Healing Totem Pole

 On Saturday, Marcel and I had an opportunity to help raise a totem pole in Whitehorse. Originally, I thought it was a ceremony we could watch and we did observe a bit of a native ceremony prior to moving the totem, but then they needed help moving it to where it now stands along the Yukon River. I've got some pictures of the process, but let me give a little bit of background on the totem first.
  Nine years ago a man had a vision of this totem while in a sweat lodge. He saw a healing totem where all the chips from the carving would be saved. Over the past five months, a team of carvers have been working on the totem at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Center. At the same time, residential school survivors as well as family members of those that have passed have been dropping by the center to sign their names on the fallen wood chips. On Thursday of last week, a special ceremony was held to burn the ashes which will then be placed inside the totem.
   Residential schools were church-run, government funded boarding schools that took First Nation children from their families in order to educate them and assimilate them into European-Canadian culture (some sources say "civilize them"). These schools were often overcrowded, had a lack of sanitary conditions, and physical and sexual abuse were common. Many students died in these conditions and since speaking their native language was restricted, much of their culture was lost in these years. The first residential schools began in the 1840s and the last closed in 1996. I think they were started with good intentions, however, quickly they became something very evil that have had lasting effects throughout the generations. In 2008 a public apology was given by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on behalf of the Canadian government for the abuse and neglect that occurred during these years.
  On that note, this totem was carved in order to help in the healing process for victims and their families. Each part of the totem was thoughtfully designed:

 

The most important figure is always on the bottom of the totem. The figure pictured there is of a mother. The mother is holding the ashes and this symbolizes the residential school children being returned to their mothers.

The bottom of the totem respresents the past. Above the mother are two children, a boy and a girl that represent the children that were taken.

 The top of the totem represents the future. Above the children is a father figure with a shield that shows strength (father) and pride (shield) of First Nations. Then above the father is a wolf and a raven (the two Yukon clans). There is a blank spot between the clans that represents the unknown future.

  It was a neat experience to be a part of the community that helped move the totem. They needed at least 84 people to carry the totem and, to be honest, we missed the actual raising (instead we went to get Marcel a pair of winter boots before his toes fell off due to frostbite :P). The ceremony started at 10 am, we got there at 10:30 (typical Vwier style). At that point there was a lot of drumming, speeches, smoke being feathered over the carvers, and a prayer to the creator. I think we started moving the totem at 11:30 and it was finally raised by the river at 1 pm.

  Here are some pictures of the process:

They put "tree"ed poles under the totem to prepare for the group lifting.

Drummers and dancers in traditional garb. Guess: Is this woman from the raven or wolf clan?

84 people ready to lift on three! 1...2... 3...

Got it! The men at the front had the heaviest part. There was a steel rod put on the back of the totem that was weighted heaviest at the bottom for obvious reasons. The Yukon Premier and Mayor of Whitehorse can also be seen in this photo (both whearing black coats).  

Marcel and I in on the action! This was my view looking forward. We would walk for a couple hundred meters and then they would get two dollies out so people could take a break and switch in and out of the process. The men at the front needed breaks.

Our view behind us. We were near the top of the totem (this is the wolf head- the raven head was put on after it was lifted) which was quite light.

Marcel- smiling despite his frozen feet!

Talk about teamwork!

 



As we walked there was a man leading the group with a large painted paddle. He would encourage us by saying "Can I get a HooHAww?!" and we would all respond "HooHAww!" We also walked to the sound of the drum.

 

 You can check out two videos of the action here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds1vJskNVw0&feature=youtu.be  (Watching the community work together)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WernZnNBC0&feature=youtu.be  (Amy's Viewpoint- I really wasn't carrying that much weight so I went one-handed while videoing)

 

It was pretty cool Yukon experience to be a part of!