A celebration was held at McNaughton Centre on Tuesday (Sept. 18) to recognize the completion of a totem pole, which has been 10 years in the making.
Students gathered in a circle on the front lawn of the Helen Dixon Centre, where the school is now located – after moving from the old location in North Quesnel – for a prayer and a few short speeches, and those who had been involved throughout the years were thanked.
This included Tracy Telford, the youth care worker who spearheaded the project; Chad Palmer, the wood working teacher who instructed the students over the years; Corinna Goodwin, the youth care worker who took over from Telford and encouraged students to get involved; Ted Stahl, a local wood carving expert who acted as mentor to the students over the course of the enterprise; and the 46 students who had taken part in crafting the work of art.
All were happy to celebrate the official completion, and Stahl misted up when presented with a token of gratitude from a couple of the students on hand.
Once the short ceremony was completed, all who gathered stepped indoors to marvel at the completed work, which is situated in the school’s foyer.
The pole has the totems of the eagle, the bear, the salmon and the healing hands. It is vibrantly coloured but still shows glimpses of the log it was carved from.
Telford and Palmer conceived of the project in 2008 as a hands-on experience for students that would allow them to display their creativity and learn a traditional skill.
“I wanted a community project for everyone to work on,” says Telford. “This was a team effort that encouraged communication and developed a sense of mastery and belonging.”
The pair applied for grants through New Relationship Trust and acquired funds from the Aboriginal Education Council, which helped pay for the specialized carving tools required for the undertaking.
Once the project was approved, Roland Jarrett donated a 10-foot long, 30-inch diameter cedar log, which had grown on the North Arm of Quesnel Lake.
The students who began the work decided upon the design and consulted local First Nations elders to get their blessing on its elements.
“It was what we felt most represented our school at the time,” says Palmer.
“The students thought the bear, eagle and salmon were representative of our area and the local First Nations groups.
He added they were originally going to include the McNaughton Centre Circle of Courage emblem, but after some discussion, the students opted to choose the healing hands totem instead.
The project was not without its challenges over the years.
“This was my first foray into carving and the log, once we got it into my shop, started to dry out too quickly, so it created some carving issues for the students. But Ted was there to really keep things sharp with the tools,” says Palmer.
Stahl, a local bark-carving expert, says he used to carve little totem poles with his pen knife as a young man in the Okanagan. He was tasked with choosing the right tools and providing instruction.
While the whole project took a lot longer to complete than anyone expected, the timing seems right, with the school recently moving into the Helen Dixon Centre.
“It feels like a grand opening for our new site and our new school,” says Palmer.
“It’s closure to the old one [where the pole was made] and a good way to start the new one.”
READ MORE: Exploring femininity: three artists collaborate on Quesnel Art Gallery’s upcoming show
ronan.odoherty@quesnelobserver.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter