Honouring our Leaders, Honouring the Ancestors
Honouring our Leaders, Honouring the Ancestors
Skwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw - Squamish, BC
These two monumental Coast Salish weavings in cedar and glass stand as powerful symbols of resilience, unity, and remembrance.
Honouring our Leaders by Willard Joseph uses red, green, and black triangles to symbolize the 1923 amalgamation of the three Squamish reserves—Senakw, Squamish Valley, and the Sunshine Coast—and sixteen families into a single Nation. At that time, the Squamish Nation was just 422 members strong; today it has grown to more than 3,000 members, a testament to endurance and leadership across generations.
Honouring the Ancestors by Chief Janice George draws inspiration from the robes of Sa7plek Chief Joe Capilano, who traveled to England in 1906 to advocate for Indigenous rights before the king. Woven in the traditional Salish style, such blankets and robes are more than garments—they invoke the strength and protection of ancestors. In this way, the weaving honours both those who came before and the ongoing responsibilities carried by today’s leaders.
Together, these companion pieces embody a century of Squamish history and affirm the Nation’s cultural vitality, leadership, and unbroken connection to its ancestors.
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Female Welcome Figure
First Welcome Trail
In Musqueam culture, Welcome Figures welcome visitors to our territory. The original poles were house posts and placed at the entrances of our house - right at the doorway inviting you in, welcoming you. Located behind the Vancouver School Board in public plaza.
Serpent Slayer - Welcome Pole
Public Art
At Belcarra Regional Park, on the shores of Burrard Inlet, stands a welcome pole carved by Tsleil-Waututh master carver TsuKwalton (Jonas Jones). It carries one of the Nation's most powerful origin stories — of a young boy swept away by seals, raised in the sea kingdom, and returned to his people as a warrior who could face what no one else could. This is his territory. This is where that story happened. The pole brings it back to the shore where it belongs.
“Return of the Orca” Welcome pole
Public Art
Return of the Orca” Welcome pole at Whey-ah-Wichen (Cates Park) in North Vancouver, carved by TsuKwalton Jonas Jones. the Return of the Orca carries the story of Great Chief wacəq II, whose deep relationship with the salmon and the natural world continues to guide Tsleil-Waututh teachings today.
