25 Years Ago...

Tonight I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a celebration at the K'aay center here in Skidegate. The community gathered to pay tribute to those who drew the line at Athlii Gwaii, Lyell Island. They took a stand to prevent the logging industry from cutting down the forests of what is now known as Gwaii Haanas.

Until very recently, I knew nothing of the stand at Lyell Island. It happened 25 years ago...and I happen to be 25! No chance of seeing it on the news (and even if I had, I wouldn't remember). I hadn't heard Willie speak of it either. It wasn't until some videos of the peaceful protest were uploaded to Facebook that I found out about this courageous fight. I will not even attempt to come off as an expert, although I love to learn, and will continue to do so, but I will pass on the knowledge I have acquired to date.

It was 1985. The forests of the "forgotten" Haida villages were unprotected. The logging companies saw the millions of dollars just within their grasp, ready for the taking. They failed to see the beauty, the spirit, the long-ago ancestors who permeated these islands. They decided to make a move, to collect the wood, make a mess, and destroy one of the most sacred places known to the Haida...

What these cash-hungry companies did not understand, the people of Haida Gwaii did. The beauty and spirit of the old villages still coursed through their veins. The warrior spirit in them took over. The elders said they would be the first to stand in a line, preventing any loggers from trespassing on the land. The younger Haida generations stood firmly behind them. Through the rain and the darkness, through the sunshine and light they stood. The government stepped in, in favour of the loggers...the RCMP were called to stop the protest. They escorted the elders out of the area one November evening, but they did not stay away. The elders were back soon after and stood their ground yet again. Seventy-two Haidas were arrested during this peaceful protest. Of these, twelve were sent before the Supreme Court in Vancouver. In the end, the Haida won their fight...no logging would take place on these sacred islands. (I am proud to say Nuni Pat was one of those arrested for her stand against loggers on Lyell Island).

(Elders at Athlii Gwaii, November 1985 from http://www.gwaiitrust.com/aboutus/messagefromthechair.html )

Today, these islands and old villages are protected under the Government of Canada as the beautiful National Park, Gwaii Haanas. Half of the employees of the park are Haida. There is also a Watchmen program in which several people watch over the old villages during the summer months, give tours, and keep the ancestors company. Maybe Willie and I will be lucky enough to take Noora to one (or all) of these villages soon. I think we'd make a great bunch of Watchmen (and women)!
I'll probably add onto this after tomorrow's HUGE celebration and feast...stay tuned!

Haida Gwaii Blessing

How many of you believe in luck? I think everyone does, even if they will not admit it! Luck is magical, and I think everyone wants to believe there is still magic left in the world. Then again, if you're willing to open your senses, you can find magic anywhere....in the bright colours of the changing leaves in fall....in the mischievous twinkle in the eye of a baby...in the crisp aroma filling the air after a rainstorm...see? You don't need to go to a magic show to see magic! So slow down and look...you'd be surprised what you'll discover.

Now, back to luck...did you all know that it's lucky for a bird to poop on you? HA....I got a good laugh at that one...I think they say that to make you feel better for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again...birds are not stupid and could probably hold it if they wanted. So, is it really lucky? Everyone I've talked to seems to think so....so I'll trust them. I was the lucky recipient of a good helping of luck on Monday during my previous-posted "whale" hunt. I was told to go buy a lottery ticket..so I did...no money, but I did win a free ticket! I also got a new black shirt that looks really nice on me (Willie's mom gave me a shirt to change into after she noticed that luck had dripped down my back...). AND today....I saw more sea lions!!! (Again, I thought it might have been a whale...but unless it was a smaller, lone whale, I think it was most likely another sea lion...).

Willie's dad is here visiting while the basketball tournament is going on. He's a ref and we're really happy to have him stay with us. Noora just loves him and it's giving Willie a chance to spend time with him. I decided to make some fish hash for our lunch and just as it was almost done I heard, "You're missing the whales!". "WHAT!!!!!!!!" I screamed! I ran into the living room, and sure enough...sea lions on one side, and what appeared to be a lone dorsal fin swimming around. AHHHHHHHHH! Could it be? I ran outside to get a better look. It really really REALLY looked like a whale! Noora and Chini came out to watch with me. We saw about 4 or 5 sea lions bothering the seagulls and splashing around as well. I ran to get the camera JUST in case it was a whale (note to self...need a camera with better zoom...ugh!) I filmed a little bit but there wasn't much action. We watched for a while longer until the rain started to come down harder. I will admit, I was a bit disappointed, but sea lions are better than nothing!

My fish hash had almost burned, but as Chini put it, it was burnt the right way. Mmmm, crispy! It was so tasty that he had seconds and is now sleeping it off...as is Noora! I went back out to see what I could see..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76098662@N00/3017055663/

I saw one of the sea lions come up and do a dive, complete with a big splash. Another made a big splash. I heard more blowing and a bark. They were going nuts trying to catch the seagulls (that'll teach them to go after the herring...not!) It was awesome...I'll keep my eyes on the sea today...who knows what else I'll see! They don't call this Sea Lion Town for nothing!

High-speed Chase!

As I sit and type this, my poor heart is returning to it's normal, steady pace...

A few moments ago, I heard Willie scream from the bedroom, "KILLER WHALES!". I screamed, "WHERE?". Apparently there was something out in the water hunting something, and he had a great view! I was feeding Noora but that didn't stop me...I sprang from the couch with her still attached to me, ran into the bedroom, sat her on the bed (not the super high King-size bed, but the old one on the floor), pushed Willie aside and looked.

Yes, it appeared there were about five or more dorsal fins swarming something in the water. Could it be? Could my beloved whales be just outside my window???? They swam into my blind spot so I ran into our bedroom, jumped up onto the ridiculously-high bed and looked out the window. AHHHHH!!! I'm not sure if I was even breathing...excitement filled the house. I heard Willie promptly announce we would run down to the beach to film whatever was in the water. Before I was even off the bed, he had Noora wrapped in a blanket, his sneakers on and was at the door. I grabbed the camera and slipped on my moccasins (really, at a time like this who wants to untie and retie sneakers!). Off we went, down the stairs, along the side of the house, through the secret patch in the bushes, down the stairs in front of his parent's house and across the road to the playground. In all of this hustling, somehow I had acquired Noora and Willie had gone to search for binoculars in the house.

There...out in the water, too far away to get on camera, but able to see without problem were several fins, surfacing the water. What were they? Could they really be killer whales? The fins looked too small..they were circling too closely...Could they be young Orcas, or smaller females hunting? Maybe they were porpoises. Willie suggested the possibility of sea lions...but that wouldn't explain the dorsal fins. I wished I could swim out and investigate, or hop into a boat. I wanted to follow them...I think they were after the herring but instead of swimming closer, they started to follow their prey out into the water.

The rain started to pick up and we decided to head back before it soaked us. Poor Noora was only in a blanket and her pj's and neither of us had our jackets. My moccasins were soggy but I didn't care. The excitement of the chase was flowing through my veins. My heart beat wildly at the thought of catching a glimpse of my whales. In all honesty, the dorsal fins we saw could have been the tails or flippers of the sea lions...at that distance, and without binoculars, anything is possible. But that's no loss...who else gets to see sea lions outside of an aquarium!! I get them right here on my front doorstep! Porpoises? Even better!

I can wait for the whales...if one thing can make all of these horrible winter storms worth it, it's knowing that I will see the whales return from their holidays in the South in April. Grey whales. Fin whales. Humpback whales. Killer whales. Who shall I meet next year?