Alert Bay & Johnstone Strait, British Columbia
“The most important thing is to pass on the knowledge of our ancestors to the next generations,” said our tour guide at the U’Mista Museum and Cultural Center. And this morning we witnessed the process.
This area is the traditional homeland of the Namgis First Nation, who were our hosts. In the museum we admired and heard about the “potlatch collection,” so named because it was confiscated from a Potlatch in the 1920’s and later repatriated by the Kwakwaka’wakw people.
The elaborately carved and painted cedar masks are displayed in the order in which they would be danced at a gathering: the ancestors that represent knowledge from the past; the wolves that represent family loyalty, the scary spirit Dzunukwa who keeps potentially mischievous children on the straight-and-narrow; weather masks used to thank the creator in times of good weather and also of bad weather; grizzly bear who is the ultimate role of authority; the Hamatsa masks for young initiates sent to the wilderness who get possessed by a spirit which turns them wild, then have to go through a naming ceremony to tame them; masks which ensure proper behavior in ceremony; wedding masks, raven who also can act as a deterrent against bad behavior because he is likely to imitate any malefactor in front of everyone; Eagle from whom people learn about reverence; Thunderbird for the hosting tribe; and Owl who teaches the spirits of the newly dead to pass to the afterlife.
There were Full Moon masks and Half Moon masks, and we were told that at the ceremony they compete, handing out coins and candy to gain supporters, and that Full Moon, who controls the tides, also represents the riches of the sea. The sea was present in the Orca and Whale masks as well. All of this the words of our guide brought to life for us.
Our visit to the Big House wove it all into the present, in living motion. The boom of the log drum, the resonant chanting songs, the smoke from the fire that centers this grand longhouse, and the carved poles supporting massive beams that frame the structure provided background, atmosphere, and a sense of being in a different world.
We saw the Hamatsa dancers, in this case boys ranging in age from four to eleven, portraying the initiates made wild by their winter vision quest, with cedar clothing to show their wildness. The concentration of the youngest as they made their fierce cries was something to see.
The Weather Dance, Salmon Dance, and a dance about the supernatural power to fly segued to a dance in which treasures were brought into the House: a fantastic mask and furry costume of the Shy Man of the Woods who digs for cockles, and an elaborate Orca mask with a mouth that opened and closed and a tail rigged to swim. Almost, we could see the whales swimming, as they swim through our memories from the time spent with them along the way.
Dancing closed with the Celebration Dance, which we were all invited to join. We ate sockeye salmon that had been cooked in the traditional manner on cedar skewers over an open fire, and bannock with homemade preserves made from local berries, as the young dancers made their way through the group, politely shaking hands and thanking us for coming.
For us, it was a good place for filling bellies, hearts, and digital camera chips. And for the Kwakwaka’waka, we could see that, here at least, they are fulfilling on the “most important thing”: passing the knowledge of the ancestors to future generations.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cruising the narrow straits on the east side of northern Vancouver Island. Tree-covered mountains slid toward our stern, and the occasional boat passing added counterpoint to the lightly ruffled grey of sea and sky.
Those who spent time on deck were rewarded with sightings of dolphins and birdlife, and finally, right before recap, the biggest of the dolphins: orcas! Even those who stayed in the lounge got a close view as they surfaced next to the ship. A baby born this year was traveling in the group, and it chose a great moment to practice “porpoising.” From the bow, we could see the black and white silhouettes as they passed below the surface between breaths.
Remembering the ways of this morning’s hosts, we quietly gave thanks for this gift from the sea.
