When we were at the Art Gallery of Ontario this past weekend, after viewing the exhibit for which we had made the trip, we went upstairs to the Canadian collection. I sought out the few paintings at the AGO by Emily Carr, which depict totem poles. Carr was fascinated by and deeply respectful of First Nations culture. While she never gave up her Christian faith she was drawn to the Native spirituality which honoured the earth. Her totem pole paintings from Haida Gwaii are a truly unique expression within the Canadian art scene, even though she wasn't given much credence when she was alive. Many of the paintings depict poles which have long since crumbled into oblivion. The missionary church discouraged the creation of the poles because they were mistakenly seen as paganism and idol worship rather than honouring ancestors, tribal identity, and connecton to earth, sky, and sea.
I'm sure Carr would have been delighted by the historical moment early in August when a pole was erected for the first time in 130 years on Lyell Island, part of Haida Gwaii. It commemorates the 20th anniversary of the stand-off between Native elders and the RCMP over logging on the island. This pole includes the faces of the "five good people" who were instrumental in stopping the logging, as well as the grizzly bear, the raven, and the sea wolf.
At the raising more than four hundred people surrounded the pole, including RCMP officers, all who came in various boats from kayaks to whalers. At thirteen metres it is an imposing tribute to the resurgence of Haida culture.
Were you aware this took place? Do you know much about the history of totem poles?
1 comment:
And do we not honour our ancestors with monuments and gravestones, in our cemeteries? Same principle, it seems to me - except a whole community is involved in the creation of a totem pole, whereas a small group (family only) selects what will memorialize the deceased, in our culture - I know, I know, the community honours the deceased in many other ways, in our culture...with memorial gifts, etc. We could stand to learn more about Native spiritualty, however - especially in regard to respect for the earth.
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