The Angry Lake

My friend Pauline lost her husband in a boat accident.

It was long ago, yet to her it seems like a bad dream that happened yesterday.

He had been working in a logging camp near Kootenay Lake in Southern British Columbia, and now it was time to pack up and go home for the weekend.

Some of the crew, including the supervisor, had to cross the lake to Kuskonook Harbour, to get to Creston, the town where they all lived. It was November 30, 1956, a cold and windy night, when all the men boarded the boat to finally get back to their families. Only the non swimmers wore a life jacket; the others thought there was nothing to worry about. They were somewhere near the middle of the lake when something tipped the boat over. Was it a wind gust, a floating log or a big wave? Nobody will ever know for sure, because the frigid water claimed the lives of all of them, swimmers and floaters alike. The water was simply too cold for any of them to survive. Eight men died that night in the unforgiving lake, and only the ones wearing life jackets were found.

Pauline was all of 19 years old at the time. She had one small child and, as she found out shortly after, was pregnant again. The tragedy of loosing her husband at this point in her life was devastating; but life went on and she somehow managed to raise her children.

On August 5th of the year 2000, a memorial service was held at Kuskonook Harbour to honor the memory of the 82 (!) known victims the lake had claimed between 1898 and 1981. Then a plaque was unveiled with all the names on it. Strangely, so far it appears that there have been no more known deaths in this lake after the year 1981.

Being a shamanic practitioner, I just needed to find out why the lake had swallowed so many lives. Besides, Pauline wanted to know if her husband was still in the lake or if he had found his way to a higher place. I went on a shamanic journey into the alternate reality to find and talk to the Spirit of Kootenay Lake. My notion was, since there were only two women among the 82 victims, that it had to be a female spirit who was drawing all these men in. How wrong I was !

When I reached the lake in my journey, I called for the Spirit of the Lake. A huge, grizzled, hairy and bearded head slowly rose up from the waters and then looked at me. I asked him pointblank why he had swallowed so many men. He told me, and now he looked very seriously at me, that he gets insulted very easily! He needs to be honored periodically and does not take kindly to disrespect. If only one of the men in a boat insults him, or swears at the lake, then he gets angry and tips the boat. If they don't survive--too bad for them.

I then asked if Pauline's husband was still in the lake, and he told me that this one had gone to heaven. Apparently, some of them did. But a whole lot of them were still hanging around the lake, not knowing where to go and caught in some sort of a time warp. Would I please take them away? he asked. I took a huge fishing net full of lost souls up to heaven. They all went to some kind of a hospital, and the attending nurse put them each into a nice clean hospital bed. I guess they needed to heal first, and they will be taken care of up there.

I went back to the Spirit of the Lake and asked why all the drownings had stopped after 1981. It appears that someone had finally made an honoring ceremony at that time; also around the same time, some very earth-connected people moved to his shores. Besides, he was at first quite upset about all the hydroelectric dams that were put into Kootenay River. This had raised the lake's level and changed a lot of natural balances. By the eighties, however, a new balance had been found, and by now it would be equally upsetting if the dams were removed. He went on to say that he really appreciates the occasional honoring ceremony for his lake-- and it wouldn't hurt to honor the spirit of the place of any lake, river, mountain or forest!

So, if you ever get to the shores of Kootenay Lake--or any other lake, for that matter -- be sure to express your respect! A pinch of tobacco (not a smoked-down cigarette butt!!!!) or a few of your hairs dropped into the water along with the words "I honor you" (delivered in a respectful manner), will go a long way. I myself always greet a lake or river when I cross or pass them while traveling. "Hello, River-friend !" I may holler--to the merriment of occasional co-travelers. They have no idea that I also thank water spirits when washing my hands or flushing the toilet, that I thank tree spirits for the give-away when using paper towels, and that I am also in the habit of expressing gratitude to air, fire, earth and everything else I am using --including car and computer. We have so much to be grateful for!

But back to the Spirit of Kootenay Lake. I thanked the grizzled head for talking to me and promised to do a small honoring ceremony next time I got to the area. Then, with a few glucking sounds, the head submerged and I went home.

By Gisela Ko