Early this morning the National Geographic Sea Lion made her way south out of Queen Charlotte Sound heading towards her morning destination of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. Our weather had returned to grey on grey with shades of dark green as the southern half of our journey along the Northwest Coast’s Inside Passage received some of its first rain in many weeks.
Arriving at the Government Dock in the center of the town of Alert Bay at approximately 8:30 am we prepared for a wet day. The Captain and crew of the Sea Lion finished all preparations for a morning stay dockside. We disembarked and traveled a short distance to the U’mista Cultural Center where we were welcomed by the Namgis people of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation. This extraordinary museum was opened in 1980 and houses one of the finest collections of elaborately carved masks and regalia used in the Kwakwaka’wakw potlatch ceremony. These pieces were confiscated by the Canadian government in 1921 from a potlatch, held on nearby Village Island. The First Nations community of Alert Bay never forgot the loss of this valuable regalia and in the 1960’s began petitioning the Canadian Government in Ottawa for the return of their potlatch regalia. The Canadian government stipulated a condition of the return of all items - the building of a museum to house them. Among the Kwakwaka’wakw a ransom can be paid for the return of items or captives taken in a raid. In Kwak’wala the word for payment of ransom of returned items is U’mista. Hence the U’mista Cultural Center was built and named, and very often called, with great affection by elders in the community, “our box of treasures.” Through the hallways we wandered, guided by Trevor, who is well versed in Potlatch tradition and regalia. After taking time to see as much as we could in the many rooms we dressed again in rain gear and began a shorter journey slightly west to the gukwdzi or Big House. As we approached we could see the smoke coming out of the smoke hole in the top of the house…a large and lovely warm fire was set and as we entered into the Big House world we were welcomed once again; this time by the T’masala Cultural Group. A tradition among many of the Northwest Coast people is a practice called cultural sharing. As soon as everyone was comfortably seated on wooden benches, elder Vera Newman came forward to welcome us all into a world of ceremony and tradition going back many generations to the mythic age when all human beings, supernatural creatures, shape shifters and beings of the natural world spoke to each other…in balance.
Drummers, singers and dancers shared parts of the cedar bark and peace dance, important halves of the potlatch. T’masala means to be determined, and as we watched school children, elders and community members come out onto the floor of the Big House, we understood the First Nations tradition that holds children as our greatest resource. The late afternoon ended with a fun dance where the entire group of spectators came out onto the floor of the Big House, danced and celebrated coming together; showing respect and honoring the continuum of culture so present here in Alert Bay. As is traditional we were invited and gifted, with a feast of traditionally prepared sockeye salmon, banoc and homemade jams and jellies!
Leaving the Big House we walked ever more lightly back to our waiting ship…a thought held by many of us…this thought of sharing of culture, a theme throughout our journey. We were witnesses to reconciliation, as yet another box of treasures was opened for us to see.
Back on board the National Geographic Sea Lion our Captain and expedition leader had been given a little heads up on “local knowledge” and knew to turn left at the southern end of Cormorant Island and head towards Blackfish Sound. Sure enough marine mammals began to leap from the rain dotted waters…gorgeous Dall’s porpoise literally charged from the sea leaving their characteristic huge rooster tail…what a day, what a day!
