December 23, 2012

Alert Bay

I have always wanted to visit Alert Bay (Kwak'wala: 'ya̱lis) on Cormorant Island.  Over-rated Emily Carr paintings that don't do it justice aside, it is a lovely ocean-side community.  We did not dock but were able to view it from a boat after our dive.  Looks like a fantastic place to go ashore to stay or camp. 
It is located in traditionally Kwakwaka'wakw territory and post of the inhabitants are of this First Nation. The influence is reflected in the lovely ceder canoes that occasionally dotted the docks that ran the long towns length. 
The old residential school is in the back ground of the below photo. I don't believe it is being currently used for anything but I am not sure.  Alert Bay is home to the world's largest totem pole and also sports an inspiring collection. The totem poles are mostly in one area of the town but every once in a while there is another. My favorite thing about traditionally situated totem poles as that just as the trees they came from and the people who created them they eventually decay, fall over and go back to the land and are reabsorbed in the soils so you would never know they were there.

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