It was the first day of summer on Friday, June 21, and the celebration of National Aboriginal Day.
Sechelt Nation community members - parents, children, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, along with our chief and council, some of our administration and our guests and friends from the local government and business community, travelled up Jervis Inlet on the chartered Malibu Princess to one of our most beloved locations, tsúnay (tsonaay), Deserted Bay.
The day started with clouds and overcast, but with every kilometre we motored up the inlet, the sun seemed to appear. Many flocked to the upper decks to take in the glorious views. If you were lucky enough to be sitting by an elder, you had the opportunity to hear the stories of yulyel-nas and little boy peeing, the cultural sites where boys were known to conduct their rites of passage and proved their manhood by tests of strength and bravery.
Other points of interest included the many village sites, hunting grounds, gathering and spiritual sites that fill this Inlet with its lore and rich history.
Elder Calvin Craigan shared that our people's true strength and power really come from these inlets. Younger community members shared their own memories of summer camp, work projects and the stories they heard growing up of their parents and grand-parents who were born and raised in these ancient villages. Most people just visited, laughed and caught up with one another.
The Education Department (aka Team Hittin It!) organized many activities for the boat trip. Caspier Catering kept us well fed. Babies were passed around, children played, laughed and got their faces painted by artist Kate Dixon and xwamstut sang their top 10.
Upon arriving up in tsúnay, Deserted Bay, smaller groups were shuttled to the beach by the Deserted River. While on the beach, Joel Paul, son of Lucy Joe, surprised us all and especially his girlfriend Elizabeth, with a proposal. Down on his one knee, wading in the sacred river, he asked Liz for her hand in marriage while 100 or more community members stood around the couple along the river sandbar and anxiously waited for her answer - and she did say yes.
There were cheers and yahoos and hugs that were followed by countless iPhone and Android photo ops. Liz wiped her tears of joy and showed all the women her bling. One hundred-plus happy shíshálh members and the happiest guy of all, Joel, loaded back onto the Malibu Princess vessel and we headed home to Sechelt.
Well, we headed back to one of our homes, because Jervis Inlet, know to us as the lekumain (lay-ko-main) is our most revered and sacred home.
