Rhonda Bracey: At Random

Today was a free day for each of us to do as we wanted. Some went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Skywalk, but that’s not my thing, so I decided to tick off a bucket list item that I’ve had for 30+ years ever since I first heard about the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.

No-one else was interested in going, so I jumped in a cab (side note — Uber or Lyft aren’t allowed in BC as yet!) and got dropped at the door around 10:30. The admissions person said that there was a free guided tour by a docent at 11am, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it. However, I was in the vicinity when she started the tour and stayed until the end, nearly two hours later (the tour normally goes for just over an hour). It was fascinating, especially the information about the potlatch ceremonies, the many uses of the cedar tree (the ‘tree of life’), the various tribes, and how they used what Europeans labelled ‘totem’ poles, but weren’t actually totems because they weren’t worshipped. She also showed us how to identify which animal was which on a pole or in a drawing. I loved it and I’m so glad I went!

This afternoon I need to pack ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning — I’m going out for drinks and dinner with some friends this evening, so I know I’d better pack before I head out!

Bill Reid’s 4-tonne yellow cedar creation story sculpture — after the great flood, raven finds a clam shell containing children. The sand is from Rose Spit in the Haida islands where this story comes from.