Through his volunteer work, Ted had arranged for us to meet with Roy Henry Vickers who has moved back to his ancestral territory of Hazelton. We arrived at his beautiful home overlooking the Skeena River and during our hour-long visit we realized we were in the presence of a gifted storyteller as well as artist. It was an amazing opportunity to hear Roy's description of his personal story of survival and renewal as well as the incredible story of the Kispiox and Hazelton area. The mighty Skeena river was raging and the arrival of its muddy waters in the ocean signals to the Springs to begin their journey upriver. This is followed later by the arrival of the Sockeye and Roy pointed out their favourite spots and the path they follow along his banks.
Roy is proud of his heritage and considers himself an elder who must teach the next generation, He is known as Tlakwagila' or Copperman. His reverence for the beauty and bounty of the area was contagious and we felt honoured by his willingness to share his stories with us.
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