"Spirit Island"

A first time boat excursion on Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, calm waters and a beautiful sunset all combined to make this a very special image.  It was the first time I had visited this sacred First Nations Island which is only accessible by boat.  The island is a spiritual place for the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, who believe mountains are physical representations of their ancestors.  The fact that Spirit Island is surrounded on three sides by the same mountain range is very rare and makes it particularly significant to the Stoney.

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