Residents were all aghast as the queen of talk-shows, Oprah Winfrey, visited the small town of Alter Bay, British Columbia, for two hours on August 3 after the yacht owned by billionaire Jim Pattison docked at the marina.
Upon hearing of the arrival, Namgis First Nation Chief, Bill Cranmer, invited Winfrey to a potlatch taking place in his community and Winfrey accepted. Cranmer is quoted by the Canadian Press as saying of the visit, "As soon as she walked in the door, there was cheers and whistles."
"Guys were banging on the drums and welcoming her."
"She was just a very nice lady, easy to talk to, the way she went in and blended in with the crowd."
"People were hugging her."
"They got pictures of her holding a couple of babies."
"It was great."
Coordinator of the T'sasala Cultural Group, Andrea Cranmer, said traditionally women do not speak during a potlatch but for the occasion the chief made an exception.
Winfrey's speech was full of praise as she spoke about keeping the Namgis' culture and traditions alive. Upon conclusion of her impromptu presentation she was given an honorary traditional name in the Namgis language, which translates to "Wise Woman."
Winfrey is not the first celebrity to grace the shores of the small community of 1500 people. According to Mayor John Rowell, John Wayne, Bob Hope and Merv Griffin were all known to have had a visit.
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