Ha’me’, the fine dining restaurant at the Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy, wholly owned by the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw First Nation, officially relaunched on Friday, June 20, with a cultural blessing and ceremonial event celebrating Indigenous food, identity and self determination.
Offering a West Coast-inspired culinary experience grounded in traditional knowledge, Ha’me’s menu features sustainably sourced seafood, wild game, and ingredients from the surrounding Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw territory.
Every dish has a symbolic connection with and tells a story about the land and people, blending cultural tradition with culinary artistry.
Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw hereditary chiefs Willie Walkus and Gary Walkus welcomed everyone to the special event, with Gary explaining the Nations would be blessing the restaurant in their traditional way so they are able to “go into the restaurant with open hearts.”
Located at Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy, Ha’me offers West Coast-inspired culinary experience grounded in traditional knowledge. Courtesy Indigenous Tourism BC/Kimberley Kufaas
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Cyrus Singh, CEO of K’awat’si Economic Development Corporation, thanked everyone for coming out, expressing his appreciation for the knowledge keepers and those in attendance.
“This is another step forward in relaunching a wonderful place for people to experience the food, the hospitality of these nations, and their community… I truly believe that this is an avenue to begin to understand and to engage with the community in a good way, a way that also reflects who they are.”
Elected chief Leslie Walkus said the Nations were pleased to be able to “celebrate the official opening of our very beautiful restaurant, which is a part of our tourism strategy. It allows us an opportunity to share our story and share our culture.
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“For me, there’s a lot of pride in our company and the way we operate… We don’t receive a lot of support from the provincial or federal government, so it makes it that much more special. I asked for some numbers this morning and our company as a whole, only 2.5 per cent of our funding comes from any form of government funding.”
Leslie added the Nations “do business the traditional way, because there’s not a lot of support for our nations. I think that’s a testament to our elders, the strength of our people… Given everything that we’ve gone through, we’re still able to take steps forward when it comes to tourism… So I just want to say thank you for joining us, and I hope you enjoy the food.”
After the speeches, the relaunch of Ha’me’ featured a cultural blessing, a ceremony led by Elders, singers, and drummers, followed by delicious food.
Ha’me’ is located inside the Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy, and is open Friday to Sunday, from 4 to 9 p.m. Learn more at kwalilashotel.ca or reserve via OpenTable at opentable.ca/r/hame-port-hardy
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– with file from KEDC
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