Prince Rupert to Port Hardy, BC
Traditional territory of the Tsimshian and Kwakwaka’wakw
Fog and rain all day
The ferry from Haida Gwaii to Prince Rupert was 12:30 to 7 AM. I knew several people on the ferry, having met them on the first crossing, crossed paths with them on the island, or talked to them before the midnight boarding. I listened to a woman who was headed to the national Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women inquiry in Smithers, then lay out my sleeping bag and drifted to sleep on the waves.
When I woke up, I found that someone had placed a vending-machine cookie on my belongings on the seat beside me. I think it was from a kid Micah’s family (whom I had met on the ferry, seen on the highway, at the funeral and bonded with at the Skidegate youth centre) because I was sleeping in the same room as them, but I really have no idea who it came from. It was the highlight of my day, no contest.
On Haida Gwaii I had several people not respond to me about interviewing them, so I spent a lot of time feeling down (not just because of that) and a part of me wondered if I’m doing my due diligence for this project. If that makes sense. Just been a bit worried about that, and a bit low and listless. But this made me feel that if the work that I’ve done to connect with people around me is worth an almond butter cookie from a stranger, then it’s worth something. Not everything can be documented. Not everyone can be interviewed. But my time and energy can be freely given and in the midst of homesickness and weariness I’ve been doing my best to maintain that. And somehow a cookie at 7 AM in the morning went a long way to reassure me of that. (Copied from what I wrote on Instagram this morning.)
The ferry along the Inside Passage to Port Hardy has been a long journey and it’s been scenic but not overly so. The cool weather and rain has kept the landscape a bit shrouded in fog. We did see some whales, though, that were absolutely frolicking. Splashing around. I saw white and thought they were orcas, but someone else said they were humpback whales.
Nighttime is rolling around and I’m cluing into the fact that they might not be opening the car deck any time soon, which means I’ll be sleeping in my sweater with no mat or sleeping bag. See you soon, Vancouver Island. Hopefully very soon.