Alert Bay, British Columbia
The Sea Lion moved on a slow bell making her way north through dense morning fog, heading for our morning destination of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. This First Nations community lies at the north end of Johnstone Straight, with the northern end of Vancouver Island on the Port side of the vessel and the waters and islands of Johnstone Straight off the starboard side. Soon the fog shape-shifted and the buildings and docks of the port town of Alert Bay were visible. The Captain maneuvered the Sea Lion carefully along side the Government dock near the center of town. Once lines and our gangway were secured the vessel was ready for disembarkation. Our options for this day would include a walk in Gator Gardens; a natural swamp fed by an underground spring. These springs provided an especially useful water source for entrepreneurs Spencer and Huson’s fish saltery, that later became a cannery. When a dam was built halfway up the hill to store water for the cannery it caused the springs at the top of the hill to flood the surrounding area, thus killing the trees. The village of Alert Bay has built a boardwalk and three nature trails through the nearby forest, which our group explored this early morning! Wonderfully sculpted, tall, naked Cedar trees provided an unusual backdrop to our walks through Cormorant Island’s extensive forest.
Meanwhile, half of our group were transported to the U’Mista Cultural Center for a closer look at a well known Potlatch collection. This collection was part of the Cranmer collection of regalia that was confiscated by the Canadian government during a celebration held on nearby Village Island in 1921. For many years the people of Alert Bay petitioned the Canadian Government for the return of these valuable ceremonial pieces. Finally the government officials made a request of the people of Alert Bay; “if you build an adequate museum to house these potlatch pieces, we will return them to you…” The U’Mista Cultural Center is that building and is affectionately referred to by elders in the community of Alert Bay as “our box of treasures.”
Once half of our group had arrived at the Cultural Center we were invited by Lillian Hunt into the lower part of the museum to view the Potlatch collection and hear the story of the different groupings of the pieces. The Kwakwaka’wakw people of Alert Bay have potlatched for thousands of years. The coppers and carvings we viewed were presented in a very particular order during an actual Potlatch ceremony. They are arranged in this exhibition in that very same order. Our guide walked through the pieces and explained in detail, the meaning and presentation of each piece of Regalia.
After our visit through the Potlatch collection we were free to enjoy the other exhibits within the museum, before either joining a walk through Gator Gardens, shopping in the museums gift shop or a reflective walk towards the Big House which would be our last stop for the morning.
The Big House or gukwdzi in Kwakwala language is the most important gathering place for the First Nations people of Alert Bay. It is within the walls of this Big House that the cultural and spiritual ways of the Kwakwaka’wakw people come alive transcending the forces of the outside world….
During our hour with the T’sasala Cultural Group we heard the story associated with each dance as it was presented by dancers representing a broad range of ages. Two elders, Vera and Emma, danced and sang moving around the sand floor of the Big House with grace, elegance and pride. Following their elders the women and children of T’sasala carried the traditional dances forward representing the next two generations. We watched the wonderfully executed head movements of the tiny Hamatsa dancer. Then the youngest member of this dance group, a two year-old girl holding eagle feathers, dancing as though those feathers were floating over the water explaining in movement the old story of finding salmon where ever an eagle feather floats on the surface of water. We watched, moved, and mesmerized, held in the power and spirit of a story told in dance and song…
Our experience was completed with an opportunity to dance around the community fire with members of the T’sasala Dance Group followed by a traditional invitation as guests in the Big House. We were gifted with a late morning snack of planked salmon cooked outside on a nearby beach, bannock or fry-bread and homemade blackberry jelly!
As if the Creator shared our enjoyment of this morning the last half of our day was spent watching killer whales. Our expedition leader and Captain had been in communication with several whale-watching vessels moving south ahead of the Sea Lion and already in the company of at least a dozen whales. Soon announcements were made and though it was definitely a gray on gray day with shades of dark green, we all made our way to the bow to watch the antics of these very playful marine mammals. Again and again the whales surfaced near the Sea Lion as if there were mutual observations going on! Who was watching whom? The grand finale was placing a hydrophone into the water from the bow of the ship by the natural history staff, followed by a broadcast of the voices of killer whales throughout the ship. We watched out the lounge windows as the whales continued to circle our vessel, while some of us had to sit, for just a moment listening; deeply moved by the very special gifts of this day…
