Walla Walla Man Crafts Canoe at Wallowa Lake

Project aims to reconnect Native bands with ancestral waterways and cultural sites

Mar. 25, 2026 at 1:00pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Robert Fossek II, a member of the Walla Walla band, has been carving a dugout canoe at Wallowa Lake in Oregon as part of a project to strengthen the connection between the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Nez Perce, Palus and other interrelated Native bands of the Columbia Basin. The project, funded by an $18,000 grant from the Wildhorse Foundation, aims to reconnect these bands with their ancestral waterways and cultural sites.

Why it matters

This project is an effort to preserve and revive traditional canoe-making practices among the Native bands of the Columbia Basin, which were disrupted by colonization. By carving a canoe from a 120-year-old cottonwood tree, Fossek is helping to reconnect these bands with their ancestral waterways and cultural heritage.

The details

Fossek, who is relatively new to canoe-building, is getting assistance from experienced canoe-builders in the Spokane, Washington area. He is crafting the canoe using hand tools like adzes, drawknives, hatchets and chisels, unlike the stone tools used by his ancestors before the tribes could trade for steel tools. The canoe will be sealed with pine pitch and linseed oil and is expected to be ready to launch in mid-March.

  • Fossek has been working on the canoe since early January 2026.
  • The canoe is expected to be ready to launch in mid-March 2026.

The players

Robert Fossek II

A member of the Walla Walla band who is carving the dugout canoe at Wallowa Lake.

Brosnan Spencer

Fossek's partner, who is Cayuse and a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Together they co-manage the Caretakers of the Land organization.

Wildhorse Foundation

The organization that provided an $18,000 grant for the canoe-carving project.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This is only my second canoe, so I'm still learning.”

— Robert Fossek II

“To be able to financially support some of the few makers of handcrafted carving tools as well as regional suppliers of paddle gear through this grant already feels great. To be able to have all the tools we need to sculpt a functional piece of art from a tree and to paddle it together safely and with quality gear feels like a true blessing that will really carry us forward.”

— Robert Fossek II

What’s next

The canoe is expected to be ready to launch on Wallowa Lake in mid-March 2026.

The takeaway

This project is an important effort to preserve and revive traditional canoe-making practices among the Native bands of the Columbia Basin, helping to reconnect these communities with their ancestral waterways and cultural heritage.