2008 Will be the 62nd Annual Stommish Festival. This was the dream of the World War I Veterans Herbert John, Alphonso “bunny” Washington. They talked of creating a celebration to welcome home their loved ones returning from World War II. They traveled throughout Puget Sound to other Tribes, into Canada and Vancouver Island to invite them to come and celebrate, bring your canoes to race, song & dance of our Lummi People, Barbecued Salmon and a carnival/games (three legged race, tug – o war, sack race, sprints) for the children in attendance. Howard Garcia “remembers taking part in these races and receiving prize money for the carnival”. But it was the idea of our beloved elders of World War I.

Stommish was first held on the west side of Gooseberry point. The people came by car, truck and by boats/seiners, some Tribes traveled by their boats and placed their canoes on top of their boats. They thanked the people that traveled by giving them bread, eggs; water making sure all the Tribes that came were taken care of. Our people that worked during Stommish were not paid, whether it was judging/monitoring the canoe races, princess/warrior pageants, the song & dance groups from Lummi that performed to the cooks and parking attendants, no one was paid.

The late and beloved Edith and Victor Jones recognized that the west side of gooseberry point was small, as people throughout Puget Sound attended Stommish. They donated the land along Hales Pass were Stommish is currently held today. Their two sons Stanford and William both served in World War II, and it is because of Mr. & Mrs. Jones’s generosity that Stommish has had a permanent home all these years, donating the land to the Veterans. Hyshqe.

(Click on thumbnails below to enlarge)