Blogtober 9: A Look Back at Boating

 

In August we explored a small area of the maze of inlets, islands, and channels of the coast of British Columbia. One memorable place was Village Island where the Mamalilikulla First Nation lived for many years. An abandoned village remains, named Mimkwamlis which means, village with rocks and island out front, a perfect description of the setting. 

The small bay where we anchored our boat, pictured above, was serene and beautiful. On a tree on the small islet to the left, two Bald Eagles watched us anchor and row the dinghy to shore. 

We had earlier contacted the First Nation and were given permission to go ashore. The village site is used by the people for education, tourism, and traditional ceremonies. While walking along the wide grassy trail, we looked out over the water to the rocks and islands close by. I thought the water looked positively tropical. However, it was very cold. 

In 1920 an English nurse, Kathleen O'Brien, arrived as a missionary on Village Island. At her own expense she built and operated a tuberculosis sanatorium and a school for the local children, seen above. She worked there for 25 years before returning to England. 

A few houses remain, but they are uninhabitable and overgrown with blackberries, vines, and salal. Bears love visiting the abandoned fruit trees in the late summer and autumn. The massive cedar post structure above was one end of a ceremonial building used by the Mamalilikula people. 

Here is another view of the structure from the other side, looking out to sea. The wide shallow beach is rich with clams and other shellfish. 

For many years totem poles stood in the village, but the last one fell several years ago and a new one was raised. 

As we walked down the dock to our dinghy, I stopped to speak with a young man working on his boat and asked him why the village was abandoned. It is such a beautiful sheltered spot. He gave several reasons. One was the shortage of fresh water that had developed in the 1960s. Another was the shallow depth of the ocean surrounding the island which meant that deeper draft fishing vessels could not be harboured there. The people moved to another site with better access. 

We enjoyed our visit to the island, and were grateful for the history learned while we were there.