Johnstone Strait, Alert Bay
The bow of the Sea Lion was bustling with activity this morning. We were on approach to Seymour Narrows. During ebb and flood tides the waters of Johnstone Strait pass through this area at 12 to 15 knots! Hence, the safest passage for vessels occurs during slack waters, just as the tides are changing. The Sea Lion was positioned just south of the entrance at 5:50AM, and began her entry shortly thereafter. She maintained a speed of 9.9 knots and made the passage with little difficulty. A little less than fifty years ago this tiny passage would have presented one of the most dangerous waterways to navigate within the Inside Passage. In the middle of Seymour Narrows is a large formation called Ripple Rock. In 1958 a great engineering feat was accomplished, with the removal of a large portion of the top of two pinnacles of Ripple Rock. When the explosion was detonated at 9:32AM on April 5, 1958, the sight was awesome. Seven hundred thousand tons of rock and water erupted in a blast that reached a height of 1,000 feet (305 m.) Ten seconds later it was over and the explosion removed the most notorious hazard in the Inside Passage from Vancouver, British Columbia north to Alaska.
Mists hung in the trees; it was a gray on gray day with shades of dark green…the magic that is the Pacific Northwest revealing itself at every turn as we continued our northward journey. Just as we were getting comfortable watching sea birds, a familiar dorsal fin rose to the surface and a large group of killer whales were spotted. The bow of the Sea Lion filled rapidly as we waited eagerly for more chances to watch these magnificent marine mammals. They appeared to be feeding along a rip tide; moving in what looked like a systematic pattern along the edge of the rip tide. One large male continued to surface, showing us a six foot dorsal fin and very large blow as he took in air and returned to his feeding.
In preparation for our afternoon visit to Alert Bay, a First Nations community, naturalist Sharon Grainger gave a presentation on Northwest Coast culture and people, and their unique art form called form line design. For the next hour Sharon told the stories of land and people and the connection between the two. This connection to natural and supernatural worlds is expressed through distinctive though slight differences within each group along the Northwest Coast.
As lunch was finishing, the Sea Lion was on approach to the Government dock in the center of Alert Bay. We had the choice to walk or take a van to our first visit for the afternoon, the U’mista Cultural Center and Museum. This museum houses a collection of regalia including coppers, many masks, and other important cultural objects that were confiscated during a potlatch in 1921. These important cultural items remained in the possession of the Canadian government until the 1970s when the First Nations people of Alert Bay began petitions to have these pieces returned. In order to have their regalia returned, the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations had to provide a museum to house their treasures. “In earlier days, either through payment of ransom or by a retaliatory raid, they were said to have u’mista.” The building of this museum before the return of regalia was considered a form of u’mista.
Dividing into two groups, one group went into the lower section of the museum for an interpretive walk given by Lillian Hunt, a long time resident of Alert Bay. Lillian walked us through the pieces on display as they would be presented during a potlatch. Lillian told the stories for different pieces, explaining the ownership of each piece, and the families who could trace this ownership back many generations. With this added knowledge we made a short journey from the U’mista cultural center to the Big House of Alert Bay. Our imaginations weaving many images as we entered a large building made almost entirely of red cedar, the central fire warming the air, carved house posts at the four corners of the interior, eagle down floating and scattered on the sand floor, the smell of cedar and the sound of mother of pearl buttons and abalone shells hitting each other as the dancers moved around the Big House. We were welcomed into the Big house by Vera Cranmer, an elder whose daughters Barbara, Donna and Andrea all share in the responsibilities of leading a dance group whose name translated into English means, “To Be Determined.” For the next hour we watched as children and young people of all ages told their stories through dance, song and regalia – all being watched over by Auntie Ethel the oldest member of the Kwakwaka’wakw first nation. As each child passed by the Chief’s seat at the front of the Big House they acknowledged their elder, who responded with a nod and smile, an expression of pride across her face.
The last dance was open to all of us, and we joined the entire dance group on the floor of the Big House, circling the fire in a happy dance…enjoying the tremendous welcome that had been offered to us. The elders of our group came forward shaking hands with Auntie Ethel, strengthening the bonds of experience, age and wisdom…everyone smiling extending a wish for many, healthy and happy years.
The bow of the Sea Lion was bustling with activity this morning. We were on approach to Seymour Narrows. During ebb and flood tides the waters of Johnstone Strait pass through this area at 12 to 15 knots! Hence, the safest passage for vessels occurs during slack waters, just as the tides are changing. The Sea Lion was positioned just south of the entrance at 5:50AM, and began her entry shortly thereafter. She maintained a speed of 9.9 knots and made the passage with little difficulty. A little less than fifty years ago this tiny passage would have presented one of the most dangerous waterways to navigate within the Inside Passage. In the middle of Seymour Narrows is a large formation called Ripple Rock. In 1958 a great engineering feat was accomplished, with the removal of a large portion of the top of two pinnacles of Ripple Rock. When the explosion was detonated at 9:32AM on April 5, 1958, the sight was awesome. Seven hundred thousand tons of rock and water erupted in a blast that reached a height of 1,000 feet (305 m.) Ten seconds later it was over and the explosion removed the most notorious hazard in the Inside Passage from Vancouver, British Columbia north to Alaska.
Mists hung in the trees; it was a gray on gray day with shades of dark green…the magic that is the Pacific Northwest revealing itself at every turn as we continued our northward journey. Just as we were getting comfortable watching sea birds, a familiar dorsal fin rose to the surface and a large group of killer whales were spotted. The bow of the Sea Lion filled rapidly as we waited eagerly for more chances to watch these magnificent marine mammals. They appeared to be feeding along a rip tide; moving in what looked like a systematic pattern along the edge of the rip tide. One large male continued to surface, showing us a six foot dorsal fin and very large blow as he took in air and returned to his feeding.
In preparation for our afternoon visit to Alert Bay, a First Nations community, naturalist Sharon Grainger gave a presentation on Northwest Coast culture and people, and their unique art form called form line design. For the next hour Sharon told the stories of land and people and the connection between the two. This connection to natural and supernatural worlds is expressed through distinctive though slight differences within each group along the Northwest Coast.
As lunch was finishing, the Sea Lion was on approach to the Government dock in the center of Alert Bay. We had the choice to walk or take a van to our first visit for the afternoon, the U’mista Cultural Center and Museum. This museum houses a collection of regalia including coppers, many masks, and other important cultural objects that were confiscated during a potlatch in 1921. These important cultural items remained in the possession of the Canadian government until the 1970s when the First Nations people of Alert Bay began petitions to have these pieces returned. In order to have their regalia returned, the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations had to provide a museum to house their treasures. “In earlier days, either through payment of ransom or by a retaliatory raid, they were said to have u’mista.” The building of this museum before the return of regalia was considered a form of u’mista.
Dividing into two groups, one group went into the lower section of the museum for an interpretive walk given by Lillian Hunt, a long time resident of Alert Bay. Lillian walked us through the pieces on display as they would be presented during a potlatch. Lillian told the stories for different pieces, explaining the ownership of each piece, and the families who could trace this ownership back many generations. With this added knowledge we made a short journey from the U’mista cultural center to the Big House of Alert Bay. Our imaginations weaving many images as we entered a large building made almost entirely of red cedar, the central fire warming the air, carved house posts at the four corners of the interior, eagle down floating and scattered on the sand floor, the smell of cedar and the sound of mother of pearl buttons and abalone shells hitting each other as the dancers moved around the Big House. We were welcomed into the Big house by Vera Cranmer, an elder whose daughters Barbara, Donna and Andrea all share in the responsibilities of leading a dance group whose name translated into English means, “To Be Determined.” For the next hour we watched as children and young people of all ages told their stories through dance, song and regalia – all being watched over by Auntie Ethel the oldest member of the Kwakwaka’wakw first nation. As each child passed by the Chief’s seat at the front of the Big House they acknowledged their elder, who responded with a nod and smile, an expression of pride across her face.
The last dance was open to all of us, and we joined the entire dance group on the floor of the Big House, circling the fire in a happy dance…enjoying the tremendous welcome that had been offered to us. The elders of our group came forward shaking hands with Auntie Ethel, strengthening the bonds of experience, age and wisdom…everyone smiling extending a wish for many, healthy and happy years.
