Indigenous Culture 1-2 days
Beaver Cove, near the community of Port Hardy, is the oldest known site of human habitation on Vancouver Island, circa 5850 BCE. For more than 8,000 years, Canada’s First Nations people have shared this wild coastal region with eagles, black bears, orca and salmon. After a long period of cultural repression, ancient traditions are again thriving as the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation preserves and celebrates their culture through art, dance, music, language and a sustainable day-to-day relationship with the natural world.
Itinerary
Travel to Vancouver Island North
Day 01
Day 02
Day 01
VISIT THE U’MISTA CULTURAL CENTRE & ATTEND A DANCE PERFORMANCE
Founded in 1980, the U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay was a groundbreaking initiative to house repatriated potlatch artifacts which had been seized by government during an earlier period of cultural repression. The Centre today is a world-class facility with museum exhibits and cultural education programs.
See the next generation of Kwakwaka’wakw share their culture to educate the world about their ancient songs, dances, teachings and values. Witness traditional dances that connect their culture to the land, sky, and sea. The T’sasala Cultural Group holds performances in the ‘Namgis gukwdzi (big house). During the T’sasala Cultural Group performances is the only time that the Big House in Alert Bay is open to the public.
Performances held Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in July and August.
**Travel by ferry required.
Day 02
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Connect with the Kwakwaka’wakw culture through an experience lead by First Nations guides in Alert Bay or Port Hardy. Weave sacred cedar bark, prepare salmon for barbequing in the traditional fashion, learn the spirituality of drums and join in the process of making one of your own, or get lost in the legends told through story, song and dance.
**Travel by ferry required.
Additional Activities
- Self-guided tour of Memorial and other Totem Poles in Alert Bay, including the world’s tallest totem pole, brochure available at the Alert Bay Visitor Centre
- Find the perfect Island-inspired gift item to remember your trip by at Alert Bay art galleries and gift shops
- Walk the network of trails in the Alert Bay Ecological Park and 20 km of trails throughout the Island, pick up a map and a brochure at the Alert that identifies the plants found in the park
- Stretch your legs with a stroll along the Port McNeill harbourfront walkway or Rotary Trail, or head inland for a forested hiking trail or recreation site
GETTING HERE & GETTING AROUND
The North Island may feel like a remote destination, but it’s certainly not a challenge to get here. With a fully paved highway leading you North, to daily flights and multiple ferry options, you have your pick of ways to travel! Visit the Getting Here page to learn more.