Art installations on the site include Welcome poles carved by W̱JOȽEȽP / Tsartlip artists TEMOSEṈ Chazz Elliott and Matthew Parlby-Elliott.
The first welcome pole was unveiled with a ceremony on June 23rd 2023, and the second pole was unveiled on June 21st 2024.
TEMOSEṈ
Chazz Elliott
TEMOSEṈ Chazz Elliott, aka Charles Elliott Jr., was born to the W̱SÁNEĆ and lək̓ʷəŋən Nations. He was raised in W̱JOȽEȽP / Tsartlip and still resides there. Surrounded by family and culture, TEMOSEṈ began learning the ways of Coast Salish art and W̱SÁNEĆ teachings at a very early age. TEMOSEṈ attributes his desire to practice Coast Salish art to his father TEMOSEṈŦET Charles Elliott Sr. His mother Myrna Crossley-Elliott, a Salish blanket weaver, also bestowed a passion for learning about plant medicines.
TEMOSEṈ intertwines the knowledge of both his mother and father into his work. His art practice focuses on capturing the history, stories, legends, myths and knowledge of his peoples. He spends much of his time exploring new mediums. TEMOSEṈ’s works can be found in private collections across the world. His regional public works are located at the Royal Jubilee Hospital, First Peoples Cultural Council, and Sidney Town Hall.
Second pole unveiling ceremony and celebration on June 21st 2024
First pole unveiling ceremony and celebration on June 23rd 2023
Work in progress on carving and painting the first welcome pole
Artist Sarah Jim created a triptych of murals for the wetland ethnobotanical garden.
Sarah Jim
A visual artist from the small village of Tseycum in W̱SÁNEĆ territory, Sarah Jim’s work and indigenous teachings are community oriented and self-guided. Reflections of land-based relationships, ecosystems, human and non-human kin connections, and the power of restorative practices inform her work.
“The triptych style approach lent itself well to representing the land, sea, and sky. All three of these creatures rely on wetlands in some way, especially the frog and dragonfly. The ethnobotany garden on SḴŦAḴ will be a haven for them. The Coast Salish elements honour the traditional lands and practices of the W̱SÁNEĆ. HÍSW̱ḴE”
On January 7th, 2023, we unveiled the the designs by artist Sarah Jim for murals to be installed as part of the wetland ethnobotany garden with an artist talk at the Mayne Island Agricultural hall and an accompanying exhibition of her work at the Mayne Island Library - the first public exhibit of a W̱SÁNEĆ artist on SḴŦAḴ.
Sarah Jim art exhibit at the Mayne Island Library, spring 2023
Sarah Jim artist talk at the Mayne Island Agricultural Hall Jan 7th 2023
The HELI,SET Drum Group blessing the unveiling of Sarah Jim’s triptych mural on November 9th 2023
The salmon, which symbolizes sacrifice, determination and family, and are a keystone species in the ecosystem, represents the ocean and is surrounded by water loving foods and medicines.
The frog, which symbolizes new beginnings, transformation, and adaptability, is representative of the land and is surrounded by indigenous plants found in the forest. The frog relies on water for its lifecycle as well. This demonstrates the inter-connectedness of the terrestrial and aquatic worlds.
The dragonfly, who sees multiple perspectives and is the number one predator on earth, symbolizes the sky as it dominates the air. Dragonfly is surrounded by native pollinator plants and berries.
Rose Spahan is the indigenous artistic curator of ŚTEṈIST ȻENTOL EȻSIÁ TĆÁNȻE / Walking Forward with the Past, and of the Campbell Bay Music Festival Society.
Rose Spahan is a multi-media artist with years of experience in curating exhibits, arts administration, and liaising for Indigenous artists in large, collaborative projects.
Rose is the recent recipient of the Award of Merit from the BC Museums Association for her exhibit Redress: Sacred Obligation. Her works are found in private collections across Canada and the US, and reach as far as Ljubjana.
Internationally known master carver and respected W̱SÁNEĆ Elder Dr. Charles Elliott TEMOSENŦET (Aug 22 1943 - Jan 29 2023) was a crucial part of the conception and development of this project.
In recent years this major Canadian artist - awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2005 - generously shared his work with our island, and we can see his beautiful image titled ‘Messenger’ on the outdoor exhibit panels at the Museum in Miners Bay. Until the end of his life, Charles was involved and engaged on the ŚTEṈIST ȻENTOL EȻSIÁ TĆÁNȻE / Walking Forward with the Past project, talking about the welcome posts that his son TEMOSENG and nephew Matthew are carving for our island. We talked about using some of his favourite designs of WEXES / frogs as part of our island’s Indigenous arts exhibit project.
As a child Charles spent every summer living on the Tsartlip reserve on SḴŦAḴ/ Mayne Island with his family, while his father Dave Elliott (author of Saltwater People) fished. He remembered walking with his sisters along a forest trail through ferns and salal bushes ‘that were over my head’ all the way to the store where they could get penny candy or a comic book. Charles’ art reflects his strong connection with the islands, and always conveys the W̱SÁNEĆ relationship with the land and sea.
Asking him about how he saw his art as a bridge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures, he told us he wanted his art to speak to the present day by using design and imagery that was quintessentially Coast Salish. “We use the elements from the past to create contemporary art… Our art is different from western and other Indigenous art. We don’t make personal portraits, but Salish art can depict people on the poles - I like to call the poles monuments.” He talked about carving for public art: “I put welcome figures on them - humans with hands extended, wolves for protection, ravens for messenger - I put different characters on them that say something to the viewers. I call the monuments my ambassadors - they meet, they greet, they get people interested. They are my silent ambassadors, not just for me but for the First Nations people. They say a lot of good things for us. Lead us into bigger and better communication with people from around the world. They make people to ask about our history and our culture. The monuments say a lot.”