After months of meticulous effort, Lil'wat Nation Master Carver nkwel̓ánk Jonathan Joe and his apprentice Redmond Q̓áwam̓ Andrews will have their labour commemorated.
Joe and Andrews' Story Pole, which was finished with help from westa7 Todd Edmonds, has its official awakening ceremony on Nov. 8 at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (SLCC). Depicting and honouring the Declaration of the Lillooet Tribes signed in 1911, the new pole has been erected next to a House Post made last year by Squamish artisans Master Carver Xwalacktun and Brandon Hall.
An SLCC press release explains: "together, the Sister Poles represent a deep connection to the land, the original peoples, bringing authenticity to traditional carving practices and storytelling in the shared territory of the Squamish [Sḵwx̱wú7mesh] and Lil'wat [Lil̓wat7úl]."
Even though Joe has been carving for four decades, he is still familiarizing himself with various aspects of his ancestral heritage—like the awakening ceremony. On this topic, Andrews has become the master.
"This is the part I'm still learning about," Joe admits. "I asked Redmond about the ceremony and he said, 'it's for your spirit to come out of the pole—all your feelings and your thoughts—to separate them from it so we don't keep on living in that way.' [The ceremony] lets me continue to be me, and that pole is there to tell a story for whoever wants to listen."
Substantial portions of Indigenous cultural knowledge have been eroded over time. Residential schools played a major factor in this unfortunate process, as has the trend of First Nations artifacts being whisked away to museums around the globe.
"A lot of our culture is lost," says Joe. "I would like to learn more about it so I could replicate some of the older [carvings] that were made hundreds of years ago. It's very important to tell the story about who we are, what we did, where we come from and our spirituality."
'We're a team'
Having carved for roughly 12 years, Andrews is a practiced storyteller in his own right. He's the first mentee Joe has taken since 2009.
"Redmond takes a lot of pride in his work," Joe remarks. "He doesn't rush, and patience is one of the most important things you have to have—and, of course, the willingness to do it. There's not many people who are willing to do anything in life. I'm very proud of him … he has his own style.
"I always bounce ideas off of people and I kept telling him: we're a team. We're going to decide what goes on the pole. When I'm carving by myself, it's different. It tends to take me a little longer as I keep changing my ideas."
The Story Pole carving process began on July 11 with a cedar log blessing ceremony. Despite originally being scheduled to end at the beginning of September, it rolled on until Sept. 21 to grant the artists more time to wrap things up.
One notable image on the pole depicts a blue heron eating a fish—made on Day 1 by Andrews. Herons have, on occasion, choked to death swallowing prey that was too large, thus the moral of Andrews' art is: take what you need, but not more. It's a lesson heeded by generations of Indigenous folk.
Joe hopes passers-by who look at the Sister Poles will learn something valuable, or at least recognize the distinctions between Lil'wat and Squamish culture. He's humble about the role he plays in sharing said heritage with others.
"People call me a 'Master Carver,' but I'm just me," he says. "The creator gave me this gift. I'm grateful for it, and grateful for Redmond."
More details about the Story Pole Awakening Ceremony are viewable at eventbrite.com/e/story-pole-awakening-ceremony-tickets-1060398994939?aff=oddtdtcreator.
