Klemtu

 
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Heading north from Bella Bella, we crossed Seaforth Channel on a crisp blue-sky day, threaded our way through the rock-strewn entrance to Reid Passage, made a sharp elbow-turn into Oscar Passage, then a sharp turn north up Finlayson Channel.  Our destination: the first nations’ settlement of Klemtu, a Kitasoo native village, about which the cruising guides give almost no information.  As we floated up to the small public dock, we weren’t sure what to expect, but luckily, the dock-end was open next to a large purse seiner, the Pacific Marl.  The Pacific Marl’s young crew caught our lines, and when we tied up we met Skipper Bob, from Vancouver, who told us he’d been captaining the 1927 Pacific Marl since 1975. 

 

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The Coho were jumping like crazy in Klemtu.  One of the Marl’s crew, Peter, from the native village of Alert Bay told us it was because they were “happy,” just playing in the water, leaping around because they’d made it back to the river of their birth.  This was the first time we heard this, but now, after weeks of watching salmon catapulting themselves through the air for no apparent reason, we believe it to be true.

While we were eating dinner, there was a knock on our cabin:  it was Skipper Bob, his wife Cathy, Peter and their adopted dockhand, inviting us to join them on a walk to Klemtu’s cedar longhouse.  Peter’s cousin was the caretaker, and evidently, had a key. We were eager to see the longhouse, so leapt up and joined them on a lovely evening walk along the Klemtu boardwalk, which circles the small bay.  Most of Klemtu seemed to be out fishing or strolling the boardwalk in the warm summer light, still vivid at 8:45 pm.  Every person we passed waved and said “hello,”  (or introduced themselves and asked if we were from the sailboat – the only one in Klemtu). 

 

 
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Caretaker Gary Robinson met us at the longhouse, unlocked the door, and let us inside. Everything smelled of rich, fragrant cedar.  We admired the raven, wolf, and eagle carvings while Gary, in his soft-spoken, understated way, told us wonderful stories of his family, father, ancestors, and Klemtu.  Gary also opened the small “museum” next to he longhouse, where there were beautiful artifacts that had been donated to the Kitasoo nation, including old “coppers” used in ceremonial potlaches, and an ornate bear mask with a hinged jaw, flat copper nose, and copper eyes carved recently for Gary by a master carver in honor of Gary’s father.

 
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In the morning we woke to a chilly cabin, maybe 45 degrees and steamy windows.  We revved up the generator, got the floor heaters going along with a pot of strong coffee, then sadly slipped out of friendly Klemtu.  “Everywhere I look, I see a fish jump,” Jeff said.  And it was crazy-true.  Fish leaping in happy circles all around us, we headed north again…