We hosted a unique collaboration between Mothership Adventures, the U’mista Cultural Centre, and the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations of Alert Bay, British Columbia for 5 years in a row with Lillian Hunt.
From 10,000 years ago to the present, the Aboriginal people of coastal British Columbia have centred their society around what was to them the essence of life and what we now call “Art and Culture.” At the world-renowned U’mista Cultural Centre and Museum, our First Nations guide, Lillian Hunt, introduced the complexities of the “Potlatch” ceremony, with its myths, masks and regalia.
Aboard the Columbia III, we travelled to ancient village sites (including Mimkwamlis – site of the famous potlatch held during the prohibition of traditional ceremonies) to walk on shell-midden beaches and breathe the salt air where the roots of these cultural traditions first took hold.
We visited the ‘Namgis Traditional Big House to feast and sway in the firelight to the drumming of the traditional dances. Aboard the Columbia III, you’ll travel to ancient village sites (including Mimkwamlis, the site of the famous potlatch that was held during the prohibition of traditional ceremonies) to walk on shell-midden beaches and breathe the salt air where the roots of these cultural traditions first took hold.
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About Lillian Hunt, Curator of Cultural Tourism Programs for the U’mista Cultural Center
Born and raised in Alert Bay, home of the Namgis First Nation, Lillian Hunt has been Curator of Cultural Tourism Programs for the U’mista’s Potlatch Collection for the last 8 years. With her wry wit and extensive knowledge of her Nation’s history, Lillian will bring to life the rich cultural heritage of the Kwakwaka’wakw, both ancient and modern.
The Columbia III departs from Port McNeill at 6pm and returns to Port McNeill four nights later between 2-3 pm in the afternoon after a fascinating and in- depth introduction to the world of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations.
