Beautiful Vancouver

My Dearest Shelley,

Here we are in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, where we are visiting my sweet Buddee’s old Aunt Unutzi. She lives with a member of the Tsleil-Waututh tribe, who are one of the Coast Salish people. The Coast Salish are one of the biggest tribes of First Nations in the province.

Oh, Shelly, this place is incredibly beautiful, almost beyond description. Having lived in the Australian desert for so long, I had forgotten how green the world can be. And this may well be one of the greener spots on earth. It is cool and damp here, but not as cold as I would have expected it to be. There are trees galore, of almost every kind and description, stately oaks, and firs and alders, bright maples, hemlocks cedars, and tall pines. Tucked away in the forest are wildflowers in rainbow hues. My favorite, of course, was the wild rose. It has beautiful, delicate, pale pink flowers. I am so glad I was here when it was in bloom. When Aunt Unutzi found out it was my favorite, she gave me a jar of rose hips jam from rose hips she herself had gathered.

Living with the Tsleil-Waututh tribe has been an experience in itself. They have a rich and fascinating heritage, which is seen in all aspects of their lives from their clothing to their jewelry, and even their foods.

The first night we were invited to a potlatch given in our honor. A potlatch is an important ceremony which marks an occasion of significance. First there were dances wearing fearsome masks. Then storytellers came and told of how the world began.

After that there was a feast of wonderful aboriginal foods, which included such delicacies as smoked seal meat, fresh salmon, grilled buffalo, and crisp kelp served with Oolican Oil. All of this was served in a longhouse, which is a traditional house built of logs. I must admit I had never eaten any of these foods other than the salmon. But I am always willing to try new things. The grilled buffalo was surprisingly good, but I wasn’t too sure about the kelp in oil. If you ever get the chance, at least give it a taste.

Wandering around the village the next day, I had a chance to observe many totem poles first hand. They are beautifully carved. A totem tells the story of a family, and each family’s story is quite unique, and therefore each totem pole is different. An old man of the village saw me admiring the many totem poles, and carved one especially for us. As Auntie Unutzi is part of the Raven Clan, the first figure was a raven, followed by figures of three cats, Auntie Unutzie, Buddee and myself. It is painted in vibrant colors of red and turquoise and white.

Later in the week we went on a jet boat tour along the Fraser River, where we saw many other villages. We also had the chance to explore an ancient archeological site. I must say Buddee was in heaven, as this is a real passion for him. I too enjoy such things, and was quite fascinated by the petroglyphs. I made rubbings of them on paper with charcoal. I can hardly wait to show them to you. While on the river we also saw a great and noble bald eagle fly. I would love to be able to soar like a bird. But alas, my four paws are firmly planted on the ground.

Sadly, our time to visit these lovely people came to an end too soon. I would have been happy to stay and absorb the culture for many more weeks. But one last surprise awaited us before we left the village to fly back to our ship. Auntie Unutzi presented us with a lovely button blanket. I was thrilled with this lovely gift.

Hugs and purrs, BabyCat