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The Journey Enterprises is a family-owned business who contributes to the community in many ways. Founder and owner, Ben Charles, Jr. and his wife Denise create unique and rare jewelry pieces. Ben makes Native American art and jewelry, and Denise her own line of elegant pearl jewelry. Her company is called Twelve Pearls. Together they are busy parents, volunteer staff in their church, and contribute to help Native communities with awareness, early detection and treatment of breast cancer and prostate cancer. They use their special design “benefit pieces” to help raise funds to aid with these concerns and to assist Native communities who are working toward awareness and recovery efforts as well.

Below are some examples of the Twelve Pearls jewelry line.

TWELVE PEARLS

Learn about size, type, color and care of pearls. CLICK HERE.

Ancient design paddles

The Journey Enterprises

Turquoise and Silver by Ben. Turquoise and Crystal by Denise.

Depiction of Elwha Warrior Canoe on Paddle to Bella Bella, B.C. in 1993

Paddle Up! Canoe landing ceremony 2001

Native Indigenous peoples have used the paddle since ancient times. Some recently discovered Klallam Tribal Village sites on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, date back to 4,000 years ago. You can be sure that the paddles were used in those times. The Native paddle design can NOT be “owned” or Copyrighted by anyone in current times!

Silver Paddle Pendants are authentic replicas of the real hand carved white cedar paddle that was made by Ben, Sr. in 1993 and used to paddle on the canoe during the annual Native Canoe Journey events. Photo below.

NOTE: Claims of ownership or copyright of these ancient designs are Bogus! Especially when the individual is non-Native. They have NO legal right to make such a claim.

Ben, Sr. with the paddle he carved in 1993

These paddle shapes and designs have been used since ancient times by the Native American and First Nations people of the Pacific Northwest and West Coast for canoe travel, as well as hundreds of other Native Indigenous people, the world over.  Volumes of documented proof verify this in every library that carries historic documents and photos. No non-Native has a right to claim origination of the design, likeness or replica.