Alert Bay is the kind of place you don't really think exists anymore. Located on Cormorant Island, at the top northern tip of Vancouver Island, not many people make it around to their neck of the woods. Judging from the people who live there, it suits them just fine. If you are coming from Vancouver, and you want to drive to Alert Bay, you have to set aside at least a day, as you have to take a ferry to Vancouver Island, then drive up the island for 6 hours, and then take another ferry from Port Mc Neil to Alert Bay. But what you find when you arrive is much worth the hassle in getting there.

The island is small, and populated by both a First Nations (Aboriginal) community, as well as a Caucasian community. The culture and tradition of the First Nations is evident from the moment you step off of the ferry. There are gorgeous totem pole carvings, and a giant traditional long house where potlaches, as pictured above, are held. These ceremonies are spiritually powerful, with dancing, elaborate costumes, and the most fantastic spread of locally caught smoked salmon and other west coast delicacies.

The island is teeming with wildlife and is at the heart of the Broughton Archipelago, one of the worlds top destinations for whale watching. On the second day I was there, after capturing these two bald headed eagles resting on one of the world's tallest totem poles, we took a boat to a nearby First Nations settlement of Village Island. Most First Nation villages are a mixture of the their old tradition and the amalgamation of the European settlers who arrived in the late 1800's. The clash between the two cultures has had a resounding effect on the socio-economic status of the First Nations in today's society; but it still provides an interesting insight into the results of colonialism in North America.