The Haida, an indigenous nation straddling the Canadian and American parts of the Northwest, featured prominently. Located mostly in the islands and adept at sea, the Haida were fierce warriors in defense of their land and to search for new wealth. Most interestingly, they’re generally credited with introducing totem poles, replicas of which dominated the museum.
I had actually met a man making a Haiwa totem pole while we were waiting for the ferry in Olympic. He was commissioned to do so by a pet cemetery, so he had to incorporate dogs into the design even though dogs are not part of the natives’ history. Only partially finished at that point, he showed me how the carving would weave the animals associated with Haida evolutionary theory with the animals kept as pets in modern society.
The ferry rides to get to Vancouver were one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. Alas, there were no glaciers and whales as I had hoped for, but there were eye-catching 360 degree views of the islands between Olympic and Victoria, and then between Victoria and Vancouver, with the occasional giant snowy mountain in the distance (Mt. Baker).
Landing in Victoria we felt like we’d gone ashore in London—from the architecture to the names of the streets and towns, the whole aesthetic was very Picadilly, Trafalgar and Westminster Abbey. It’s no wonder, since Victoria was one of the first cities settled by the British in the area, in 1841. Many of the original buidings are still standing, like the grandiose and well-appointed legislative building that’s located right across from the ferry landing.
No comments:
Post a Comment