June 15, 2008

 aturday I got to do alot of neat things for work. However, the highlight for me was being able to carve on a totem pole. It is something I have dreamed of since I was in the 4th grade. 

I had spent so much time in Canada when I was young in the summers, I had fallen in love with totem poles. I carved one out of cedar with two figures that 4th grade summer. 

The one I carved on yesterday is not just any totem pole, this is a Cowichan Spirit Pole. The pole will embark on a 13-week tour of the province, visiting over 40 communities and offering British Columbians the opportunity to carve a portion of the pole. Completing its journey in Cowichan Bay on August 1st, the finished pole will be raised on August 3rd, marking the official opening of the 2008 North American Indigenous Games which is to be held in British Columbia this year.

Picture at very top: Me, getting to carve on  the Cowichan Story Pole, I was working about where Moon or a wing will be placed.
Picture Above Middle: The design of the story pole when it is finished. 
Picture Above Left: Me, receiving some of the cedar chips I carved from the totem pole.
Picture Above Right: Commemorative envelope and papers to hold my cedar chips.

The pole is ..."Victory in Spirit, a Story in Wood", which symbolizes the strength of a People: healing through sharing, sharing through learning, and learning through generations. The pole echoes the past, pays tribute to the present and looks to the future. The Master Carver, Carey Newman was great to gab with.

"Reverberations of the past appear in the symmetry of Wolf in the middle of the pole. Variations of this figure can be seen on poles from the early days through the present. In a more contemporary way, the roots at the base signify a deep connection to the past. On the chest of the Eagle is Moon, offering wisdom and guidance.

The present is honoured by Salmon swimming up stream. This ritual, carried out by many generations, illustrates the cycle of life. We return to where we have come from, to pass on what we have learned. Atop the pole will be an Eagle, strong, self assured, majestic and proud. This expresses a positive future, one in which young leaders are learning from the elders, showing that the future is in good hands.

  The future is seen by Eagle and passed down through Wolf and the river to Frog. Frog teaches us that the future is a culmination of our collective experience. We break free from the bonds of our past when we are ready to both honour and leave it behind. If you look closely, you will see that Frog has taken his first step forward. This idea of moving into the future is also embodied by the flowing water, an element that is reflected in the angle of the Eagle’s wings, and the arch of the Wolf’s brow. Everything is connected.

  Also told by the figures on the pole is the story of Quw’utsun. When the People first saw the place that would become their home, the mountains appeared to be “frogs warming their backs in the sun.” The hul’q’uminum word for this is Scowutsun. Known today as “Cowichan,” Quw’utsun is “a place to warm your back in the sun.” The pole itself is meant to represent the mountains. The river flows down the mountain and wraps around the Frog near the base. Unseen from the front, the Sun is opposite the Moon, warming the Eagle’s back. The wings of the Eagle are designed to be his feathers and wings, but also a Cowichan blanket.

  This pole represents my belief that the way to move forward is by honouring the past and reflecting on the present. This is reflected in the movement of the figures: each is breaking free from its pose, stretching out and reaching, animating itself, and thus the culture it represents.”

- wrote Master Carver Carey Newman for this pole, (and we think we know each other from somewhere and can't figure out from where)

The figures and their meanings:
Eagle : Power of the Great Spirit, great perception, capable of bridging worlds, illumination of spirit, healing, grace, courage and freedom.
Wolf : Guardianship, loyalty, longevity, pathfinder, strong spirit, great teacher, ritual, and family.
Frog : Power of water, power of sound, rainmaker, cleanser of spirit.
Salmon : Courage, loyalty, strength, respect for tradition. Inner voice, determination, the power of instinct, sustenance, strength, intuition and the ability to follow your vision.
Moon : Silent vigil, wisdom of the ages, tranquility, serenity, inner peace, self examination, guidance.
Sun : Power of light, giver of life, origin of fire and warmth. Energy, ability to adhere to convictions.

In news around the farm here, the pigs were ready to pick up. I brought home six weaner pigs whom are so very happy to be piglets, scamper around and eat dirt. It is always so funny to see how happy they are to go outside for the first time.

I like this batch better than last years pigs. Last years hogs I was never happy with from the day we picked them up. They were scruffy and there were some with hernias which are not uncommon in pigs.

These ones are nice and sleek and no conditions. I rejected one which had not healed from castration yet.

Chicks are still hatching out. I went and picked up some chick starter ration for them. I also bought a fence stretcher as I started on the front pasture fence and needed to stretch some barb wire. Dodging a thunderstorm or two, I think it is coming along on schedual.