“…perhaps there is also another reason for Hucuktlis Lake’s prodigious downpours. Situated on the traditional lands of the Uchucklesaht Tribe, the lake’s most notable feature is the T’iitsk’in Paawats Protected Area, also known as Thunderbird’s Nest, where tribe members still carry out spiritual practices.

A 2,300-hectare preserve of old-growth forests, mountains, bathing pools and waterfalls, this sacred ground is said to be the home of the last living Thunderbird, a supernatural being important to many Indigenous cultures, especially of the Pacific Northwest.

The most powerful of all spirits, Thunderbirds control rain and thunderstorms, and according to some legends they produce thunder by flapping their wings and lighting by flashing their eyes.”