Celebration of Life

A celebration of life in Nuu-Chah-Nulth culture is different from what I know one to be. When I think of celebration of life, I think of a funeral-type event. However, here a celebration of life is actually to celebrate that someone survived something that could have been tragic! How cool is that?!

I was recently invited to attend one. A toddler fell into the ocean and was found unconscious, but was saved by his uncle performing CPR. The family decided to hold a celebration of life!

I didn't take pictures because I wasn't sure if it would be respectful to do so, but I was fully engaged in what was going on. They held a potlatch dinner at the community hall (I brought apple pie) and almost everyone was invited to attend. Above every door there were hemlock branches. I asked one of my students about this and she didn't really know how to explain it. She just said "it's because he survived". We were served, from oldest to youngest, a dinner by the young ladies in the community. There were prayers said by one of the chiefs multiple times throughout the dinner in Nuu-Chah-Nulth. After the dinner the family members of the toddler stood up and individually thanked all the people who were in any way involved in the rescue. The uncle was given money, handmade gifts, and wrapped in blankets. The woman who felt guilty for taking her eyes off the boy before he drowned was also wrapped in a blanket and told by the family that she should not feel guilty and that they forgive her and still love her. Even the paramedics who got to the scene were invited to the dinner and given gifts!

This was a beautiful showing of appreciation and gratitude that I believe more people should practice. Nuu-Chah-Nulth tradition emphasises sharing your wealth and publicly appreciating your loved ones. This is good for the heart.

One of the gifts that was given to the uncle was a hat similar to this. It was handmade for him. The toddler received a matching one.