Kiliii Yu

Kiliii Yu is a man with an extraordinary mission. He offers a unique spiritual connection to nature by leading kayak expeditions to the Puget Sound, Vancouver Island, and Baja California. He also leads a week-long workshop where participants build a skin-on-frame kayak of their own.

Kiliii and I had the good fortune to meet one another this afternoon.

He arrived in a vehicle with multiple kayaks strapped to the top. His workmanship immediately caught the attention of strangers and passersby. As we sat down to lunch, a woman approached and asked about his kayaks. She was a waitress at the restaurant, but she was not even assigned to our table. No doubt, she spoke from her own interest or curiosity.

Kiliii also wore a brain-tanned hoodie of his own creation, with the characteristic smell of smoke. Certainly, his many talents became obvious within moments of meeting.

During our visit, I learned that Kiliii has a unique cultural heritage. His parents are Chinese and his maternal grandmother was Nanai, a small indigenous group that straddles the Russian-Chinese border. The Nanai are a Tungusic speaking people of about 12,000 individuals living near Khabarovsk, Russia. Traditionally, they herded reindeer and fished wild salmon. They were also a shamanistic culture with great respect for the bear spirit.

As he described his ancestry, I found my head swimming with the amazing synchronicity of our meeting. For many years, I have desired to see a resurgence of indigenous identity around the world. I once dreamed of his country, along with many other native places, and now we see one another face to face. I hope someday he returns to the people of his grandmother to reclaim his indigenous roots.

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As an interesting side note, our meeting came about because of an email we both received just yesterday from our mutual friend Jon Young. The email simply contained Kiliii's name, a phone number, and a one-line message, "Kiliii is in Spokane today." There was no introduction or explanation whatsoever. Nothing.

When I first called Kiliii, I was addressing a total stranger. I said, "I would normally feel awkward calling someone out of the blue like this, but I trust Jon. There must be a reason he wants us to meet." Kiliii laughed and agreed.

Now that we've met, I feel the synchronicity beginning to move.

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By the way, Kiliii has a couple fascinating websites:

Seawolf Kayak
Kiliii Dreaming