The Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, an ultra-luxe great camp spa retreat on Vancouver Island, may be the only tourist destination that is blessed in special ceremonies every year by First Nations elders. The resort is located on 500 acres of land within the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a coastal temperate rainforest with diverse ecosystems that has been occupied by First Nations communities for 6,000 years.
We embrace the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations philosophies of lisaak (living respectfully), Qwa’ aak qin teechmis (life in the balance), and Hishuk ish ts Ëœawalk (everything is interconnected.), says Founder and Managing Director John Caton, who has been given a First Nations name by the elders at the Ahousaht reserve; it is Quuadonna, which means horsey man. Every guest that comes through here is exposed to the indigenous communities’ history and culture, Caton explains.
Accommodations are eco-safari tents; dinner consists of organic gourmet fare, and there is a wide range of spa services incorporating local salts, kelps, and clays. The resort also offers horseback riding through a sacred valley, where guests can see remnants of the ancient cultures, such as unfinished canoes and culturally modified trees “trees that were partially stripped of their bark, which the Nuu-chah-nulth used to make clothing, and then blessed. Guests may also visit Flores Island, where they can take a walk on a 6,000-year-old First Nations gathering trail.
Caton says that he is collaborating with the Nuu-chah-nulth on additional projects, including a holistic center and a canopy walkway through the treetops, scheduled for completion by 2009. And in the off-season, we turn the resort buildings, such as our staff housing and Ëœlong house,’ over for indigenous use; they use it for holistic healings.
The Clayoquot Wilderness Resort offers a unique combination: the untamed wilderness of western Canada, an encounter with an ancient, indigenous community, and a luxurious spa. We are giving guests a true remote wilderness experience, while also teaching them to appreciate and respect the land and the people who have lived here for thousands of years, says Caton.
For more information call (888) 333-5405 or visit www.wildretreat.com
“Katherine Stewart
July/August 2007
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