Change begins when you dip your paddle

Guide Page 11

Hidden deep in the forests of British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands is a holiday paradise that is steeped in Aboriginal culture and tradition.

"Culture is what it's all about," said Louie Waters. Waters welcomes visitors from all nations and backgrounds to his island paradise.

Although he grew up in Saskatchewan on the Starblanket Reserve near Prince Albert, Sask., a move to a small island near Queen Charlotte City soon convinced him that the lifestyle of this pristine area of Canada was one he never wanted to leave.

"Who wouldn't be entranced by daily activities, which included hunting, fishing and sustenance gathering," he wonders.

Waters saw an opportunity to share the idyllic lifestyle with others, and to make a modest living at the same time.

"I only had one canoe, but I managed to keep busy with guests from the local motels and hotels in the area, offering them a taste of traditional life," he said.

Today, 20 later, he said he looks back on an evolution that saw not only his business grow, but his own personal spiritual journey of discovery as well.

"It's been a path that has led me to grow as a person, spending time in the rain forest, in the canoe on the peaceful waters, and seeing others develop on a personal level as well," he said.

Waters said all people have the seed of personal discovery within them, but unless an opportunity presents itself where it can be explored, it never gets developed.

"It is there in all of us, but it hasn't been awakened yet," he explained.

The Haida people traditionally used canoes in everyday life and the canoes used at Gwaii Ecotours are built by master Haida carver Christian White from nearby Masset.

"He uses the original 18-foot wood dugout, but makes it lighter, portable, and more easily manoeuvred by adding fibreglass, making a combination of the old and the new," Waters said. As a result, everyone, including elderly people or those with mobility problems, can easily navigate the vessels.

A typical adventure is a campout of several days where visitors are introduced to the skills of canoeing.

"We let them decide how much they want to challenge themselves each day," said Waters. The spiritual journey begins right away as guests plan the level of skill they will try to achieve, challenging their inner resources. Some are determined to learn the craft of canoeing, others would rather sit and enjoy the forest and the sunsets, and commune with nature and with their own personal thoughts.

The Waters family has ties to local hereditary chief Skedans, who is now 89 years old and still very active in the community.

"He is our teacher, and our visitors are guided using these teachings of the Elders as they explore the potential spirituality which awaits them," said Waters. The Haida have given the Waters family an incredible gift in allowing them to live and share this wonderful life, he added.

"It takes visitors about an hour-and-a-half to begin feeling the wonderful peace here. They feel it almost instantly," he said. When you get into a canoe, and you put that paddle into the water, you suddenly become aware of everything around you. The water, the skies, the animals around you, the trees; you are connecting. You are not observing, you are a part of it, and it's a magical place," he said.

Wildlife sighted could include many species of marine life, such as porpoises, fish, seals, otters, and killer whales on occasion.

"We are actually located on Bear Skin Bay and there are lots of birds in the area as well," he said. The trees are both new growth and old growth rain forest.

"Trees 50 feet around that were present when the original Haida lived off the land are getting rare now, but the newer growth is pretty spectacular and impressive too." People leave with a renewed commitment to preserve the rain forest that is still left, their awareness increased by the experience of visiting the area.

"So basically, what we are doing is nviting people to share with us a traditional lifestyle that is very spiritual and personally fulfilling," Waters said. Visitors find their priorities changing after the experience.

"The canoes are only built for two people, and even one person can handle it on his own. We only take out groups of six in a party because in an eco-sensitive area you don't want any more at one time," he said. For a few hours or a few days visitors can live a lifestyle that the ancestors enjoyed, setting traps, fishing and pursuing other subsistence activities.

"We get people experiencing the feelings created by being in a canoe, in the presence of nature, in a time-honored traditional activity and they are enriched forever."