Tuesday, May 11, 2010

THE LONGER STORY

I have more great pictures of the Salmon are Sacred rally, starting with my drive out on the Pat Bay Highway on Saturday morning to watch the walkers coming from the ferry...


There were probably about 100 in the group, including Alex and the others who had already walked from up-Island (it was a 500-km walk altogether).

The walk stopped at Victoria City Hall long enough to take part in a BBQ, watch and listen to some entertainment, and rest for the final 'leg' to the Legislature...





I turned up at City Hall long enough to soak it all in, and to pick up my T-shirt and a banner we would need for the flotilla I coordinated to arrive at the Legislature by water. The 'Gorge Migration' flotilla idea was an 11th hour one, so we were few (two power boats, three single kayaks, one single outrigger and a 6-seater outrigger), but we were mighty...


When we got the boats tied up and walked up to the Legislature, I was stunned to see the turnout:

We put the banner we'd come with up on a wall...

... and hung out for the speeches, all of which were eloquent and passionate.

Someone even managed to get a HUGE sign 2/3 of the way up the bell tower!


Yesterday morning a much smaller crowd turned up at Clover Point for the Salmon Blessing ceremony. I ran into my colourful knitterly friend Anne:

The Gettin' Higher choir entertained us while we waited for Alexandra Morton to arrive...

Watched over by an eagle and a heron, we gathered at the water's edge ...



A First Nation woman from Kingcome Inlet told us the story of the blessing (that the people put the bones of consumed salmon back in the water, and then lay their hands in the water to thank the salmon for coming, wish them well on their journey back out to sea, and invite them to return again the following year) and then she said the blessing in her Native tongue...



This event was probably one of the most powerful weekends I've ever experienced, and I'm so happy I got to participate!

3 comments:

wendy said...

thank you for being there and showing your pictures...i was sorry to not be feeling well and missing the walk, sleeping soundly while the rest of you were saving a little more of our earth/and seas

Ivan Doumenc said...

Beautiful, thanks for that. My own recollections of that historic day are at

http://grassstruggle.blogspot.com

Oemissions said...

greatest day ever!!!
from early am to sunst... a blast
I appreciated the Wison's bus, the driver and the flatbed with the Dixie band from ... Gabriola I think.
Alexandre is a modern legend, especially she became one once they wrapped her in the white robe and donned the eagle feather on the cedar headband.
Then after all this gonoring, she picked up her walking stick and said: "Walk On!"