Totem Pole Journey
2014
The Totem Pole Journey,
scheduled for July through September 2014, is one response to the many fossil
fuel projects throughout the U. S. and Canada.
These projects include the Keystone Pipeline, the Kinder-Morgan toxic
tarsands pipelines (Alberta to ports in British Columbia) and the coal/oil/gas
export projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. The largest of these being the coal export
facility proposed at Xwe’chi’eXen (Cherry Point) in the traditional
homeland territory of Lummi Nation, home to an ancient burial ground with a
3,500-year old village site and is crucial to the health of the Salish Sea
fisheries. These projects will have
significant and adverse impacts on Native and non-Native communities, alike.
This Totem Pole Journey will
unite three compelling communication projects (the Mural, the Totem Pole and
China Express Exhibit) that will appeal to the emotional and intellectual
through visual arts.
The Mural. On July 1st, the mural will begin its journey
under the direction of Melanie Schambach. A group of Coast Salish participants will
complete the first layer of the 16’ by 20’ mural and over the next month, the
mural team will work in nine communities that would be impacted by the proposed
fossil fuel exports projects. At each
community, youth, young adults, and elders will get an opportunity to translate
their message onto the mural. It is
expected to be completed by the end of July and will then accompany the Totem
Pole as it begins its journey in August. 
The Totem Pole. The totem pole, one of the oldest forms of
North American storytelling, still serves to remind us of our place within
nature, of our responsibility to future generations, and of our connections to
each other and to our communities. Lummi Elder and Master Carver Jewell James
carries on this tradition of raising totem poles, sharing them among indigenous
and non-indigenous peoples. This
sharing, will inspire communities do more than rally, galvanize, inform, and
engage. Those who see and touch the totem pole experience the message as it
will speak to the heart of the matter and the moral conscience of cultural
diverse communities. The 18-foot totem
pole will begin its journey on the west coast in mid-August and culminate in early
September when it will be raised at Peace River, in the heart of the tarsands
territory in Alberta. Along the way the journey will highlight Native and
non-Native communities in the path of the coal, Bakken oil, and tarsands oil
throughout the U.S. and Canada. It will
incorporate Native American traditional values and knowledge, cross-cultural
dialogue with the broader community on what is at-risk, and informational
meetings and rallies with local leaders and community members.
China Express. Photographer Carlan Tapp traveled the train routes to British
Columbia, photographing everything from the open-pit coal mines in Wyoming to
Pacific Northwest towns and Indian reservations. Tapp’s black-and-white images of the
frost-covered firs and mist-shrouded hills along the route are starkly beautiful
but marred by the consistent presence of the train tracks. Opportunities to show the exhibit can be
scheduled for August in Minneapolis, MN, Olympia and Seattle.
The
convergence of the totem pole, the mural, and the exhibit will have an enduring
and profound impact on all.
As one of
many communities being impacted by these projects and because we have expressed
our support in protecting Xwe'chi'eXen, the faith
community is being asked to help support the Totem Pole Journey by providing
the financial support to meet feeding the Totem Pole Journey crew. The cost of feeding the 5-member crew during
the mininum 15 days they will be traveling is estimated at roughly $4,000. Please ask your community to become a part of
this monumental movement to engage communities throughout the U.S. and Canada
in sharing the responsibility of preserving the land, air and water that is
precious to us all.
Contributions
are to be made out to "Lummi Nation Service Organization - Totel Pole
Journey" and mailed to Beth Brownfield, 3820 Fielding Ave., Bellingham, WA
98229 by July 28th as the Journey crew leaves in August. In the memo line, please write the name of
your faith community. Contributions will
then be hand-delivered to Lummi in order to track the faith community's
participation.
Feel free
to contact either of us with any questions:
Beth Brownfield (bethbrownf@aol.com) or Deb Cruz
(dwcruz@comcast.net). We will contact
you when Journey events and activities will be taking place with an invitation
for you to attend and participate.
Thank you for all your support!
