A visit to the Nisga’a lava beds
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I just returned from my trip to Prince Rupert and the Khutzeymateen when I was on the road again to the traditional territory of the Nisga’a Nation to see the Nisga’a Museum and the famous Nisga’a lava beds. The original trip by the Kitimat Museum and Archives was cancelled when Covid began and was rescheduled for Friday, May 31, just after I got back. The lava beds were the result of an eruption from the Tseax Cone volcano probably sometime between 1753 and 1770. The eruption killed about 2,000 people in three Nisga’a Villages, probably by a combination of factors, including carbon dioxide from the eruption and forest fires, the fires themselves or flooding from rivers and lakes disrupted by the lava flow. Some areas are still barren after more than 200 years, although Kitimat residents who visited in the past say there has been a lot more growth of plant life in recent years. The lush area is at Vetter Falls, rest stop and picnic area, where the rivers and streams have regenerated the rainforest. The roadside images were taken from the bus at 1/1000.
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