SOAK UP
BC ABORIGINAL CULTURE THIS SUMMER by Barbara Black
B.C.
is rich with living and historical Aboriginal culture. Archaeological
evidence and Aboriginal oral history suggest that complex cultures
lived here as long as 10,000 years ago. B.C. is home to approximately
156,000 Aboriginal people, belonging to 40 major cultural groups. Many
live in small communities throughout the province and continue
traditions established hundreds of years ago.
Tap into the culture of B.C.’s First
Nations. Whether you travel by car, ferry, or plane, there are many
unique attractions highlighting the province's Native peoples.
Vancouver Island is a great place to
start. The climate is mild and it offers lots of opportunities for
observing and participating in Aboriginal culture. Your first stop
should be Victoria’s
Royal
British Columbia Museum, which has an exemplary permanent
display of Native totem poles, a longhouse and many artifacts. An
hour’s drive north takes you to Duncan – "the city of totems" – where
you can take a walking tour and view more than 80 totem poles carved
by Pacific Northwest artists. Or enjoy first-hand the art, food, and
traditions of the Northwest Coast Native people at the
Quw’utsun (Cowichan)
Cultural and Conference Centre. (Be sure to check out the
world-famous Cowichan sweaters.)
Further up the island, a 10-minute
ferry trip from Campbell River, is Quadra Island’s
Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge & RV Park, a Kwagiulth big-house featuring authentic
Pacific Coast art and culture. Quadra Island is also home to the
Kwagiulth Museum and Cultural Centre. Near the northern tip of
Vancouver Island, a 40-minute ferry ride from Port McNeill takes you
to the charming town of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island and the
U'Mista Cultural
Centre. The centre contains a culturally significant
collection of potlatch and mask artifacts. You can also view the
memorial totem poles at the Nimpkish Burial Grounds and crane your
neck at the world’s tallest totem pole (173 feet or nearly 53 metres).
Guided tours are available through Tourism Alert Bay.
In
Prince Rupert, the heart of the Tsimshian Nation, head for the
Museum of Northern British Columbia. Housed in Chatham village
and designed to reflect the architecture of a Northwest Coast
longhouse, this museum traces the 10,000-year settlement history of
the area and includes exhibits on the local Tsimshian culture as well
as a collection of First Nations art. Drop by the First Nations
Carving Shed to watch fine B.C. Native carvers at work on copper,
silver, gold, cedar, and argillite. In summer, there are tours to
nearby Laxspa’aws Pike Island, home to five significant archeological
sites and three Tsimshian village sites which date back over 1800
years.
One of the best-kept secrets about
B.C. coastal travel is the Queen Charlotte Islands ferry which links
coastal Prince Rupert and Skidegate (skid-uh-git). This six-hour
sailing (reservations required) operates six days a week in summer,
one sailing per day, so it takes a little planning, but the rewards
are well worth it: ancient rainforest, abundant marine life, and a
thriving Native culture. The Queen Charlotte Islands, also known by
their Native name Haida Gwaii, comprise a triangular archipelago of
some 150 islands of cultural and ecological significance.
Visitors
in search of First Nations history and culture will find Haida Gwaii
very rewarding. In the southern region is
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, an
outstanding natural and cultural heritage attraction and a legacy of
Haida culture present and past. The protected area is accessible only
by boat or floatplane. To preserve the ecological integrity of the
archipelago there is a limit on the number of visitors allowed, so you
must reserve in advance by calling Tourism BC at 1-800-HELLO BC. If
travelling on a guided trip, book through one of a number of tour
operators licensed to access Gwaii Haanas.
You will be well rewarded for your
efforts if you choose to make the trip. Haida archeological features
remind visitors of more than 10,000 years of history, and Haida
Watchmen protect village sites and link visitors with living Haida
culture.
If you are travelling by car east
from Prince Rupert, take the two-day Hands of History Tour. It takes
in area Aboriginal villages including ‘Ksan, where Gitxsan and
We'Suwet'En Nations live at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena
Rivers, the Kispiox Valley where you can view Native villages and
totems, and the totems of Kitwancool, Kitwanga.
'Ksan Historical
Village and Museum is gaining recognition as a popular First
Nations tourist destination. Located near Hazleton, it features both a
historical and living display of the ‘Ksan culture. The site comprises
a museum (collection of 450 items), historical village (seven houses,
guided tours only), totem poles, cultural information, current Gitxsan
performing arts and a restaurant serving traditional Gitxsan dishes.
In the Cariboo Chilcotin region, the
Xats'ull
(hat-shul) Heritage Village (located north of Williams Lake at
Soda Creek) explores the spiritual, cultural and natural world of the
northern Shuswap Native peoples. Visitors can attend workshops in
herbal medicine, Native crafts, and Shuswap language, attend
storytelling, or try spiritual cleansing in the sweat lodge.
Further south, in the Thompson
Okanagan region, is the Native-owned
Quaaout (kway-out)
Lodge Resort. Owned by the Little Shuswap Indian Band and
located near Chase, the lodge offers cultural activities and
world-class cuisine which taps into Native regional traditions.
Activities include hiking, biking, golf and a spa.
As you travel B.C., you will notice
that many of the place names are derived from Aboriginal languages,
most of which describe the landscape or the people living there. From
Ahousat ("people living with their backs to the land and mountains")
to Kitimat ("people of the falling snow"), the influence of B.C.’s
First Nations people is felt everywhere.
