My apprentice Phoxx rests for a moment against the midday sun before we head out for our final open-water crossing. We spent nine days on Vancouver Island's North End, paddling, fishing and camping, learning to reconnect with the sea, the land, and leave our old cultures behind. The kayak Phoxx is paddling he built with the rest of his class just the previous week, a 28 pound sleek touring kayak crafted from cedar and bamboo and nylon skin.