Kiusta on HaidaGwaii

Ross and I decided to take an afternoon off the boat to go and visit the historic site where the Eagle tribe had once lived on the island. They were wiped out 150 years ago when they caught smallpox for the visiting Europeans. We caught a little boat across with Jimmy the lodge manager. We got fairly close to shore when he had to lift the motor and then he went to the prow with an oar and stood up and rowed us in. After commenting what great service we were getting and felt we were in a gondola, he then burst forth with 'oh solo Mia' which just made one of those very special moments in life. Jimmy before his gondola moment.



We were showed around by one of the Haida people,


the long houses that they lived in, the fallen totem poles and mortuary poles.


They explained how each family had their main family sign and then sub signs (animals) which they could have on their totem poles. We have decided that our Macgregor Krige totem pole would include from bottom to top:
Shark, cheetah, jack dog, salmon fish all topped by a parrot!
It was so eery going through the trees and so silent with the thick moss underfoot.


Estelle had joined us on the trip and we were both interested how the old village was slowly going back to nature as it was just slowly decaying.

We had to wait for our return lift so had enough time to sit on the quiet of the beach and enjoy the view whilst Ross potted around. He discovered natural bubble wrap, a seaweed with air pockets,


and made a kelp vuvuzela which made a mournful sound.




The journey back was equally fun with the Haida guides offering us a lift on their boat. So we hopped into a skip, got rowed over to their boat, mid sea transfer just to find that their battery was flat and the motors would not start. So a call to our rescue ranger Jimmy who arrived in his rodent boat and yet another mid sea transfer, no spillages which was a relief. Here is a picture of Ross on the way back.



Ross and I joined Trev for sundowners and final hours fishing and he was in luck and hooked a nice chinook. Dinner once more was a feast and Ross ate osso bucco and is really starting to be more experimental. There are 22 at the table for dinner and when Ross gets up to go to bed, it is like being in the Sound of Music, if only he would sing! He says 'goodnight' and gets a reply from the other 21.






- posted by the Krige family