The amazing terrain of the Nisǥa’a Memorial Lava Bed, near Terrace, British Columbia, Canada, begins with a legend.
Long ago, this land began to shake and rumble. Nature’s harmony had been upset.
It began by the river when one child took a humpback (salmon) from the water and slit open its back. Then he stuck sticks in its back, lit them, and made the humpback swim.
The other children were amused to see the fish swim upriver with smoke coming from its back.
The same child slit open another humpback and stuck a piece of shale in its back.
Then he made it swim but the humpback floated on one side, weighted down by the shale.
The other children laughed despite the elders’ warnings.
And the ground rumbled.
A scout was sent to investigate the rumblings. From the mountain top, he saw smoke and flames up the valley….
The legend continues how the villagers, although warned by their scout, could not escape the lava flow. As they watched death and destruction surround them, they suddenly saw the mighty Gwa Xts’agat, a supernatural being who possessed the power of fire, block the lava’s path. For days the spirit lay with its big nose fighting back the lava. Finally, the lava cooled and Gwa Xts’agat went back into the mountain where it remains to this day.
Long ago, this land began to shake and rumble. Nature’s harmony had been upset.
It began by the river when one child took a humpback (salmon) from the water and slit open its back. Then he stuck sticks in its back, lit them, and made the humpback swim.
The other children were amused to see the fish swim upriver with smoke coming from its back.
The same child slit open another humpback and stuck a piece of shale in its back.
Then he made it swim but the humpback floated on one side, weighted down by the shale.
The other children laughed despite the elders’ warnings.
And the ground rumbled.
A scout was sent to investigate the rumblings. From the mountain top, he saw smoke and flames up the valley….
The legend continues how the villagers, although warned by their scout, could not escape the lava flow. As they watched death and destruction surround them, they suddenly saw the mighty Gwa Xts’agat, a supernatural being who possessed the power of fire, block the lava’s path. For days the spirit lay with its big nose fighting back the lava. Finally, the lava cooled and Gwa Xts’agat went back into the mountain where it remains to this day.
The legend underlines how important the fish is to Nisǥa’a people. It is taboo to ridicule the fish and to do so, as did that errant child, led to the unfortunate death of over 2,000 villagers. Now in harmony with their environment, the Nisǥa’a long ago developed a respect for their land. Today they welcome interested visitors who take the time to drive along the 158 km Nisǥa’a Highway,100 km. north of Terrace, to the lava beds and more.
Along with three children, ages 4 to 11, we tread carefully along the winding lava paths that spilled from the mountain crater about 240 years ago. The boys claimed the stark and dramatic landscape was ‘perfect’. A great place to act out a Star Wars scene!
The first thing we saw when we five jumped from the car were two ominous warnings:
First, lava in the park is sharp and unstable; walk only on designated trails. The lava is culturally significant---it is illegal to remove lava from the park.
Second, you are in grizzly and black bear territory. If you see bears, do not disturb---return to your vehicle. (Gulp… how fast can you run with three small kids?)
The first thing we saw when we five jumped from the car were two ominous warnings:
First, lava in the park is sharp and unstable; walk only on designated trails. The lava is culturally significant---it is illegal to remove lava from the park.
Second, you are in grizzly and black bear territory. If you see bears, do not disturb---return to your vehicle. (Gulp… how fast can you run with three small kids?)
As a result of the bear warning, when we entered the Beaupre Falls trail, we yelled and screamed and clapped and stomped. No bear dare come near this ruckus! After a short walk we arrived to a lookout with a clear view of the falls, Ts’itksim Aks, and the small mountain with the English name, Trap for Porcupines.
After more screaming and hooting and hollering to scare bears, we continued our highway drive to the Tree Cast stop. During the volcanic eruption, molten lava solidified around trees creating hollow tubes after the trees burned or rotted. Wild horses couldn’t keep the kids from galloping off in search of these holes. Like nimble monkeys, they scrambled over the lava gaps, convinced they were on a futuristic movie set. They found the holes easily (a posted sign!) but to them it was a moonscape paradise.
Ever wary for bear sightings, we drove on to Gitwinksihlkw village (population: about 1800), known as Place of the Lizards, on the Nass River. Oral stories passed on by elders tell of large lizards that lived here before the volcanic eruption. Survivors resettled the village when the lava flow cooled. Two significant features here attracted us: the 55 foot high Bears’ Den totem pole and the old suspension bridge across the Nass. That narrow, one person only, bridge sure looked rickety. Only our eldest decided to stand on the swaying platform at its beginning. No-one wanted the bridge to collapse chucking innocent victims into the deep water below!
Although we did not have time to traverse the entire length of the highway to take in all the stops, our big disappointment was not hiking to the volcanic cone. Unguided access to the cone is prohibited and no guides were available this time of year.
Still, it provided an overview lesson in life for our three young grandchildren. And to our relief, but to their disappointment, we never saw any bears!
Although we did not have time to traverse the entire length of the highway to take in all the stops, our big disappointment was not hiking to the volcanic cone. Unguided access to the cone is prohibited and no guides were available this time of year.
Still, it provided an overview lesson in life for our three young grandchildren. And to our relief, but to their disappointment, we never saw any bears!
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