All language subtitles for Undiscovered Vistas Series 1 14of14 The Canadian Rainforest 1080p HDTV

The wild Pacific Coast
of Vancouver Island.

An ancient and rugged landscape

off the western shore
of British Columbia.

From the icy peaks
of age-old mountain glaciers...

...to the fog-shrouded canopies
of Canada's only rainforest,

this is the wettest place
in North America.

A primitive habitat

where the Pacific Ocean
holds the key to life.

That's why this is one
of the most remarkable places

on Earth.

A land locked in time,

where nature
and the human spirit coexist.

It's just everything you'd
want if you're an adventurous
person.

A paradise for creatures

adapted to life by the sea.

And a never-before-seen view

of one of the most sacred places
on Earth.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

Vancouver Island's
Pacific Coast,

a lush old-growth rainforest
that spans nearly 300 miles

of the western shores
of British Columbia, Canada.

It's the largest island
on the western coast

of the Americas.

And the wettest place
in North America.

Winters here are moist and mild.

Temperatures rarely dip
below 30°.

It is an unusually warm climate

in a country known
for its raw and bitter winters.

Surprisingly,
the small town of Tofino,

on the western shore,

receives the least snow
of any town in Canada.

But what it lacks in snow,
Tofino makes up for with rain.

As many as 27 feet of rain
fall on Tofino each year.

The downpours are seasonal.

December alone brings more rain
to the town

than some parts
of British Columbia receive

in an entire year.

As a result,
the region is home

to one of the world's
most unusual ecosystems,

a temperate coastal rainforest.

In summer,
steady heat brings little rain.

And the climate feels
almost Mediterranean.

This truly is a place
like no other in Canada.

Vancouver Island sits on top

of the westward-moving
North American tectonic plate.

It's part of the Ring of Fire,

a string of volcanoes,
deep ocean trenches,

and earthquake zones
that circles the Pacific Ocean.

It's an area renowned
for its violent geology

and volcanic activity.

If you look at the direction

in which all the continents
are moving,

you'll see that
they're encroaching

on the Pacific.

So it's probably
the most dangerous part

of the planet,

because that process,
and we call it "subduction",

generates
enormous great earthquakes.

It generates volcanoes,
it generates tidal waves.

Continental drift
causes landmasses

to move dramatically over time.

Vancouver Island
is a perfect example

of this phenomenon at work.

The island began its journey
much farther south

than it is today.

It sits atop
a large piece of crust

called "Wrangellia".

Born near the equator
about 380 million years ago,

Wrangellia slowly drifted
northeast along fault lines

at a rate of about 1 foot
every 7 years.

As it moved and fractured,

the chunk of crust carried
several different land masses

colliding
into the North American plate.

These include Southeast Alaska,

the Haida Gwaii archipelago

on the North Coast
of British Columbia,

and Vancouver Island.

It's like you pushing a broom
across the floor

and sweeping up debris.

And so there's been
a whole re-evaluation

of the geology
of Western Canada,

and geologists now realize
it's a mosaic.

And the pieces
actually originate

from thousands of kilometers
away,

and they've been added
to the West Coast

of North America.

Perhaps, surprisingly,
this is not the last stop

for Vancouver Island.

It continues to drift
north-eastward

toward mainland Canada,

about 1 to 2 inches each year,

the same speed
at which fingernails grow.

Eventually,
in about 500,000 years,

the island will collide
with the mainland

to create a new landmass.

Tectonic plate movement
in this part of the Ring of Fire

is dangerous

and it's not necessarily
millions of years

into the future.

There's something
far more imminent

that's of particular concern
to scientists.

A Megathrust earthquake,

known locally as
"The Really Big One".

This earthquake
is predicted to rival

the disastrous quake and tsunami

that devastated parts of Japan
in 2011.

Vancouver Island sits along
the Cascadia subduction zone

where the North America
and Juan de Fuca tectonic plates

are locked in a standoff.

All the stress is building
up,

and there's a lot
of anticipation

and concern about
when those plates unlock.

And we get what we call
a mega earthquake,

a megathrust earthquake.

And it could be tomorrow,
it could be next year

or maybe a thousand years' time.

But there is a history
in the rocks there

of these repeated
megathrust earthquakes.

At a predicted magnitude
of more than 9

on the Richter scale,

an earthquake this large
would trigger a massive tsunami,

nearly 400 miles wide.

Spanning
from San Francisco, California,

to Juneau, Alaska,

and across the ocean
to the far shores

of the western Pacific.

The earthquake
would devastate large cities

including Vancouver, Victoria,
Portland, and Seattle.

A quake like this
is unavoidable.

The question is
when will it strike?

Geological records show

that the last
megathrust earthquake

hit the Pacific Coast
in the year 1700.

Scientists say
there is a one-in-three chance

it will happen again
within the next 50 years.

Vancouver, British Columbia,

could be among the cities
worst affected.

Vancouver is built largely on
very soft sediment

which was brought down
by the Fraser River.

So you've got
this rather unstable situation

of wet sediment.

And we know from places
like Japan,

when you shake
that wet sediment,

it very often turns
into a liquid.

Buildings literally fall down

through the softened sediment
and tilt.

So the effects
of the megathrust earthquake

can be actually magnified,

because most of the city
is underlined

by soft, wet sediment.

For now,
the same geological processes

that threaten Vancouver Island

breathe life
into its ecosystems.

As fragments of plates
have subducted under the island,

its interior mountain range
has risen up above.

This mountain chain
forms a rain shadow,

an impenetrable wall of rock
that prevents moisture

moving inland from the ocean
from passing over its peaks.

It's the strongest factor
in the creation

of the Pacific
temperate rainforest.

By trapping precipitation
on the west side of the island,

the mountains cause
huge amounts of fog and rainfall

along the island's
Pacific Coast,

creating a lush rainforest
unlike any other.

On the edge
of this unlikely northern jungle

is Meares Island,

an ancient-growth forest
that's been held sacred

for more than a thousand years.

(Birds chirping)

Meares Island is home
to some of the largest

and oldest trees on Earth,

1,500-year-old cedars

tended by local Tla-o-qui-aht
First Nations.

It is a harmonious relationship
between humans and nature

that has stood the test of time.

We have an inter-generational
responsibility

that is passed on, you know,
to be taking care

not only of the land,
but the ocean, the rivers,

and all the living things
that are in this area.

(Birds chirping in distance)

Meares Island is Canada's
first official Tribal Park.

Faced by the threat of logging
in the 1980s,

local people fought
to protect their sacred land

from deforestation.

After intense negotiations
with the Canadian government,

they were successful.

And Meares Island was declared
a Tribal Park in 1984.

Now under the watchful eye
of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations,

the island is used
as a nature park,

where visitors can sit
among some of the oldest trees

on the planet.

(Birds chirping in distance)

Here on Meares Island's
Big Tree Trail

stands one of the largest
and oldest living organisms

on Earth...

(Birds chirping in distance)

...the Hanging Garden Tree.

A western red cedar
60 feet wide,

it's more than 2,000 years old.

And was likely just a sapling
at the dawn of Christianity.

Some of these ancient red cedars
can reach heights

of more than 170 feet.

There are only a few
of these majestic giants left

on Vancouver Island.

Years of deforestation
and development destroyed

much of the island's old growth.

But the time-worn cedars
that do remain

are able to grow
to staggering proportions

due to the torrents
of precipitation that fall

each year.

Heavy rainfall in the winter
and extreme fog in the summer

create a constant dampness
that prevents forest fires

from igniting and burning down
these ancient woods.

But it isn't just
a warm, sodden climate

that keeps this forest
flourishing.

It's protected
by another guardian.

One so small,
it's easily overlooked,

buried beneath the feet
of visitors.

Yet so large,

it connects
the trees of the forest,

forming one of the most
immense organisms on Earth,

fungus.

Fungus is the lifeblood
of this rainforest ecosystem.

It feeds nutrients
to trees and animals

through a living network

that exists just below
the mossy forest floor.

You're on a living mat

that connects one tree species
to another tree species.

Each tree is connected to
others by fungal roots called
mycelium.

These strands of living tissue
carry nitrogen and phosphorous,

nutrients that help plants grow.

The connections are so strong

that cutting down a tree
in one end of the forest

can impact a tree
on the opposite end.

This fungal network
has been called

"Earth's natural internet"

and can serve
as a warning system

for impending disease.

Trees pick up
on chemical signals of distress

from their neighbors
that travel through the network.

All of these creatures,
these tree creatures,

these Ents,
as in Lord of the Rings ,

truly are connected
by a real physical

and biological connection.

Like the constant moisture
of the rainforest,

this fungal network is key
to the survival of old growth.

It provides 1,000-year-old trees
with the nutrients they need

to keep growing.

Although science
does not yet fully understand

the complexity
of these networks,

it's clear
that this unique habitat

could not exist without them.

When you go out
into the forest,

you're walking on life.

Life connecting
with other creatures.

It's not some spiritual thing,
it's a real thing.

Yet behind it
is this spirit of life,

the spirit of evolution,

that's why this is one
of the most remarkable places

on Earth.

This remarkable place
is also home

to a diversity of wildlife,
nourished by the lush forests

and nutrient-rich
inter-tidal zones.

Here, a black bear
goes in search of breakfast.

Hungry predators like him
take advantage of low tides

that expose small prey
in the early morning

and turn shorelines
into a buffet of mollusks

and crustaceans.

It's 8:00 a.m., low tide
and the best time to find food.

But it's a race
against the clock,

every minute counts.

In just a few hours,
the high tide will wash back in,

hiding prey
under more than 9 feet of water.

But for now,

clams, oysters, and crabs
are ripe for the picking.

The black bear
is the smallest bear

of the three species
in North America.

But this is
no average black bear.

This is
a Vancouver Island black bear,

an endemic subspecies
of the common black bear.

Here, the bears run larger
than their mainland cousins.

Females weigh an average
of 400 pounds,

while males can tip the scales
at more than 600 pounds,

the weight
of a large touring motorcycle.

Green shore crabs scuttle off,

wary of the bears
that feed on this bank.

They're common on the shores
of Vancouver Island

and make a tasty snack.

The breakfast buffet
of the inter-tidal zone

feeds more
than the local bear population.

(Seagulls screeching)

Crows and gulls
also take advantage

of the exposed shoreline,
pecking for small prey

and scavenging the remains
left by larger animals.

These opportunistic hunters
find plenty of food

on the nutrient-rich beaches.

Larger birds
make this coastline home

as well.

A bald eagle rests
in a cedar tree,

its keen eyes able to spot
small prey 100 feet below.

Eagles find easy meals
on these shores during low-tide.

Today, the shores begin
to clear out around noon.

The feast dies down
as the high tides creep back in.

But another kind of frenzy
is just getting started.

(♪♪♪)

Powerful waves
crash along the shores,

creating ideal conditions
for the best surfing in Canada.

With more than 20 miles
of surf-able beach break,

Tofino is known worldwide

as a top spot to catch a wave.

Surfers flock here year-round.

I really like surfing
early in the morning,

before the wind picks up
and before people wake up.

You can, you know, find waves
where it'll just be you

and your friends surfing
for 3 or 4 days

if you make the effort
to maybe go on a plane ride

or a boat ride
or really hike down

in through some forests.

Or if you just wanna be lazy
and surf,

the beaches are right
on your doorstep.

Uh, there's probably
about five or six beaches

that you can surf here.

Water temperatures remain
cool but consistent at about
50°.

Surfing here
is a year-round sport.

The largest waves
come in winter,

when the surf rises
with powerful swells.

But each surfer's ideal wave
is different.

My favorite time of year
to surf is the fall.

When the water
is still kind of warm

from the summer,

but the waves
start to get bigger,

and we start to get
some bigger swells coming in.

Chesterman Beach,
with its dramatic V-shape,

is a surfer's playground.

Dissected at its point
by Frank Island,

the beach is split perfectly
in two.

South Chesterman packs a punch

with southern swells
and northwest winds.

North Chesterman provides
the opposite experience,

with climbing north-west swells
and south-easterly winds.

Surfers don wetsuits to ward off
chilly water temperatures.

And there are other hazards
for surfers in Tofino.

In addition to bears
on the beach,

there are orcas in these waters.

Surfers have been forced
out of the sea

by circling pods
of killer whales,

though there's never been
an attack.

For nature lovers
and adventure seekers,

there is more to Tofino
than rolling waves.

If I'm not surfing, I'm
hiking and not just hiking the
beaches.

Like within an hour's drive
from here,

you can hike up
a beautiful mountain

like up a waterfall
and swim in a lake,

you know, up the top.

It's just everything you'd want

if you're an adventurous,
fun-loving person.

But other places along
the same stretch of shoreline

are not so hospitable.

The Pacific coastal region
between Northern Oregon

and the top of Vancouver Island

is one of North America's
most treacherous coastlines.

Unpredictable weather,
jagged shores, and intense fog

have sunk thousands of ships,

earning this stretch
of coastline the nickname,

"The Graveyard of the Pacific".

The historic
Amphitrite Lighthouse

has helped sailors navigate

the island's
treacherous coastlines

for more than 100 years.

The lighthouse was built in 1906

after the tragic sinking
of the Pass of Melfort

in the winter of 1905.

The four-masted,
steel-hulled ship

was on its way to Seattle
on a routine timber run

until seasonal storms
whipped up deadly waves,

leaving the vessel
in ruin just 160 feet

off the shore
of Amphitrite Point.

The tragedy left 36 people dead.

Since then, the lighthouse
has guided sailors to safety

through thick fog
along rocky coasts.

(Waves splashing in distance)

The most ancient layers
of Vancouver Island

are comprised
of marine volcanic rock

formed by undersea lava deposits

more than 300 million years ago.

Over millennia,
the calcium shells

of countless marine animals
added to the rock

to create limestone.

These ancient rocks
formed long colonnades

that jut out
into the Pacific Ocean,

posing hazards
for passing ships.

But even more dangerous
than the jagged rock

is the unrelenting fog.

August on the west coast
of Vancouver Island

is nicknamed "Fogust".

Two types of fog
cloak the west coast,

radiation and advection.

Radiation fog is common
during late summer

and is created
when surface temperatures

cool rapidly at night.

Ground water evaporates
into warmer air,

condensing as a thin layer
of surface cloud

close to ground.

Daytime rising temperatures
typically burn off radiation fog

by mid-afternoon.

But advection fog
can last for several days

when warm, moist air
blows across cooler land

or water.

The fog is an essential part

of the Pacific Coast's
rainforest ecosystem.

During the dry summer,

it supplies the forests
with much-needed moisture.

Fog drip accounts
for more than 35%

of the rainforest's
annual precipitation.

Without this thick haze,

Canada's only rainforest
could not survive.

Life on this remarkable island

depends on the delicate balance
of its ecosystems.

Like waves of the Pacific shore,

life here ebbs and flows
in a natural rhythm.

To the keen observer,

this lush paradise

can provide everything needed
for survival.

A really big compliment
that you can get in our culture

is that you have been
very observant.

So there was a lot of time
that people just spent in nature

observing various things.

What the birds are saying,
what the tide is doing,

do you hear a rumble
along the ocean

that'll help you know
what's going on out there

in terms of swell.

What the clouds are doing,

which mountain tops
they're sitting on top off.

All these things,

and you can learn so much
just from that observance.

For generations, First
Nations have lived off the land,

looking to nature
to supply shelter and food.

In the past, we managed
these root vegetable gardens

that were our main starches

and those were
very carefully gardened

and managed by specific families
within the tribe.

Some First Nations communities
still rely on the shores

of the island for food.

Living off the land
demands an expert level

of observance.

Foragers need to be aware
of the balance

of supply and demand.

Through the ages,
the lives of First Nations

were intertwined
with the natural world.

Aboriginal people
considered the growth

and reproduction cycles
of plants and animals

before harvesting

to sustain the food supply
for generations to come.

It's important to learn about
whatever that resource is,

not just as a human use thing,
but its own lifecycle

and just how,

under what circumstances
does it thrive, or not?

And if you do have access
to indigenous knowledge

and people that are willing
to share, to respectfully ask,

that's a good start.

From up high,

the lush rainforests
of Vancouver Island

burst with life.

Dense greenery is a vivid sign
of a healthy forest.

These aerial views
also provide clues

about the health
of a different species,

salmon.

The carcasses of salmon

dragged from spawning streams
hundreds of feet inland

provide a rich source
of nitrogen to nearby forests.

Studies show the trees here
obtain up to 50%

of their nitrogen
from the decaying fish.

Forests made healthy
by dead salmon

attract more birds and insects,

increasing
the overall well-being

of the ecosystem.

As a result,
lush forests like this

usually indicate
a healthy salmon run.

(Water splashing)

There are four kinds of salmon
on Vancouver Island.

Chinook salmon is the largest.

It can live for up to 9 years

and reach weights
of more than 130 pounds,

making it the largest
salmon species on Earth.

These muscular fish spawn
in the majority

of Vancouver Island's streams
and rivers.

Every fall, salmon return
to the place they were born

to lay their eggs
and restart the cycle of life.

It's an epic journey

that can cover
thousands of miles

from the wide-open Pacific Ocean
to natal streams

that can reach far inland.

Guided by the Earth's
magnetic fields

and their own sense of smell,

salmon find the river
of their birth,

then brave waterfalls and rapids

to make it to their spawning
grounds far upstream.

Once they arrive
at their destination,

females can lay
between 2,000 to 5,000 eggs

before they become senescent,
meaning they've spawned out.

The high number of eggs
is vital to the survival

of the species.

The ova are vulnerable
to predators, pollution,

flooding, and disease

Less than 10% will make it
to adulthood

and just 2% will survive
the incredible journey

back to their birthplace
to spawn

and continue the cycle of life.

South of Tofino
is the crown jewel

of Vancouver Island's
west coast.

Pacific Rim National Park,

home to rainforests
filled with ancient cedars

and diverse wildlife.

It's also home
to one of the island's

unexpected
and rarest ecosystems,

sand dunes.

In Western Canada,
sand dunes and sandy beaches

comprise less than 10%
of our shoreline.

That makes them rare,
but what makes them special

is that these are selected spots
for a whole host

of different species
that only exist

in sandy substrate.

Dunes are created in equal
parts by wind and water.

Over time, wind pushes waves
and sand ashore,

piling grains of sand
into wind deposits.

These dunes are the largest
in British Columbia

and are an important
transitional zone

between beach and forest.

These are very rare,
very selected habitats

for a whole host
of different species

and communities that only exist
in select spots

like here in Tofino, Ucluelet.

Migratory birds, bears,

and a variety
of plants and insects

call the dunes home.

But an intruder
has put the dunes at risk.

Dune systems of this size
are really rare.

What we see
in most coastal dune systems

in the northern hemisphere
is that

they are slowly shrinking
or stabilizing

by vegetation moving in
on their margins.

We see that
on the fore-dune here,

in response to an introduced
or invasive species,

that's known as an American
or European beach-grass.

Beach-grass
was originally brought

to Vancouver Island

to stabilize coastal areas
at risk of erosion.

But over time,
this invasive species

began to block
the natural transfer of sand

between dunes.

Without a natural flow of sand,
dunes can shrink over time

endangering the plants,
insects and animals

that make their home
in the sand.

To help fight
invasive European beach-grass,

the park introduced
a restoration program.

Local community members
remove the beach grass by hand,

replacing it
with the endangered plants.

These kids here are pulling
invasive dune grass

for the dune restoration
project.

It's a very important
ecosystem here

and these kids are helping
to restore it.

The goal is to restore
the way wind naturally blows

the sediment
and shifts the dunes.

By freeing up sand
to move with the wind,

researchers hope to maintain
the natural microhabitats

of the dunes.

All of these plants
that you see around here,

they're
disturbance-loving plants.

They need that disturbance,
that abrasion by sand,

that burial, that erosion
to grow and live.

An invasive species
like the beach-grass

will move in, choke out,
and stabilize

or cover the surface.

The species
that we're really focused on

and for this
dune restoration project

are three species
that are considered endangered

in Canada

and one of those
is pink sand verbena.

By replacing
the invasive beach-grass

with pink sand verbena,

researchers will restore
the natural rhythm of the dunes.

We've removed those grasses,

we've returned
these environments

to a more natural regime,

and we have seen the increase

in a lot of those rare species

that we were trying to enhance.

We're making great strides
in giving them a home.

On Vancouver Island,

another ecosystem
straddles the line

between Earth and water.

But this place
is not by the ocean.

It's thousands of feet
above sea level.

A hidden paradise
at the top of a mountain.

These towering peaks
split Vancouver Island

into east and west.

Their steep slopes
retain moisture

along the Pacific Coast

and help create
lush rainforests.

But historically,
these thirsty forests

were quenched by another source,
glaciers.

In the 1970s,

Vancouver Island was home
to more than 170 glaciers.

Ice capped the peaks
of many mountains on the island.

In the heat of the summer,

these slow-moving
ribbons of ice melt

and saturate
the dry forests below.

In the spring, melted glaciers
become rushing waterfalls.

In the Nahmint Valley,

in the centre
of Vancouver Island,

spring waterfalls flow freely.

Locals refer to this area
as "Waterfall Heaven".

Here, glacial runoff
creates towering waterfalls.

One of the tallest,
Virgin Falls,

cascades more than 170 feet.

Rising global temperatures
have reduced

the number of glaciers
on Vancouver Island

to just five.

Fewer glaciers means less water
to feed

the hundreds of waterfalls

that flow down
from the mountains.

Some scientists predict

that all of Vancouver Island's
glaciers

could be gone within 25 years.

(♪♪♪)

In some cases, melted glaciers
feed mountain lakes.

Water from these lakes
feeds the surrounding forest

to create a vibrant ecosystem

hundreds of feet
above sea level.

But as the climate
continues to warm,

these high alpine regions
are shrinking.

Within the next century,
they may disappear completely.

These secluded mountain tops
of Vancouver Island

provide a haven
for fragile ecosystems.

Tucked away among the mountains
is Henderson Lake.

This secluded body of water

sits on Uchucklesaht
First Nations land,

a region that holds
special meaning

to Pacific First Nations.

For thousands of years,

Henderson Lake
teemed with salmon.

Salmon runs here
were among the most spectacular

in the world.

There was enough fish
to feed entire communities.

But disease
brought by European settlers

took its toll on tradition.

We've been here
for thousands of years

and at one time

we were approximately 8,000
warriors strong

a few hundred years ago.

And through the epidemics

and smallpox

and those kind of events,

we were basically diminished

to very small numbers,

less than a hundred.

And now we are growing,

we are closed to 300 members
at this point.

Encircling Henderson Lake
are the five sacred mountains

that have guarded
the spiritual secrets

of Pacific First Nations
for millennia.

This is the Thunderbird's Nest,

home of the
mythical thunderbird.

A supernatural creature
able to bring rain and lightning

to Vancouver Island's
coastal rainforest.

There's just a handful,
you can count on one hand,

of areas that you would call
the Thunderbird's Nest.

And in our language it's called
the "T'iitsk'in Pawaats".

Every nation has stories
about having thunderbirds,

but not Thunderbird Nest.

According to ancient
mythology,

the land was home
to a family of thunderbirds.

Five birds inhabited the tops
of each

of the five sacred mountains
within the T'iitsk'in Paawats.

Over time, the mythical birds
began to leave the nest.

Some were traded away
to neighboring tribes

during times of wedding and war,

creating sacred bonds
that tied communities together.

The Thunderbird's Nest
holds precious significance

to Pacific First Nations

and has never before
been filmed.

The land remained
a well-guarded secret

until loggers attempted
to clear-cut the area

and members
of the Uchucklesaht Tribe

took action to save it.

Not very many outside people
knew about the story

of the Thunderbird's Nest
and our secret ceremonies

and the activities we carry out
in the nest.

It came to light in the '90s.

We were shocked and astonished
to learn that

the forestry company
was logging out

in the upper part
of the province.

So we immediately went and met
with the forest companies

and asked them to cease.

And after much meeting,
and discussions

and educating them
of our interest in the area,

of the spiritualness
and the sacredness of it,

they agreed to stop harvesting.

Logging this area
would have been disastrous

to the spiritual ancestry

of more than
14 Pacific First Nation tribes.

My mother, at that time,
she was about 75 years old.

And she said
if they're not willing

to protect the area

or they're not prepared
to stop logging--

When they were logging,

she was gonna
make her way up there

and park herself
in the middle of the road

so nobody can haul any wood
out of there.

So that's how determined
our people were

to ensure that logging
would not happen

in that spiritual area.

First Nations Tribal Councils

now govern the area

protecting more than 5,000 acres
from the logging industry

for future generations.

Because of its special ties
to the thunderbird,

this land has been used
by the Uchucklesaht people

for sacred rituals

since long before the appearance
of Europeans.

Each piece of the nest
holds a specific sacred purpose.

The lowest mountain
has a number of sacred ponds

and waterfalls

that are traditionally used
to cleanse a member of the tribe

before a difficult journey.

It's a place where our people

went for ceremonies
and celebrations

and the ceremonies ranging

from 1 day or 1/2 a day

to maybe a week to a month
or 8 months

depending on
what you were there

to prepare yourself for.

One of the most intense
spiritual practices

in the Thunderbird's Nest
occurred prior to a whale hunt.

Tribe members would camp alone
among the mountains

for up to 8 months,

cleansing the body and mind
in preparation for a hunt,

that, if successful,
could feed an entire family

throughout the winter.

People often have big
reactions to the idea of whale
hunting

and like very kind of gut level.

But I think there is
a lack of understanding.

There's intensive spiritual
and physical preparation

that takes place
before going on a whale hunt.

And there's so much respect
for these big animals

and one of the incredible things
is that one of these animals

can feed so many people
and in former times,

the oil,
the blubber of them was,

you know, that was so precious.

Because there wasn't other forms
of oil around here.

Smaller events took place
within the nest as well.

Weddings commonly occurred
on its shores.

Coming-of-age ceremonies
played out in its woods.

Community members
walked these grounds

while mourning the loss
of a loved one

or while preparing to give birth
to a new member of the tribe.

These lands were a place
to prepare the body and mind

for many of life's journeys.

Each family
had their own bathing site

or place of worship
within the Thunderbird's Nest.

A place so secret
that an intruder could be killed

for entering the space
without invitation.

Some of our people
still practice these ceremonies

and activities to this day.

I still come up
at least once a year

to do "osimich" which is
go into the water and bathe.

And it's really good for
relieving your mind of stress

and planning
for the rest of your week

or your month or your year.

I usually come
in the winter months

and go into the lake.

And I sit in the lake
for up to an hour

and it's really relaxing,

you don't feel the cold
of the lake,

the air is colder
than the water is

in the winter months.

These spiritual practices,

so linked
with the natural surroundings,

are representative
of the island as a whole.

This is a place
where humans and nature

have been inextricably linked
for millennia.

We call it "God's country",
this whole area.

It's just a place you come to
and you never forget

and you don't wanna leave.

It's such a powerful place
to be.

When you're in there,
you feel the,

you know,
the presence of nature,

the presence of the Creator.

From the dense canopies
of ancient rainforests

to the fungal roots
that connect sleeping giants,

from the bears and salmon
that call this place home

to the many different people
who live off the land,

this magnificent landscape
is a rugged reminder

of a world
that thrived long ago.

From its volcanic beginnings

to its powerful ocean shores.

From lush rainforests

to magnificent islands
in the sky.

It is an age-old landscape

that continues to preserve
ancient ways of life.

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