Taking the 45-minute ferry to Alert Bay from Port McNeill and walking in the rain all day resulted in a memorable experience (slide 1).
Slide 1~~Ferry to Alert Bay
It started with meeting on the ferry a carver and artist named Sean Whonnock of the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation. He works in wood, stone and metals and is well accomplished but trained by some historically significant carvers. Doug and he had a wonderful conversation about a number of First Nation greats. You can see his work on sean@seanwhonnock.com.
While the town as a whole is modest there are parts that really stand out. At the U’Mista Cultural Centre, where they have strived to recapture the regional historical artifacts, there is a significant collection. Up the street is the tallest totem pole in the world. In the photos you can see the bottom portion where significant portions of the carvings still exist (slides 2-3).
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| Slides 2 & 3~~The world's tallest totem pole |
Next to the totem pole is the regional Big House (slide 4). The colorful ceremonial carvings along the main street are a highlight of our visit (slides 5-7.)
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| Slide 4 (top)~~The Big House Slides 5--7 (bottom)~~Colorful Carvings
Walking on the waterfront you can see a bit of history, for instance the First Nation Netloft (slide 8) and the Anglican Church (slide 9), and finally an historic totem pole with a raven who has decided to be an added stylistic feature (slide 10).
 Slide 9~~Church Slide 10~~Totem Pole with Raven |
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