Alert Bay

Canada banned the potlatch from 1885, and in 1921 police raided a large potlatch held at Village Island by Chief Dan Cranmer, arrested participants and confiscated masks, coppers and regalia, which were dispersed to museums and private collectors. The U'mista Cultural Centre at Alert Bay was built in 1980 to hold the pieces as they were repatriated; u'mista means the return of something taken away. The masks are displayed in the order they would appear in the ceremony, without glass in places, with the community's own account of the seizure. The village also has a big house; the totem pole raised here in 1973, long counted the tallest in the world, was taken down in 2026 after decay made it unsafe.

The main sights

• The U'mista collection - potlatch regalia seized in 1921 and returned.
• The community account - the ban and the raid told by the Kwakwaka'wakw.
• The site of the totem pole - where the pole raised in 1973, long the world's tallest, stood until it was taken down in 2026.
• The big house - a community ceremonial building in the village.

When to go

May to September, when the ferry runs more often and the centre keeps full hours; it closes some days in winter. Dance performances run on a summer schedule.

What to expect

This is a living community, not an attraction, and photography is restricted in parts of the centre. Ferry timings shape the whole visit. Facilities on the island are limited.

Nearby

Telegraph Cove lies across the water; Port McNeill is the ferry terminal.

Key facts