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Trois Pistoles, Quebec. After hours of flying, the rowers of Indianoak 2013 arrived on Saturday in Trois Pistoles. Most are from Angelu (Lapurdi), others from Montreal, and even a few from New York. This project has brought together Basques and friends of Basque people from very different places. Even, the Ibaialde Association from Lapurdi (which launched the expedition), and the members of Euskaldunak, the Quebec Basque Club, from the other side of the Atlanti. They were joined in Trois Pistoles by a local Miq'mak family and two members of Euzko Etxea New York, Iker and Mintxo, who did not want to miss this trip.

This past weekend all of them participated in the cultural program held in the museum Parc de l'Aventure Basque en Amerique. The meeting was attended by twenty Euskaldunak members who arrived from Montreal, as told to EuskalKultura.com by the president of the center - and rower of the expedition - Adelaide Daraspe.

[From behind, Québec Euskaldunak partners Behaxateguy Ernest and Adelaide Daraspe, during the presentation of the Drifter to the people of Trois Pistoles (photo Indianoak2013)]

Before leaving, the local Miq'maks held a ceremony, which they asked for protection for the trawler and its crew. "It was very special. They burned plants and threw smoke on each of us. The woman who performed the ceremony was pregnant and wore traditional clothing," said Daraspe. "Her husband spoke about the trade between the Basques and the Native American inhabitants."

[Paula Charron, patron of the expedition, during the ceremony Miq'mak (photo ADaraspe)]

Next they sang Native American songs for protection and invited the crew to join the ceremony. "In the end we shook hands and surrounded the drifter, singing, and everyone had to shout YO TO NO, while holding in as much air as we could," says Adelaide. After the ceremony the trawler was launched and the expedition officially began.

In the first stage of the journey the rowers visited the Ile des Basques, the Island of the Basques, where they saw the remains of the three kilns built by Basque whalers in the sixteenth century. On Monday morning, the trawler left Trois Pistoles at five o'clock and arrived at three in the afternoon at Tadoussac. In this leg of the trip the boat had several guests amongst the rowers, such as Adelaide and New Yorkers Iker and Mintxo.

[Paddling on the Saint Laurence River on the way to Ile des Basques (photo Indianoak2013)]

"Rowing is very technical and not at all easy. The inclination of the paddle, the rhythm, the movement of the body... and the Saint Laurence is quite rough, so water continued to splash into the boat," responded Daraspe. "The first outing we saw a seal that watched us from the water. It was great!"

The expedition members are very active in social networks. They publish daily pictures on their Facebook page.

More information about the project on the web www.indianoak.fr.