SaanuGa, Gianna Willard is Haida and Tlingit of the Gaw K'iiwas clan, Masset-inlet-born Raven, Owl, and Flicker. Gianna is a canoe puller and has participated in 14 canoe journeys throughout Alaska, Canada, and Washington.

"After being a part of these journeys and going to all of these different communities, I began to recognize what services we weren't able to offer to our people. Having a canoe for journeys, education, culture, and healing was one of them." In 2017, Gianna ran for a seat on the Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) Tribal Council. "After my first year on tribal council, I was appointed president," Gianna says. "I made sure we bought a canoe for the tribe that year." In 2023 KIC held a canoe awakening and launch for the new canoe. The canoe received its name X'oots kuye'ik (Brown Bear Spirit).

Gianna is hopeful about what X'oots kuye'ik means for the revival of canoe culture in Ketchikan and for her own family. "It's really important to get the next generation involved in canoeing because they won't want to protect the water if they don't know what the water can bring," Gianna says. "I should have grown up in canoe culture, but now I have three kids and they're growing up it. My son Javen is 13 now. He was 7 during his first canoe journey and was the flag holder. They all fight over who gets to carry in the heaviest groceries because they want the arm muscles to be able to pull a canoe."