Page 53 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Spring/Summer 2025

PHOTOS: KLAHOOSE WILDERNESS RESORT / DOLF VERMEULEN
Since time immemorial, the Klahoose
people have lived along the central West
Coast, from Cortes Island to Toba Inlet.
Today, the nation has approximately
450 members, with its main village in
Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island. As part of
the Coast Salish communities, the Kla-
hoose have rich cultural traditions.
Though many customs were once sup-
pressed by the government and church,
they are being revived by knowledge
keepers like Louie, who dedicate their life
to rediscovering the old ways.
I rejoiced in a traditional welcome
hearing Louie’s deep voice soaring over
guttural beats from Harry’s hand drum in
this ancient greeting practice.
Learning Ancient Ways
Inside a sun-lit lodge, it was time to learn
cedar bark weaving and woodcarving.
Amid Louie’s hanging hand-hewn masks
he encouraged me to try this ancient tech-
nique. My hands clumsily wrapped a wet
cedar strip into a simple rose shape, as
this gentle teacher patiently showed me
the way.
Louie also explained the importance of
Award-Winning Self-Sufficiency
spiritual bathing with cold-water plunges.
Built in 2008 as a fishing lodge, this off-grid
By dunking yourself four times, repre-
retreat became an all-inclusive eco-resort in
senting each cardinal direction, he said I
2017. In 2020, the Klahoose First Nation’s
could connect to my spiritual side, getting
Qathen Xwegus Management Corporation
stronger mentally and physically. “It’s like
purchased it, making it fully Klahoose-
a gift from the Creator,” he noted. We were
owned to support economic growth.
invited to try it at Aap’ukw’um, a tradi-
Renowned for seamlessly integrating
tional Klahoose village nearby. My knees
cultural teachings, the lodge earned the
weren’t strong enough for this spiritual
Indigenous Tourism Excellence Award at the
bathing, but for those cold plungers, they
2024 Canadian Tourism Awards.
returned energized.
Cruising Toba Inlet
Another day, the chilly waters of Toba
Inlet were poking into the steep Coast
Mountains. Changing sunlight smudged
into misty, moody moments—I felt like a
speck on nature’s canvas on this wilder-
ness boat tour.
In spring, when fish migrate, photo-
graphers gather to capture bald eagles
feasting during extreme tides. In fall,
visitors climb raised wooden blinds to
observe grizzlies, but our day was quieter.
We drifted toward the estuary, where a
keen-eyed passenger spotted a courting
pair, triggering a rapid-fire chorus of
camera shutters.
Later, we discovered harbour seals
tucked behind a waterfall, hiding from
orcas that patrol these waters. To the Kla-
hoose, orcas are sacred, believed to carry
ancestral spirits, protecting the ocean.
Though none appeared, we photographed
seals and seabirds, savouring the solitude
as we picnicked beneath moss-draped trees.
Special Ceremonies
As our final full day waned, Louie invited
us to join a traditional cedar brushing cer-
emony. Standing at the lodge door, the
ocean and mountains framing his dark
hair, he drummed, his steady rhythm car-
rying the prayer song of Chief Dan George.
Delorme lit sage, its smoke curling sky-
ward, while Harry held a large cedar
bough, his voice weaving ancient words.
One by one, we walked barefoot toward
the lodge door.
When my turn came, I closed my eyes,
motionless against the sea backdrop.
Harry and Delorme guided an eagle
feather through the smudge, its fragrant
smoke swirling around me. Just above my
skin, Harry swept the cedar bough,
brushing away unseen burdens. I sighed
as something shifted within me. The
feather never touched me, yet I felt
lighter, as if worries had been lifted.
The next morning, as our boat pulled
away, Louie urged us to call out in Kla-
hoose words, summoning our spirits
home. Otherwise, he warned, a piece of us
might linger behind, leaving us unsettled.
I could understand the temptation to stay.
As I called my soul back, I wondered if
one day, I might return.
DS
TRAVEL PLANNER
Klahoose Wilderness Resort
klahooseresort.com
SPRING/SUMMER 2025 DREAMSCAPES 53