Ainu Visit to Alert Bay
Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada / Turtle Ilsand On September 5th 1987, eighteen Ainu arrived in Alert Bay. Described by the ’Namgis Kwakwaka’wakw as the Bak’wam of Japan, they were welcomed into the houses of U’Mista Cultural Society members and exchanged gifts over a dinner in the Big House. The following day, the Ainu were taken out on ’Namgis fishing boats to see the surrounding waters. Leaving on the morning of the 7th, the Ainu visitors would travel onwards to Victoria and Banff. This visit solidified a relationship between the Ainu and ’Namgis peoples. The Nibutani Ainu Museum and U’Mista Cultural Society declared themselves sister-organisations, and after returning home, the Ainu sent a warm letter to Alert Bay from Hokkaido signed by fourteen of the delegates. Sources U’Mista Cultural Centre Newsletter, September (1987). The Ainu. Pg. 6. Accessed through U’Mista Archive. U’Mista Cultural Centre Newsletter, January (1988). Good News. Pg. 3. Accessed through U’Mista Archive.
Shigeru Kayano Meets Gloria Cranmer
Sweden At a folklore conference in Sweden, the Ainu leader Kayano Shigeru had a chance meeting with the ’Namgis Kwakwaka’wakw activist Gloria Cranmer. Speaking with the help of interpreter Masami Iwasaki, they discussed their shared experiences of language revival. This meeting would be the start of a productive and meaningful relationship between the Ainu and ’Namgis peoples. The following year, a delegation of eighteen Ainu would visit the ’Namgis settlement of Alert Bay. Sources U’Mista Cultural Centre Newsletter, September (1987). The Ainu. Pg. 6. Accessed through U’Mista Archive.