The Ts’uubaa-asatx Square totem pole has spent the last year as a major staple in the local dialogue, gaining attention for its declaration as a symbol of cooperation between the town and the local First Nation, its aspect of community involvement and the recent vandalism it was subjected to. Now the band is preparing for the final step in the project, and are inviting residents to take part in its raising.
The raising ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on September 5 at the Ts’uubaa-asatx Square. The “gift to the community” will be raised in quadrants, with members of the forest industry, RCMP officers, firefighters and first responders, members of the local band and local youth all taking part.
Following the raising of the pole, members of the Ts’uubaa-asatx will be performing a traditional song and dance for those in attendance, which they have been rehearsing in Ts’uubaa-asatx Square over the past weeks.
At 11 a.m., Artist Ron Hamilton, Ts’uubaa-asatx Chief Cyril Livingstone, Mayor Ross Forrest and other dignitaries will speak on the project. Afterwards, guests will be invited to Centennial Hall for a lunch provided by the band, where chiefs of nearby First Nations will also speak on the project.
Ts’uubaa-asatx operations manager Aaron Hamilton said that they are expecting 150 to 200 guests to be present at the pole raising ceremony, including First Nations chiefs and elders from across Vancouver Island and those who contributed to the project financially or otherwise.
The pole project first began in November, when the band announced they would be carving a totem pole as a “reciprocal gift” to the town, after being granted naming rights to the new town square, now called Ts’uubaa-asatx Square. Artist Ron Hamilton arrived in Lake Cowichan in April to begin the design phase of the project.
As Ron Hamilton began carving the pole, he caught the attention of many residents, who would stop by to check out his progress or ask questions about the design.
“I’m definitely pleased with how it turned out,” Aaron Hamilton said. “The feedback has been very positive and the reaction from the community was very reassuring. The town has helped in any way they can and the Farmers’ Market has been very accommodating with us using the stage [in Ts’uubaa-asatx Square] to carve the pole.”
Fundraising for the project began in April, when members of the public were invited to take part in the rough carving of the pole, in exchange for a donation, with no minimum amount required. Ron Hamilton explained the motivation behind the decision.
“I’m interested in having help from the people in the community, especially young people — even just one swing of an axe,” he said back in April. “They can feel an ownership [over the pole], which could save it from the vandalism many totem poles are subject to.”
Despite their intentions, the pole became the target of vandalism on Canada Day (July 1), when Ron Hamilton returned from his lunch break to find eight separate marking made with indelible pencil, which had to be scraped off the pole. Although many of the marking were vulgar, the act of vandalism didn’t seem to be racially motivated.
“They weren’t derogatory, there was nothing racial, it was all childish stuff,” Aaron Hamilton said. “Ron had to scrape off a layer from the pole; you can’t erase pencil from wood. It wasn’t enough to destroy the pole but it was enough to distort it.”
Due to the content of the vandalism, he suspected the vandalism to have been carried out by a group of kids.
He also confirmed that once the pole is raised, the band plans to install security cameras in order to protect it from further vandalism. He said that the cameras may be included as a feature of the pole in some way, such as being used for remote viewing of Ts’uubaa-asatx Square, similar to the cameras on Highway 18. Aside from the recent incident, he said the activity surrounding the pole has been exclusively positive.
“There’s been a buzz around the pole that hasn’t happened in this town for a while,” he said. “It’s generating an interest in understanding our culture and the culture of the town, and I’m confident that it’s going to have an impact on bringing more cultural awareness… I’ve seen tourists checking it out; it’s going to become a focal point to stop for and any reason to stop in town is good.”
For more information on the pole raising call the Ts’uubaa-asatx office at 250-749-3301.
