Welcoming Poles  poles served many purposes in First Nations culture  the images on a pole tell a story  Welcoming poles were used to introduce a nation to its visitors and welcome them to their land  the ceremony we are about to have is significant because it represents the Squamish Nation welcoming us to this land which they have lived on, long before white people arrived

the Story of our Pole  a group of students met last year to research the meanings of common design images  we met with Ray and Victor, the carvers, to share our thoughts on what ideas we thought could be a part of our pole’s story  Adina Williams has been filmed talking about the design elements and what they represent

The Celebration  The celebration on Wednesday has several aspects to it that are of traditional and spiritual significance to the local First Nations people. Some of the aspects that you will see are: witnesses speakers the brushing of the pole with cedar boughs drumming and singing

Witnesses history and knowledge were shared orally in First Nations culture, as opposed to a written record each nation had members whose job it was to remember significant events; to be witness to them, to accurately remember details and to share the stories of the event so that people remembered for celebrations, witnesses from distant nations were invited so that knowledge of the event would be shared far and wide

Speakers and Family members Speakers  one or two family members were chosen to represent the family or village at the celebration  they acted as M.C., welcomed the guests and spoke of the importance of the event Family member responsibilities  specific roles were assigned to select members in the community; doormen for greeting and seating guests, family members to give tokens of thanks to the special guests and witnesses, ladies to perform cleansing rituals with cedar boughs, drummers and singers

Cedar Boughs and Songs Cedar Boughs  a carver is believed to become spiritually connected to the wood as it is carved  cedar boughs are dipped in pure water collected in local streams early in the morning; the pole is brushed with the boughs... this is meant to help separate the spirit of the carver from that of the pole, so each remain independently strong Songs  there are many songs for different occasions; some are meant for sharing in public and others are to be kept private  the song’s creator is always recognized, and is never performed without permission  the song that will be sung on Wednesday is a private song, and is only allowed to be seen by those in attendance at the ceremony... it may not be recorded

Enjoy the Celebration  We ask students to watch and listen respectively during the celebration and enjoy the opportunity to be a part of this  "It's rare to witness from start to finish a piece of work of this size. Some go a lifetime without the experience. Thank you for sharing.“ carver, Ray Natraoro