The sun rose through a thick marine layer as National Geographic Sea Lion continued her journey north in Johnstone Strait. At approximately 7:30am we were on approach to Robson Bight, a well-known rubbing beach for killer whales. After spending some time looking for the world’s largest dolphin, our expedition leader decided to move on in search of marine mammals and contemplated a possible inflatable landing craft ride into a remote village site on the nearby British Columbian Coast.
Steaming slowly and ever so slightly north, National Geographic Sea Lion made her way into Blackfish Sound where we could anchor safely, drop the inflatables and spend the remainder of the morning on an extended ride zigzagging through narrow passages heading ever so slightly east into a well protected small bay where the remnants of an old Kwakwaka’wakw village site could be seen from the water. We all headed out, enjoying the early morning light and gorgeous scenery; a mix of small islets covered in temperate rain forest. Casting a watchful eye to all beaches, a large black bear was spotted busily foraging for its breakfast. We approached slowly and watched as this healthy black bear continued turning over quite large rocks looking for muscles and barnacles.
After a wonderfully quiet and close watch of our first bear of the trip, we continued a short distance to Village Island and spent some time observing what was still visible of this old village site. A large set of house posts was seen near a modern wooden house, circa 1800s. Posts from other dwellings of this old village site could be seen, as they were being slowly overtaken by the encroaching forest. All too soon it was time to return to National Geographic Sea Lion and continue our journey north to the community of Alert Bay. The descendants of Village Island now live in Alert Bay, where the story of Village Island would unfold as our day continued.
As our Zodiacs approached National Geographic Sea Lion the smells of our lunch cooking in the galley wafted out over the water enticing our return for a midday meal. Just before lunch our naturalist David Stephens presented his talk on native culture of the Pacific Northwest. From the old village site on Village Island to David’s talk, we began our first exposure to the cultural diversity that is such an important part of traveling north along the Inside Passage.
During lunch further announcements and preparation was made for our visit to Alert Bay. Once National Geographic Sea Lion was secured at the Government Dock in Alert Bay, a large gangway was set in place and we began a short walk through town to the U’mista Cultural Center. Opened in 1980, the U’mista Cultural Center houses one of the finest collections of elaborately carved masks, depicting the Potlatch Ceremony of the Kwakwaka’wakw. The collection represents the repatriation of potlatch regalia taken by the Canadian government on Village Island during a potlatch given by Dan Cranmer in 1921.
The loss of these valuable objects was never forgotten by by the community of Alert Bay and in the 1960s petitions began from Alert Bay to Ottawa to repatriate these potlatch objects. The Canadian government stipulated a condition for the return of the Cranmer potlatch objects – the building of a museum to house the collection. In the Kwakwala language the word for the payment of ransom is u’mista. Hence the U’mista Cultural Center was built and named...often affectionately referred to, by local residents as “the box of treasures.”
After our tour of the museum and the potlatch collection our group was invited to Alert Bay’s gukwdzi, or Big House, by the T’sasala Cultural Group. The central fire roared into shape, the drum log gathered more and more singers and drummers and the floor of the Big House filled with young dancers. T’sasala means to be determined and as we watched we saw the broad age range of members and heard the years counted off of time spent by dancers learning and perpetuating the continuum of culture. To the First Nations and Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast children are considered our greatest resource and watching through a shaft of later afternoon light filtering through the smoke hole in the roof of the Big House we saw and felt the joy and pride of elders present...watching the future they were building through those same young people. We had been witnesses to a part of the great renaissance and strength of character of the Kwakwaka’wakw people and, as is custom, we were feasted with wild sockeye salmon barbecued on the beach, fresh banoc and homemade jams. As we returned to National Geographic Sea Lion, escorted by eagles and ravens, we could still taste the salmon, banoc and jam, listening to a cacophony of their calls on the wind...a constant reminder of the connectedness of all living beings.
