The west coast of the Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada forms the dwelling for Hesquiaht community members. Hesquiaht belongs to the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and is a part of the First Nations government. The author Karen Charleson, in her descriptive article about this place, refers Hesquiaht as a collective term to the place, the natives and the language and eternity of this close to nature spot. Being an active participant in the Hesquiaht rediscovery camp, she receded due to the political pressure and took to establishing of the Hooksum Outdoor School, dedicated to outdoor and environmental education. The article describes Hesquiaht as not just a mere First Nations community but an educational hub, exclusively in the lap of nature.
Hesquiaht is a nation isolated from the world due to its remote location and inadequate modes of transport. The travel is restricted to a boat journey along the Pacific waters, ending into this secure Vancouver Island harbor. The name Hesquiaht is collectively referred to the place as well as its inhabitants and together coincides to form distinct from the world. The entry into this place is welcoming, with a whole new experience of the nature. The nostalgia is revered upon reaching a river that is ever filled with coho and chum salmon, which strayed across the thick, tangled, salal abundance, where once stood the home of the author’s in-laws. The river further wanders into the dark green forest of tall cedar trees that provided the inhabitants with bark for domestic usage. The taste and the smell of the salt in the air, the shallow water beaches lined with marine barnacles and the fences of fish remains, bring back the memories to life.
Each season has exhibits the nature in a different view. The summers pour in a few varieties of birds, from the hovering bald eagles to the ravens, from the bothersome crows to the sandpipers. The marbled murrelets that had been the show stoppers until sometime back had disappeared for the time being. All these species of birds waited for the human activities to settle before gorging on from the tide-bared sands. At the sunrise, the mountains and the curtain of trees protect campers from the scorching sun by providing adequate shade until mid-day and at dusk the softened rays caress the campers till the sun plunges into the ocean at the peninsular horizon of Hesquiaht.
The late winters usually present a feast for the campers. Shore of Iusuk is heated up with schools of herring, ready for breeding on the beds of kelp and eelgrass. Diversity is at its best and life emerges in its richest form. Different life forms like, eagles, seagulls, various species of ducks arrive in such numbers that their plummeted bits of feathers mask the waters. Stellar’s sea lions keep a constant watch on the coast. Sight of the grey whales feeding themselves for weeks is gripping, as these mammals plump up and gear up for their north migration.
As the spring descends, sleuth of bears pass through the beach and forest on regular trails. They stroll besides the campers unperturbed by their presence. Their activities are marked slowly as they proceed to overturn the rocks on the ocean’s edge to grab their share of food, the crabs! They exhibit their fright by moving hurriedly when startled by sudden noises and odd scents.
The journey terminates although the exploration does not. As the author leaves this haven she describes the serenity of this place. “As we leave here, quiet descends”, the author renders a personified statement where the quiet is synonymous to the absence of human noise. As all the other sounds are in rhythm with the nature comprising the whole eternity.
The present scenario of Iusuk, the Hesquiaht Indian Reserve till the 1960s suggests its conquering by the Canadian government. It has been separated away from its parent nation and transferred to provincial control of Canada. The reason for this transfer is unclear to a level that Hesquiaht First Nations is presently in court, suing Canada for its return.
The message conveyed through this article is undoubtedly the expectation of the author to preserve the indigenous culture and the spaces of Hesquiaht. The author herself an inhabitant of the Hesquiaht First Nations from the past 25 years, has been closely associated with the culture, natural habitat and the language of this place. The author gives a detailed description of every movement associated with the nature and how the life forms indigenous or immigrants enhance the habitat. She describes the beauty that nature offers in each season and how it provides a visual treat for the onlookers. Further explaining the establishing of the Outdoor School, the author relates the school activities to the nature and how the programs are conducted without altering or damaging the nature and its resources. She further portrays a message to open out this place to the world, away from its present isolated status. The article is effective to a point that the reader captivated by the nature’s essence, completely agrees with the author.
Works Cited
Charelson, Karen,. "Hesquiaht – a People, a Place, and a Language” The richness of Hesquiath.
Canadian Geographic., 01 Aug. 1998. Web. 18 May 2013.
