The Kwakwaka'wakw people of Alert Bay, British Columbia are very proud of their culture, and are determined to pass their oral history on to successive generations. Guests of the Sea Lion were honored today to be invited to view this First Nation's collection of historic masks and coppers, on display in the U'mista Cultural Centre.
Later, we entered their recently dedicated Big House for a celebration of traditional dances. The children of the Na'nakwala Dancers began with the Hamat'sa, which tells the story of a man possessed by the canibal spirit Baxwbakwalanuksiwe. We were then invited to join the dancers in the Amlala', or Celebration Dance (shown here) and to feast on sockeye salmon.
Close encounters with a few thousand sooty shearwaters, a yellow-billed loon and killer whales ended another sunny day in beautiful British Columbia.
