just for the sake of paddling and being out there connecting with nature. There’s a different mindset with competitive canoe racing. You have to train. You have to put the time in to be at a competitive level, and I think this is where this program excels.”
Galipeau said that team numbers have fluctuated in recent years, seeing a dip due to COVID-19 but more recently bouncing back. The biggest need for the team right now is experienced adults who can help provide knowledge and time on the water with the team, Galipeau said.
And it’s not just the adults who are helping the team grow their paddling skills. Longtime team members like Jillian Sockabasin are already stepping up to help guide the younger members.
The 15-year-old Sockabasin already has multiple United States Canoe Association trophies heading into this year’s championships, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with the rest of the team.
“I don’t stop,” Sockabasin said about her approach on the water. “You just got to keep paddling.”
