Celebrating Mother’s Day at Deception Pass could have been hit or miss. How many moms out there would say “You know what I want to do on a day celebrating ME? Go visit the tide pools at Rosario Beach!” I mean, that’s what I would think to be a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day, but I’m not actually a mom, so…
There weren’t many people at Rosario Beach at 8:30 in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised that they had posted a “Free Day” around the park, meaning you didn’t need a Discover Pass or pay for parking. Happy Mother’s Day. But the lack of people meant two things. I was able to give great one on one attention to the few groups who DID decide to come out to the beach, and when there was no one around, I could explore some of the area and soak in more knowledge.
Along the pathway there is a Native American style sculpture (not a totem, that’s Haida and Tklingkit tribes) of “The Maiden of the Pass”. They tell a story of a beautiful woman who meets one of the Sea People. Though the long version tells the details of how the man won over the Maiden, and eventually her father, too, it is the story of how by taking her place in the sea, she saves and preserves her family and villages way of life. She so loves her new home and life in the sea that her family releases her from the promise to visit. But even though she no longer visited, the Maiden continued to provide for her family and loved ones.
The story is a story of a Mother figure from the sea. Caring for her first family, she provides abundant sustenance throughout the ages. And the Samish people honor the sea and all it provides for them.
I thought it was fitting that I re-read and fully understood the story of the Maiden of Deception Pass on Mother’s Day. We claim to respect and honor our Mother Earth and Mother Nature, but the Samish people actually honor their “mother” of the sea.