VIDEO – Students at James Thomson Elementary School gathered next to their school garden Friday afternoon, January 25, for a blessing ceremony of a cedar log that will be carved into a totem pole.
When the pole is finished it will stand at the front of the school to greet students, parents and visitors. Master carver Darren Joseph from the Squamish First Nation has been selected to lead the carving project.
“I was always told to pass my skills on to the younger generation,” said Joseph. “This will be the first step for me. I’ll be using modern tools, but the designs will be traditional.”
Randy Timothy and Drew Blaney, of Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation, will apprentice throughout the project.
Joseph trained with northwest coast carvers for five years and has carved 22 totems with other artists and three by himself. He said he’s tried to incorporate Coast Salish designs into the project which will result in a welcome pole. The pole project is part of the first phase in James Thomson’s school ground renovations.
The welcome pole will be carved from a 10-foot cedar log over the next eight weeks. Tla’amin elders blessed the log and the carvers to prepare for the project to begin.
The project will also include James Thomson’s grade six and seven students and will teach them about Coast Salish art.
Tla’amin Elder Elsie Paul was not able to attend the ceremony due to illness, but a statement was read by Betty Wilson. “We thank the ancestors for giving us this land. We thank the ancestors for giving us our children. We ask the ancestors to look after this school and all the people who work here looking after our children.”
Tla’amin Chief Clint Williams spoke briefly at the blessing. “Not long ago in history it wasn’t proper to celebrate and honour first nations’ culture and history,” he said. “This work between the school district and James Thomson is such a beautiful thing.”
Jasmin Marshman, principal of James Thomson, said she hopes to create yearly legacy projects like the welcome pole for students to participate in to help increase cross-cultural awareness.
Powell River Board of Education trustees Steve Formosa and Mary James were in attendance at the ceremony. “To connect culture to the students’ education and education to culture is an important equation to keep kids tied into this part of their community,” said Formosa. “This is a big deal.”
The welcome pole will be part of building a strong first nations identity for the native and non-native students at James Thomson, said James. “It’s something that will lift everyone’s spirit that steps into the school.”
