Artful doors welcome all to Cheakamus

BY CATHY JENKINS PROJECT MANAGER, CAMPUS RENEWAL

September 2022 – Cheakamus

Centre was treated to a celebration with friends from the Sḵwxwú7mesh Nation, Aboriginal Housing Management Association, and BCIT’s School of Construction and the Environment.

The celebration marked the conclusion of Building a Greener Future Together, a pilot project that saw the transformation of Cabin #4 into a model for energy efficiency, while empowering and creating green career pathways for Indigenous women and 2SLGBTTQQIA+ people.

Coast Salish Artist Sinámkin (Jody Broomfield) used the original cedar cabin doors as his canvas. “These doors honour and uphold our two-spirited friends and relatives,” explained Sinámkin. “I colour blended all the colours of the

2SLGBTQ+ flag as the background, with a reflection of the spirit of the eagle, which represents being proud of who you are and letting your spirit soar. At the top and bottom are the watchful eyes of the Ancestors."

As part of the ceremony, the doors and artist were brushed with cedar boughs that had been dipped in stream water, while a traditional song was performed. Sinámkin shared that this protocol ceremony work gives back the part of himself he had put into the creation of the artwork, allowing him to move on to other creations.

The speaker for the ceremony was Sempúlyan. The ceremony included a lesson on the name Cheakamus, an Anglicization of Chʼiyáḵmesh ("people of the fish weir") the original village site. Aaron Williams led the traditional drumming and singing.

In accordance with Coast Salish protocol, blankets and headbands were wrapped to cover the hearts and minds of participants. Sempúlyan called four witnesses to be responsible for holding and sharing knowledge about the ceremony moving forward.

The Cabin #4 doors are a celebration of the many ways in which diversity is expressed throughout the North Vancouver School District. They are a beautiful symbol of the welcoming doors at Cheakamus Centre, where staff strive to ensure all who visit feel safe, accepted, included and respected.

The artful doors were generously funded through the Grand Challenges Canada Indigenous Innovation Initiative’s Gender Equality and BC Multiculturalism Grant programs. ■