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Petroglyph Tour - 2hr Walking Tour
The two-hour ‘Petroglyph Tour’ features a walk through the Great Bear Rainforest with aboriginal guides. Learn about the ancient history of this amazing place while the sounds of traditional songs and stories echo through the forest. It’s a magical experience not offered anywhere else in the world.
Totem Tour - Two hour Walking Tour
The two-hour ‘Walk of the Totems’ is a tour of the charming village of Bella Coola on foot, from the banks of the river to the traditional school. Towering totem poles tell the smayustas (creation stories) of past and present. The tour also features a visit to a working carvers studio.
Big Cedars Tour - 2hr Walking Tour
Walk the cedars trail at Walker Island
Where you will learn the many uses of the cedar tree by the Nuxalk people & see how they harvested for carving and weaving. Old growth at this site are 1000 years old!
Raft the Bella Coola River
Drifting by all the old village sites, with the chance to see wildlife such as: Grizzlies, Black bears, Eagles, & Deer.
Odegaard Falls Hike
1/2 day guided hike - includes the use of our 4x4 vehicle, for the drive up Nusatsum Valley, which is on a forest service road.
M. Gurr View Point
Full day guided hike - also includes the use of one of our 4x4 vehicles, for the drive up Clayton Creek road.
Featured Artists
Alvin Mack
Biography:
Alvin Mack is an accomplished and well-respected artist of the Nuxalk Nation. A serious artist for over 30 years, Mack has mentored dozens of young artists through his work at the local Acwsalcta School and as a leader in the community.
From the Noosgulch region of the Bella Coola Valley, Mack’s grandmother Mary Samson was the last person to be born at the Mack family’s original village site.
Mack considers creating art akin to culture, and sees no distinction between the two. He is passionate about his Nuxalkmc culture and sees the art as an essential vessel to keeping traditions alive and educating people about Nuxalk history.
He cites his own father, Willie Mack, as one of his greatest influences, recalling that Nuxalk art would have almost died out if it wasn’t for a few dedicated carvers who kept the art alive, his father being one of them. He considers his work to be more traditional, focusing on the Nuxalk story each piece conveys.
In 2014 Alvin was the recipient of the prestigious BC Creative Lifetime Achievement Award.
Artist Statement:
"I always go back to our history, and that history has so much lost information that needs to be rebuilt in our community. So the subject for me is to bring that history out: who we are, where we’re from, and we can let the world know "this is us" through our art."
Noel Pootlass
Biography:
Noel Pootlass, Chief Sixlaxaalyc, is the Hereditary Chief of the village of Qomqots, upon which most members of the Nuxalk Nation now reside and he carries on traditional responsibilities for the land. A self-taught artist, Pootlass has learned from master carver Alvin Mack as he’s progressed, and he’s talented and hardworking - producing multiple pieces in one session.
Pootlass characterizes his work as both traditional and contemporary, gleaning most of his inspiration from the stories of supernatural beings, passed on through generations from his ancestors. He considers carving, especially mask carving, to be a spiritual experience, and this is evident in his work.
Pootlass also paints, producing both traditional works and contemporary landscape and wildlife creations. However, he prefers to return to those traditions that have been handed down through generations and are considered the lifeblood of the Nuxalkmc people.
Artist Statement:
"When a person comes into my shop and they fall in love with a particular piece, when it brings them joy in their heart, and they have a connection to that piece: that’s what I hope for when I create art."
Troy Anderson
Biography:
Troy Anderson is a Nuxalk/Heiltsuk artist born and raised in Bella Coola. He is of both Nuxalk and Heiltsuk descent, and carries the Anderson name of his Heiltsuk family.
Largely a self-taught artists, Anderson is a well-known silver jeweler in his home community of Bella Coola, and residents turn to him to create pieces for community events such as potlatches, memorials and weddings.
He first learned the art of jewelry making at Acwsalcta School and credits his early teacher, accomplished jeweler and Nuxalk elder Amos Tallio, with giving him the inspiration to stay with it.
He mostly creates pieces that reflect Nuxalk family crests, and in that sense his work is very traditional. But, he is also well-known for exquisite designs not often seen in traditional native art, such as butterflies. He admits to a penchant for the finer details and thoroughly enjoys the creative process of his work.
Artist Statement:
“I really enjoy creating a piece that represents a family’s crest, because they hold the most meaning for people. My main hope is that people derive enjoyment from my work.”