A totem project not unlike the spirit pole undertaking associated with the 2008 North American Indigenous Games is being planned by the the City of Duncan in celebration of Canada’s sesquicentennial.
Master carver Thomas Hunt Jr., a member of the Kwakiutl nation (Fort Rupert), was picked to sculpt a new pole on the same trailer used by Carey Newman when he crafted the spirit pole in the months leading up to the Cowichan-hosted NAIG.
Hunt Jr. will spend three days a week during the spring and summer crafting the pole in Charles Hoey Park, but the carving won’t be limited to downtown Duncan and he won’t do it alone.
“The city is working with Cowichan Tribes and Tom Hunt to arrange for an apprentice from Cowichan Tribes to work on this project,” said Duncan mayor Phil Kent.
And, just like for NAIG, they’re looking to take the pole on the road and give the community a chance to make their marks on it as well.
“We’re looking forward to having everyone work together to transform this cedar log into a totem pole,” Kent said.
The cedar log, donated by Horizon Forest Products, will travel to a handful of communities on a schedule aimed at coinciding with special events including Cowichan Lake Days (June 4-11), Chemainus Giant Market (July 8), and Ladysmith Days (Aug. 5).
A traditional ceremony to unveil and bless the completed totem has been slated for Sept. 22, but the pole’s final destination has yet to be confirmed.
There was talk of it being raised in Station Street park but there’s just one problem with that.
“Station Street park itself is not really a park,” Kent explained. Should the site be developed, the new pole, and others currently residing in the space would need to be moved.
The project is funded primarily by the federal government’s Canada 150 Fund.