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| The Big House |
I find myself sailing on another Pacific Northwest Adventure
threw the Inside Passage on the
National
Geographic Sea Bird bound for Southeast Alaska. I quite enjoy the adventure
cos I get to make a few stops in British Columbia this year to enjoy the beauty
of my favorite providence in Canada. Beauty waits in every corner of this
spiritual land. It’s home to the world’s largest lush temper rainforest where
snow capped mountains line the coast. There’s a rich abundance of the sea &
the forest that has shaped the native cultures of both BC & Alaska that
encompasses the spirit world. Costal tribes have been known to spare the
difficult nomadic lifestyles for the Kwakiutl, Haida, Tsimpshian &
Tlingit. Totem poles grace the
land along with the abundance of salmon.
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| Dancers |
My favorite stop in BC is Alert Bay, also is known as “Home
of The Killer Whale”, is located on Cormorant Island, near the northeast coast
of Vancouver Island, is a center of culture & art for the Kwakwaka’wakw
First Nations. It’s a charming
costal native village, which was founded in 1870, as a way to provide workers
for a salmon cannery that is easily navigated by foot. Like the Tingit people
to the north & other Northwest coast peoples, the Kwakwaka’wakw have a rich
culture. Through most of the village’s history, the native people were forced
& cajoled by the Canadian government to abandon their traditions. More
recently, there has been a renaissance amongst the Kwakwaka’wakw reflected in
language, celebration, regalia & art. There’s a cemetery not too far from
where the boat is docked, which is all totem poles rather than grave stones, to
respect the dead & the culture you are not allowed to go onto the
property. It’s a good place to
take a wide angle lens & shoot from the street, which I found to be the key
to the place. Charming docks line the shore that reminds me of the summer I
spent in Auke Bay, a local community in Juneau, Alaska. I had the chance to make my pilgrim
back to “the Big House” for a native dance performance after discovering the cultural
center. The dance performance was
amazing to see a cultural so in tack with their roots with many generations
taking part of the potlatch or ceremony that could last for days. However, with the timing of the ship in
port, the performance lasted only an hour, which was well worth it with a
chance to actually take part in the closing dance that was heaps of fun. Animal
native to the region play a big part of the culture with references to raven,
bear, salmon, eagle, frog & killer whale as part of the tribes for the
natives. BC has been fun for
sure. Now the adventure unfolds
for Southeast Alaska with the liquid sunshine that is making me miss the warmer
climate right now. Yes, Chris you’re on an adventure & you got embrace it
before the moment is lost. Beauty is around the corner…
