We pulled up to the docks of Queen Charlotte City this morning under high clouds and no wind. At breakfast, we met our local cultural interpreter, Elsie Stewart-Burton, and our local logistics coordinator, Sue Perin, who will both be joining us during our time on Haida Gwaii. They accompanied us on the short bus journey to the Haida Heritage Centre, where we were fortunate to have two remarkable, young Haida guides, Raven and Alex. Raven interpreted the totem poles in- and outside the beautiful building and told us some very entertaining Haida legends. Alex and Elsie shared information about the process of weaving and the ceremonial uses of today’s button blankets. I was very moved by Alex’s story of being presented with her blanket by six of her aunties at her high school graduation ceremony and how that meant more to her than the cap and gown.
We also visited the carving area to see a nearly completed totem pole, which will be raised using ropes pulled by dozens of people in just a few weeks. To see the pole lying on its side gave us a better understanding of just how tall it is and how intricate the carving work is. Also notable was the amount of wood left uncarved at the base of the pole that would be buried in the ground.
After lunch on board the National Geographic Sea Lion, we disembarked again to load the school buses for another short trip – this time to the Spirit Lake trailhead for a variety of walks. Some opted for the shorter, photography-focused walk with Krista and Ryder, while others chose a more energetic jaunt around the lake.
We returned to the ship in the late afternoon as the clouds descended and we made our way south to Sgang Gwaay, but the excitement wasn’t over – a juvenile humpback provided us with cocktail hour entertainment by breaching at the end of a rainbow!
