For the state of Washington's one-hundredth birthday, in 1989, Native peoples there decided to revive a distinctive mode of transportation--long-distance journeys by canoe--along with an entire culture associated with it. Born as the "Paddle to Seattle," during the past two decades these canoe journeys have become a summertime staple for…

Off an inner-city highway, on a neglected industrial strip in Washington, D.C., is a woodshop operated by Covenant House Washington. In this least likely of places, six young women and men are working alongside an instructor to fabricate and assemble a set of child-sized tables and chairs. The furniture is kid contemporary, with curved backs and…