Volume 15 . Issue 6 June 2019
T’Sou-ke hosts traditional seafood gathering PAGES 9 - 11
K’ómoks goes solar with new energy array Page 13
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Naut’sa mawt - Working together as one EDITORIAL TEAM Cara McKenna – Editor editor@salishseasentinel.ca Todd Peacey – Photographer Celestine Aleck (Sahiltiniye) - Columnist Edith Moore - Columnist
DISTRIBUTION Todd Peacey toddp@nautsamawt.com
DESIGN Kelly Landry
PUBLISHER Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council Gary Reith, Chief Administrative Officer 330-6165 Highway 17A Delta, B.C., V4K 5B8 604-943-6712 or 1-888-382-7711
INQUIRIES Editorial - Cara McKenna | editor@salishseasentinel.com Advertising - Kelly Landry | kellyl@nautsamawt.com
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #42922026 The Salish Sea Sentinel is published monthly, ten times a year, by the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, representing 6,500 people in 11 member nations. Undeliverable mail may be returned to: 330-6165 Highway 17A Delta, B.C., V4K 5B8 © Salish Sea Sentinel is all rights reserved. Contents and photographs may not be reprinted without written permission. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials.
Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council Member Nations: 1. HALALT (250) 246-4736 chief@halalt.org www.halalt.org
2. HOMALCO (250) 923-4979 www.homalco.com
3. KLAHOOSE Qathen Xwegus Management Corp (250) 935-6536 www.klahoose.com
4. K'ÒMOKS
7. SNAW-NAW-AS (NANOOSE) (250) 390-3661 chris.bob@nanoose.org www.nanoose.org
8. STZ’UMINUS (LADYSMITH) (250) 245-7155 Ray.Gauthier@coastsalishdevcorp.com www.stzuminus.com
9. TSAWWASSEN
(250) 339-4545 www.komoks.ca
(604) 943-2112 info@tsawwassenfirstnation.com www.tsawwassenfirstnation.com
5. MALAHAT
10. TSLEIL-WAUTUTH
(250) 743-3231 info@malahatnation.ca www.malahatnation.com
(604) 929-3454 cao@twnation.ca www.twnation.ca
6. TLA’AMIN
11. T’SOU-KE (SOOKE)
(604) 483-9646 clint.williams@tn-bc.ca www.tlaaminnation.com
(250) 642-3957 administrator@tsoukenation.com www.tsoukenation.com
Correction: A story in our May issue about Indigenous clam gardens on Quadra Island erroneously stated that at least 17,500 generations of Indigenous people have used the food security systems. In fact, that number was meant to be 175. We apologize for the error. COVER: Enzo Vareschi of Beecher Bay First Nation helps out during T’Sou-ke’s traditional seafood gathering on May 7th, 2019. Photo by Todd Peacey.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 3
Germaine Sutherland, right, with her two daughters.
ELDER PROFILE: T’SOU-KE’S GERMAINE SUTHERLAND Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council is run with guidance from an Elders Council with representatives from its 11 member nations. The Salish Sea Sentinel is profiling a new elder from the council each month. By Edith Moore, NmTC communications liaison Celebrating 89 years young, T’Sou-ke Elder Germaine Sutherland danced to celebrate her recent birthday. I met with Germaine in her home along with her daughter Janet, and could see instantly that she lives life to the fullest. And as I looked around, I had to admire her beautiful home, which is filled with lovely furnishings and decorated with a designer’s eye. Hielwet is Germaine’s Indian name, given to her by her mother Ida May Lazzar. Her father, Gustif Planes, met Ida on Denman Island where they fell in love. Germaine is one of 10 children. Growing up in T’Sou-ke, she took her brief elementary school education and started her career as a server, working in high-end
establishments including the Banff Springs Hotel, Union Club, Princess Mary Restaurant and the Empress. While she was working in Victoria, Germaine met Lawrence Alexander Sutherland, a merchant marine in the Navy. The couple married in 1949, having nine children together: Lawrence, Robert, Janet, Heather, Bernie, Patrick, Frankie, Debbie and Cherie. Germaine speaks of her late husband Lawrence with so much pride and love. Larry left the Navy and started wholesaling fish. He ran a small operation on the harbour in Langford, and soon the couple expanded to open a fish market. Germaine worked hard running this busy enterprise, all while raising her family. Later the couple opened an additional fish market in Victoria’s Market Square.
Germaine and Janet both told stories of devastating loss that their family had to face. Loss that is so tragic you wonder how anyone would survive just one, yet they have had to deal with many. Despite this, Germaine remains kind, resilient and strong. She is a true survivor, and never hesitates to speak up for family, boasting 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Her advice to the youth is to “stay in school and get a good education.” Or, alternatively, she likes to tell them: “Go to Hollywood and become famous.” What a joy you are to know, Germaine. Your dedication to your community and family is a gift and we thank you for being part of Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Elders Council. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 5
T’SOU-KE MOVES FORWARD ON GAS STATION PROJECT workiNg witH First NatioNs commuNities Hazelwood is coNtiNually lookiNg For opportuNities to work For, or witH, First NatioNs iN caNada. tHis approacH Has allowed us to work For a variety oF NatioNs iN bc, aNd Has Helped us create a variety oF workiNg agreemeNts witH NatioNs tHat sHare our eNtrepreNeurial spirit.
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Canadian minister visits nation after federal funding allowed T’Sou-ke to complete phase one of project T’Sou-ke First Nation is preparing to open a new gas station, convenience store and Tim Hortons on its land. The nation broke ground on the project in late 2017 and final touches on the development are now being made. The businesses are expected to open soon. During a visit to T’Sou-ke on April 27, Canada’s Minister of Indigenous Services Seamus O’Regan formally announced $988,637 in funding that allowed the nation to do groundwork on the project. “Community-driven projects like the one in T’Sou-ke Nation create jobs and build healthier, more sustainable communities,” O’Regan said in a press release. The funding through Canada’s Community Opportunity Readiness Program helped T’Sou-ke to clear the site, complete road and electrical work and more. T’Sou-ke Chief Gordon Planes said the support was invaluable because it allowed key infrastructure to be built while allowing leadership to focus on commercial development. “(This project) is the cornerstone that will ultimately support the development of approximately six hectares of commercial enterprises,” he said. Planes said that revenues from the project will be directed towards the needs of the nation.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, centre front, signs an MoU around emergency management along with other political representatives.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING COMMITS TO IMPROVE B.C. FIRST NATIONS’ EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Agreement signed by B.C., Canada, Indigenous orgs after several reports identify gaps in service In the face of worsening B.C. wildfires, Indigenous and government leaders have signed an agreement committing to improve emergency management for First Nations. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed April 27 by representatives from the B.C. and federal governments as well as the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Summit. The agreement represents a formal partnership to better support First Nations’ capacity to respond to — and recover from — emergencies such as wildfires, landslides and floods. BCAFN Regional Chief Terry Teegee said the
past two years have been the worst in recorded history for wildfires, with that trend expected to continue in 2019. “Eighty-five per cent of our communities are in rural areas, and the first effects of climate change are felt by First Nations people,” Teegee said. “What I see is a common thread of our First Nations people being under-resourced.” Teegee said that as a result of the new agreement, he hopes to see more emergency management resources allotted to First Nations and more inclusive decision-making processes. The Memorandum of Understanding outlines
how the signees will work together to enhance First Nations’ capacities for all aspects of emergency management including preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. The agreement comes after several reports have been released about the disproportionate impact of wildfires and other disasters on Indigenous communities — including a recent study from the Tsilhqot’in National Government that was released earlier the same week. The Tsilhqot’in report called The Fires Awakened Us looked into the, 2017 wildfires and gave 33 recommendations including better coordination with First Nations and SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 7
the recognition of their jurisdiction when responding to emergencies. Cheryl Casimer of the First Nations Summit said that report, along with the June 2018 report of Canada’s Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs and an April 2018 independent report released after a B.C. government review, collectively contain 152 recommendations to address the problem. “Many recent reports … have clearly identified the jurisdictional, capacity and resourcing gaps faced by B.C. First Nations,” she said. “This MoU represents a significant step in a much-needed collaborative effort where B.C. First Nations and the B.C. and federal governments commit to work together to take concrete action on ensuring the safety of our citizens.” Federal Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O’Regan said it has become clear in the past few years that there needed to be a better way forward. He said many Indigenous leaders have raised concerns about a lack of cultural sensitivity, inconsistent service levels, inadequate communication and a lack of respect for First Nations within the process. “It was clear that the emergency response system needed improvement,” he said. “First Nations need to have the proper resources to protect … their communities.” O’Regan said the federal government has been working on its own to enhance cultural and social supports during evacuations, to build back flood-resilient homes and more. “But we’ve got a lot more work ahead,” he said. “This (Memorandum of Understanding) will guide us down a better path towards proper emergency management.” Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs said the agreement represents “a very solemn commitment” to address the realities of climate change. “We know from the last several years that this is a harsh reality,” he said. “What this (agreement) represents is changing that reality so First Nations do have the resources.” 8 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
IN PHOTOS : T’SOU-KE TRADITIONAL SEAFOOD GATHERING Photos by Todd Peacey Several dozen people gathered at T’Sou-ke First Nation on May 7 to celebrate traditional seafood. The nation hosted the day of ceremony, feasting and gathering as a way to kick-off the spring season with surrounding communities. A group gathered on T’Sou-ke’s #2 reserve in the morning, starting the day with a smudge with Elder Shirley Alphonse before heading to the beach. At low tide, people were able to gather clams, mussels, urchins and more before sitting down to cook and feast on their traditional harvest. After lunch, the group participated in an ocean blessing ceremony. T’Sou-ke lands manager Elizabeth Hermsen noted that the group also spotted an eagle, who perched and observed the day’s events. “The great eagle made a fly by appearance in the opening and closing,” she said in an email. “He sat and watched the day and only presented himself at these times which was very special.”
Roberta Orser with her grandson Dawson
Charles Elliot, Anna Spahan, Leona Nelson
Peter Romer of Nisga’a
Photo courtesy of Langara
LANGARA COLLEGE REBRANDS TO INCLUDE MUSQUEAM NAME School was gifted the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name ‘snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓’ in 2016 By Cara McKenna Langara College has officially incorporated a Musqueam name that was gifted to the school in 2016 into its title and branding. The school in South Vancouver officially switched to the dual name “snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College” during a ceremony in midApril. The name snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ was bestowed on the school during a ceremony led by the late Siem Henry Charles of Musqueam in January 2016. The title means “house of teachings” in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and refers to the advice that’s given to a child to build their character and to guide them into adulthood. Langara sits on a former Musqueam village site and it has partnered with the nation in recent years to increase the community’s presence at the college. Vanessa Campbell of the Musqueam Language Office said the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name is an 12 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
opportunity for Musqueam to share its culture and language with the wider community. “It’s about acknowledgement, and creating opportunities for deeper understanding of Musqueam people, our presence in this territory, and our ongoing connection to these places we have called home for so many generations,” Campbell said in a media release. Langara president and CEO Lane Trotter said it was important to fully incorporate the gifted name into the school’s institutional identity. In order to fully make the switch, Langara introduced worked with a type designer from the company TypeTogether to create a character extension for the college’s main font that includes hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language characters. “Given our campus location on what was once a Musqueam village, it was important for us to honour the gift of the name snəw̓eyəɬ leləm,” Trotter said.
“This work is the next step in our continuing relationship with Musqueam, and we hope it will help Indigenous students feel even more welcome on our campus.” In September, a Musqueam welcome figure by Brent Sparrow Jr. was unveiled on campus as a way to welcome visitors to the nation’s unceded territory. The red cedar carving depicts a figure wrapped in a blanket, holding a spindle whorl to represent the passing of knowledge to the next generation. Trotter said the post was also a way to honour the passing of Siem Henry Charles after the elder granted the college with its Musqueam name in 2016. “The plaque at the base of the house post will acknowledge, in perpetuity, the contribution that Henry made to Langara College and our relationship with the Musqueam,” Trotter said in an earlier statement.
K’ÓMOKS INSTALLS SOLAR ARRAY AT I-HOS GALLERY The 28-panel array is part of nation’s eventual goal of net zero energy consumption K’ómoks First Nation is one step closer to its goal of net zero energy consumption with a recently-installed solar array. The solar panels installed at the community’s I-Hos Gallery in Courtenay, B.C., will generate 75 per cent of the electricity used in the building. The 28-panel, 8.54kw solar array was installed by K’ómoks Economic Development Corporation with help from K’ómoks members at the end of March. The nation’s leadership has set a goal to reduce its carbon footprint by 50 per cent in the next 15 years. K’ómoks Economic Development Corporation partnered with Viridian Energy Co-operative and Nelson Roofing to bring the project at I-Hos Gallery to life.
Nelson Roofing has also sponsored upgrading 80 lightbulbs in the gallery to high-efficiency LED bulbs. Jennifer Knox, an administrative assistant for K’ómoks Economic Development, said the gallery now uses a much smaller amount of electricity — about the same as an average home. She said there are future plans to install a microgrid that would connect various solar arrays throughout the nation. “We’d also like to do the health building, the admin building and at the campground,” Knox said in a phone interview. Three K’ómoks members were trained to help install the solar array at I-Hos, and the nation is providing training to staff about reducing energy consumption.
K’ómoks Economic Development CEO Melinda Knox said the nation has been working with an engineer on the solar initiative, and she hopes that K’ómoks can continue to build its expertise and eventually share with other nations. “(We’d like) to do training for other communities that are on generators,” she said. She explained that reducing energy consumption will feed into the community’s larger plan to expand in an environmentallyfriendly and cultural way. K’ómoks is also working on expanding its campground, trail walkways, cultural tourism and more. “It’s just tying everything together to share about who K’ómoks First Nation is,” she said.
MUSQUEAM ACTIVIST HONOURED IN VANCOUVER ART EXHIBIT Audrey Siegl selected as important water-keeper for ‘qaʔ yəxw – water honours us: womxn and waterways’ at Bill Reid Gallery By Cara McKenna Musqueam activist Audrey Siegl and her late sister are being honoured in a new art exhibit that looks at the sacred relationships between Indigenous women and water. The multimedia exhibition qaʔ yəxw – water honours us: womxn and waterways opened at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver on April 10. The show features the work of nine Indigenous woman artists and was curated by the ReMatriate Collective — a volunteer-led movement dedicated to empowering Indigenous women. The exhibit features photography, paintings, prints, carvings, jewelry and more. The pieces were chosen because they relate to the importance of water as a life-force, as well as to the relationships First Nations women have had with it throughout history. Siegl was chosen by ReMatriate as an important contemporary water keeper who is being honoured in the exhibit for her ongoing advocacy work, which has included fighting the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and travelling with the national inquiry for missing and murdered Indigenous women. Central to the exhibit are two large black and white film photos of Siegl taken by Kaska Dena photographer Kali Spitzer, with audio of Siegl singing and drumming in the background. One of the photos is a portrait of Siegl, and the other is a memorial to Siegl’s sister Maria, who died from a fentanyl overdose earlier this year. In the photo, Siegl can be seen standing mournfully in a cedar hat, holding a photo of Maria along with a candle and sprig of cedar. Siegl said there have been so many tragedies for Indigenous women across Canada, and she often feels overwhelmed by all the work that must be done. “This exhibit is a reminder for me that we are powerful, and we are resilient and we’re strong and beautiful,” she said. “And we deserve safety, peace and justice now.” Aside from Spitzer, the other artists featured in the exhibit are: Richelle Bear Hat (Blackfoot/Cree), Krystle Coughlin (Selkirk), Lindsay Katsitsakataste Delaronde (Mohawk), Alison Marks (Tlingit), Dionne Paul (Nuxalk/Sechelt), Marika Echachis Swan (Nuu-chah-nulth), Carrielynn Victor (Sto:lo) and Veronica Waechter (Gitxsan). Curators also worked with the Musqueam language and culture department to come up with the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ title for the show, qaʔ yəxw, meaning “water honours us.” Siegl grew up hearing hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and spoke about how the language and land are inextricably connected. “All of our directional language was derived from our relationship with the water,” she said. “The water was as essential to our life as our own blood, and it still is. It’s our transportation, it’s where our food came from, it’s part of our ceremonies and our everyday work.” qaʔ yəxw – water honours us: womxn and waterways will run until October 2nd. “Becoming Worthy” by Marika Echachis Swan
Two portraits of Musqueam water keeper Audrey Siegl taken by photographer Kali Spitzer
TLA’AMIN MEMBER OPENS ‘TATTOO SPA’ IN POWELL RIVER Francis Jr Luaifoa opened the doors to JrOriginal Tattoo Spa in February
By Cara McKenna When envisioning a stereotypical tattoo shop, many people would imagine things like skull decor, blaring rock music and bright neon lights. But Tla’amin member Francis Jr Luaifoa wanted to open a shop that made the experience of getting a tattoo more like a relaxing trip to the spa. Luaifoa recently opened JrOriginal Tattoo Spa in Powell River — a “one-stop wellness shop” that includes tattooing, a hair salon and an esthetician. The space is bright and calming, with a trickling waterfall fountain, soft calming music and lush greenery. At a small tiki bar setup in the corner, Luaifoa — a tattoo artist and barber — sits with clients to consult about tattoos. “I just wanted to make it a friendly environment for all ages to come in,” he said. “It’s kind of like a one-stop wellness shop. We want people to come in and do that whole round and step out feeling really good about themselves.” The concept of a “tattoo spa” is fairly unique, and combines the therapeutic and calming environment and treatments you would find at a spa with tattoo services. There’s a salon, mani and pedi station and private tattoo room where clients sit on a soft recliner chair and have the option to watch television while they’re getting ink done. “I envisioned it working, but it was an experiment,” Luaifoa said. “I wanted to see how it would all function together. But we’ve been doing really well.” Luaifoa has been an artist his entire life, and started out with tattooing by creating designs for friends. His signature style is inspired by his Polynesian and Coast Salish roots, creating striking black and grey pieces with hints of both styles. “I like our traditional tattoos, (and) integrating new things into our culture,” he said. “I don’t completely change the art, I just add that Polynesian twist.” Luaifoa put the shop together in an impressively short amount of time. He was working as a carpenter for about two decades before he decided to completely shift his career path to pursue his passions. In mid-2018, he completed a month-long entrepreneur training program at Tla’amin called the Sharing Circle Mentorship Entrepreneurship Program, then he moved fullsteam ahead to secure funding, find a location and open the business. “There was nothing wrong with what I was doing before, but I wanted something different, I wanted to be my own boss,” he said. “You never know, in one year of your life you can just pick something you want to do and do it. It’s amazing what you can achieve if you apply yourself.”
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20 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER DISPLAYS ARTWORK CREATED BY CHILDREN IN RESIDENTIAL, DAY SCHOOLS
‘There is Truth Here’ shows art done by Indigenous children in four institutions between the 1930s and 1970s
By Cara McKenna An exhibit of artwork done by Indigenous children while in Canadian residential and day schools showcases an important record of culture and history. The exhibition called There is Truth Here at the Museum of Vancouver displays rare surviving art pieces created by children from four institutions between the 1930s and 1970s. The art, some signed and some not, came from children at the Inkameep Day School in the Okanagan, St. Michael’s Indian Residential School in Alert Bay, the Alberni Indian Residential School on Vancouver Island and Mackay Indian Residential School in Manitoba. There is Truth Here was curated by Andrea Walsh, an anthropology professor at the University of Victoria, and was brought to Vancouver after originally being displayed at the Legacy Art Gallery in Victoria. MOV’s Indigenous curator Sharon Fortney led the process of bringing the works to Vancouver, and selected additional works from the museum’s collection to add to the display. Walsh said the idea for the exhibit was formed when UVic received a gift of more than 700 paintings that were done by Indigenous children across Canada, but the university didn’t feel right about keeping their property. “Since 2008 we’ve been trying to locate survivors to repatriate their work,” Walsh said. That project led Walsh to meeting residential school survivors and their families, some of whom attended an opening reception for the exhibition on April 5. Taylor Baptiste of Osoyoos Indian Band spoke about meeting Walsh and discovering artwork from her grandfather Francis, who attended the Inkameep Day School in the 1940s. Baptiste never met her grandfather, who passed away before she was born, but she has known Andrea since she was just five years old. “As I got older I really started to appreciate all
the hard work she’s done for my family, for the Osoyoos Indian Band and all the other families who are represented here,” Baptiste said. Baptiste said seeing her grandfather’s sketches showcasing people and animals through Walsh inspired her. “As I got older I tried to recreate his work,” said Baptiste, who is now an artist herself. “That’s why I started painting.” The works in There is Truth Here include paintings, drawings, sewing, beading, and even multimedia pieces showing performances, drumming and singing. Walsh said the works on display were created by children ages six to 18. “The artworks in this exhibition form an official record of their creativity and their resilience from what was all too often a daily struggle to survive,” Walsh said. “Each piece of art, whether signed or not, bears the mark of an individual child’s thinking and actions. They did not create their art as a record of history for Canada, but that it has become.” For the exhibit, MOV partnered with the Capture Photography Festival to produce a local response to the works. Roxanne Charles, an artist from Semiahmoo First Nation, drew inspiration from archival photographs of life at the St. Mary’s Residential School in Mission, B.C., to create a response piece that includes a space for prayer. Those photos form a conversation with the artwork displayed in the next room, Walsh explained. “These pictures are often of children in uniforms, and they are anonymous,” she said in a statement. “What the art does is highlight that all the children in those pictures were wonderful little children ... There is a creativity to these pieces and there is a resilience to them.” There is Truth Here opened in April, and is on display until January 2020.
“Each piece of art, whether signed or not, bears the mark of an individual child’ thinking and actions. They did not create their art as a record of history for Canada, but that it has become.”
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 25
Talking sticks carved by William and Joel Good of Snuneymuxw.
FATHER-SON ARTISTS FROM SNUNEYMUXW INSPIRE NEW EXHIBIT Nanaimo Art Gallery exhibit ‘Across the Table’ looks at art between generations By Julie Chadwick Photos by Julie Chadwick and Ruby Chadwick-Booker For curator Jesse Birch, inspiration for Nanaimo Art Gallery’s latest exhibit came to him as he watched father and son artists Joel and William Good (Tseskinakhen) carve at their kitchen table together. Their home on the Nanaimo River in Snuneymuxw territory also serves as a family work space, and as he watched the wood chips fall, Birch began to envision an entire gallery show focused on intergenerational art. The show titled Across the Table launched on April 25 with singing, drumming and dancing from three generations of the Good family. The exhibit features carvings by both Joel and William as well as multimedia pieces from artists Guy Ben-Ner, Justine A. Chambers, and Tanya Lukin Linklater. “(The exhibit) is just really about the spirit of collaborating across generations, and how different artists from different cultural backgrounds work through that in different ways,” Birch said. Most of the Goods’ pieces were sourced from private collections, but one in particular — a
talking stick — was created specifically for the exhibit, said Birch. Recently, when a group of curators were visiting from Vancouver and Japan, Birch was asked which artists were on his “must-see” list. He replied that, of course, they had to visit the Good family. “While we were there, William showed us [his] long talking stick with all the different animals
William Good (Tseskinakhen)
Joel Good
26 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
on it, and explained that it was the first piece he and Joel carved together,” said Birch. “It’s a record of their family’s stories, it’s a really important document.” Inspired, Birch asked William and Joel if they would consider carving another talking stick for the exhibit — one that represented where they are at now — and the artists agreed. At the opening, William pointed to where both sticks were now encased in glass at the centre of the room. “What you do, you see, is that you carve one half and then you let your student carve the other half,” said William, who added that the first one was completed with Joel in the late 1990s. William said the other one features the eagle, which is the main family crest and protector. “It’s a messenger between heaven and earth and when we pass away, it’s a supernatural eagle that brings us to heaven,” he said. The supernatural eagle features strongly in their family’s work, and is also included on a permanent piece by Joel and William, Supernatural Eagle Bringing the Sun Back to the World, that fronts the gallery facade outside.
“(The exhibit) is just really about the spirit of collaborating across generations” On the far wall across the room, a large round spindle whorl from William called Creation Story shares space with two small painted spindle whorl carvings of Joel’s. A tool traditionally used by Coast Salish people to spin wool, the spindle whorl has become an important symbol for Snuneymuxw and other Coast Salish communities. One spindle whorl by Joel, Supernatural Eagle Carrying the Grey Whale, is a recreation of an ancient design. Joel said that he originally found the design in an old photo of Coast Salish spindle whorls. “I hadn’t really learned Coast Salish [style] up to that point,” he said. “So I had no idea what I was looking at. And [my dad] came in right at that moment and said, ‘Oh you have the old sul’sul’tuns,’ and it turned out that it was our artwork.” Good said that was the beginning for him to recreate more historical Snuneymuxw pieces, and the style eventually flowed well enough for him to create his own works. Also on display are William’s D-adze carving tools which he’s used for many carvings, which Birch said were chosen because they are themselves works of art. “I love that they are these objects of work but they are also telling their own stories as the labour is happening,” said Birch. Other pieces featured in the exhibit include a digital video by Alutiq artist and performer Tanya Lukin Linklater called The treaty is in the body, and Israeli artist Guy Ben-Ner’s film Moby Dick, which was made in collaboration with his children. Across the Table will be on display at the gallery until June 30.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 27
ARTIST LAWRENCE PAUL YUXWELUPTUN RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Contemporary painter asks audience to request referendum to get rid of the Indian Act while accepting award By Cara McKenna Vancouver-based artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Lets’lo:tseltun made a call to abolish the Indian Act while he was receiving an honorary degree on May 4. The contemporary Okanagan and Coast Salish painter received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Emily Carr University during its convocation ceremony, being lauded as a “unique and persistent voice for change.” Yuxweluptun graduated from Emily Carr in 1983 with an honours degree in painting — his work combines surrealism with Northwest Coast and Salish styles, using bright colours and ovoid forms to express the harsh realities of colonization. 28 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
The artist creates large-scale paintings as well as multimedia pieces including performance art and three-dimensional wooden sculptures. His work has been displayed internationally, in the National Gallery of Canada, and in 2016, a retrospective exhibit of his work called Unceded Territories was shown at the Museum of Anthropology. After receiving the award from Emily Carr, Yuxweluptun used his platform to ask the hundreds of people in the audience — graduates, university staff and family members — to please work on quashing the federal Indian Act. “Talk to your representatives. Ask for a referendum to get rid of the Indian Act. We’re
tired of being prisoners,” he said. “I want all Native people to have equality and freedom. Real freedom to be recognized as human beings … We can all work together to change the things that are necessary for this world.” Yuxweluptun finished his speech to a standing ovation from the crowd. He said his art has always been about documenting history and pointing out injustices. In the late 1990s, Yuxweluptun did a performance art piece called An Indian Shooting the Indian Act, where he used a rifle to shoot holes in a copy of the federal document. The Indian Act was first passed by Parliament in 1876 and has established laws
around Indigenous people in Canada including the reservation system, the residential school system as well as creating rules around who receives Indian Status. “It’s an outdated system,” he said. “We need self-determination, self-governance, self-rule, so we can protect ourselves and engage in this country properly as human beings.” Emily Carr president Gillian Siddall told the audience how Yuxweluptun was born in Kamloops to politically-active parents. His father, from the Cowichan Nation, was involved in the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and National Indian Brotherhood, and trained him from a young age to fight for his rights. “At age 14, (Lawrence) explained his right to fish for food to an officer who wanted to ticket him,” Siddall said when introducing Yuxweluptun. “When the officer threatened to arrest him, he explained how arresting a child would look on the six o’clock news. He didn’t get the ticket.” Siddall said that ability to shift a viewer’s perspective is now typical of Yuxweluptun’s art. “His paintings confront us with important issues such as colonialism, residential school, and the destruction of the environment,” she said. “Lawrence uses surrealism, formline, ovoid forms and neon bright colours to compel viewers to examine issues through different mediums.” Siddall presented the artist with the honorary degree “for his artistic creations, activism and unique and persistent voice for change.” Along with Yuxweluptun, Terry Irwin, head of the Carnegie Mellon School of Design, also received an Honorary Doctorate, and Vancouver Islandbased artist and activist Marianna Nicolson received the university’s Emily Award, recognizing outstanding achievement. “It is our great honour and privilege at Emily Carr University to publicly recognize the immense contributions to the fields of contemporary art and design made by these three individuals as dynamic artists, innovative designers, and compelling advocates,” Siddall said in a statement. “As provocative leaders in their respective fields, (they) embody the spirit and purpose of Emily Carr University — making a bold and lasting impact on creative practice and cultural engagement, thereby inspiring and informing the facilitation of future thought leaders and change makers.”
Photos: Yuxweluptun and works in his East Vancouver studio.
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LEGACY CANOE NAMED AT CAPU Students and staff at Capilano University got a first look at a canoe carved by two Squamish Nation members during an awakening and naming ceremony April 11. The nine-metre classical Salish canoe was carved in celebration of the institution’s 50-year anniversary. The project being called the “Legacy Canoe” was carved by Ses Siyam (Ray Natraoro) of Squamish Nation and apprentice carver X̱ ats’alanexw Siyam (Victor Harry). The canoe was given the name Skw’cháys during the ceremony, according to CapU’s website. The canoe was carved on the university’s North Vancouver campus, and now just needs to be painted. Ses Siyam said in an earlier statement that he took on the project as he thought it was a good opportunity to help document canoe-carving culture. “That was our family profession before [European] contact,” he said. When the canoe is fully finished, it will be displayed at the school and there are plans for it to eventually be taken out on the water. Joel Cardinal, a community engagement facilitator for CapU, said he is proud to see Coast Salish culture being captured at the university. “This project is meaningful to our Indigenous students, our campus community, to the First Nations whose traditional territories our campuses reside on and to Photo: CapU those who live on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish people,” he said in a statement.
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