Prince Rupert, British Columbia
The temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest ranges all the way from Alaska's Prince William Sound and Kodiak Island to Northern California. The temperate water of the North Pacific Current, coming from the west, is diverted to both south and north when it strikes North America, assuring a similarity of climate. As we move south, the forest becomes more diverse (rich in species) but the structure remains much the same. Yesterday, in Misty Fjords, Alaska, western red cedar entered the forest. In British Columbia, Douglas fir becomes a dominant forest tree, but the rich abundance of forest life remains a central theme of our voyage.
This environment has also engendered cultural similarity in the native people of the Northwest Coast. We began in Alaska with an introduction to the Hoonah Tlingit when we visited their ancestral homeland in Glacier Bay and heard the story of their retreat in the face of a rapid glacial advance. Last night we departed Alaska and this morning we docked at Prince Rupert, where the Museum of Northern British Columbia tells the story of the Tsimshian. The native cultures of the temperate rainforest developed in an environment of great productivity that is highly seasonal, most particularly of the annual return of salmon to their spawning streams. Much of the year's supply of food is collected and preserved over a short time. Abundance and seasonality of resources allowed the development of a highly structured caste system with nobles (chiefs and their families), artists and artisans (carvers and weavers), commoners, and slaves. The abundance of time and resources also allowed the development of the rich artistic tradition that was on display in the museum and in the nearby longhouse, where we were hosted by the Chief of the Raven Clan of the Tsimshian.
In showing their regalia and dances, telling their stories, and speaking their language, they informed us of their culture and its preservation as heritage of great value, even in the modern world. By being present, listening and watching attentively, we were part of their efforts. This is the tradition of the feast that we call potlatch, where dances and rituals are performed, gifts are given, and guests bear witness to the greatness of their hosts. Material goods are exchanged for honor, prestige, and status in the society.
Beyond its native tradition, Prince Rupert is a modern and rapidly growing port city. As we departed, we passed a large grain loading facility where wheat grown in Alberta and brought here by rail is transferred to carriers heading for the Far East. In return, huge ships bearing stacks of containers bring consumer goods from their Asian manufacturers to North American markets.
Our afternoon was spent cruising south through the waterways of the Inside Passage in bright, warm sunshine. Jackets and raingear were stowed in the cabins as we basked on the foredeck of the National Geographic Sea Lion. Shortly after leaving Prince Rupert, we passed huge rafts of common murres and smaller groups of rhinoceros auklets, both members of the auk family and hence related to the puffins that we saw in Glacier Bay days ago.
