Item : CVA 1477-1409-[Woman panning for gold]

This resource, created by the Hul'q'umi'num Treaty group, is a guide to the Hul'q'umi'num alphabet.

On July 30, 2018 the Crossing Cultures and Healing pole was brought on site to the Royal BC Museum. This is where Tom and Perry LaFortune will continue to carve the pole until it is completed in October. 

Intertwined among the different figures, Tom and Perry are carving in a rope. This represents the rope that the Saanich people used to tie themselves to a tree on the mountain during the great flood. It helped keep their people together and safe. It was also in this story that they began calling themselves "the emerging people".

The raven is the figure on top of the pole as they are the messenger of good news for the Tsawout and Saanich people. The raven received this title as it was a raven who brought the Saanich people the news that the great flood had ended. 

The owl, in the Tsawout culture, is an all-seeing being. They are able to see into the past, future, and present, that is why they can rotate their head. Tom and Perry chose to include the owl in this piece, as the theme of "Crossing Cultures and Healing" requires us to reflect on the past and present to instill change and healing for the future.

Once the pole has been prepped, Tom and Perry begin the initial shaping. This creates the general shape of the pole's figures and design. This is done using chainsaws.