Female Welcome Figure

The female Coast Salish Welcoming Figure is a 300-year-old red cedar tree that comes from the Squamish Territory and was brought forward with a respectful ceremony of gratitude for this project. She stands as a testament to bring education and reconciliation together, as a way to move forward, for all multi-cultural communities to learn the importance of relationship building.

She represents our grandmothers, mothers, aunties, sisters and daughters here on the West Coast of Vancouver, BC and on the unceded Coast Salish territory. She also encompasses this representation for other First Nations and non-First Nations women. 

At the top of the Welcome Figure is a Coast Salish killer whale. The whale represents the Salish Sea, where there is salmon, a traditional food source and sustenance for the people on the West Coast. The design of the whale has a warrior face in place of the blow hole to signify the strong relationship between the warrior and killer whale from past transformation legends. The red and black paint used on the whale are traditional Indigenous colours and the copper represents healing.

At the bottom of the Welcome Figure is a women wearing a traditional cedar hat and a long cedar blanket with Coast Salish form lines. The additional designs on the cedar blanket include colours and art forms from the Cree and Ojibwa cultures to respect other First Nations’ presence. The female Coast Salish welcoming figure is a strong woman who carries openness to all cultures and respectful teachings.