THE COWICHAN 2008 SPIRIT POLE EXPERIENCE

In summer 2008, the Cowichan Valley will welcome more than 9,000 Aboriginal athletes and cultural participants from across North America to the 2008 North American Indigenous Games. The Games will run from Aug. 3 through 10 and are expected to generate more than $26 million in economic activity for the Cowichan Valley and surrounding regions.

Last year, the Province announced it would provide $3.5 million to Cowichan 2008 in support of amateur Aboriginal sport and sport tourism.

Now, to commemorate the rich history of British Columbia’s Aboriginal peoples and share the story of the international multi-sport games, the provincial government through BC150 Years is sponsoring a special provincewide event – Cowichan 2008 Spirit Pole: British Columbians Carve a Moment in History.

Over the course of 13 weeks, Coast Salish/Kwagiulth artist Carey Newman and team will transform a 20-foot western red cedar log into a traditional story pole. At each stop along the route, British Columbians will have the opportunity to experience firsthand what is involved in carving a traditional story pole. The artist will explain the concept of the spirit pole, the story it tells, the many places it will travel to, and the important role it plays in the Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games.

The simple ceremonies surrounding the carving will be explained to the “contributing artists” in each community, including instruction on handling time-honoured tools, and a traditional cedar ceremony that allows participants to “clear their energy” before handling the tools or the log.

Traditionally, totem poles represented the history of a particular family or tribe and served as a reminder of its ancestry. This collaborative effort is a fitting symbol of the unification of the communities and regions of B.C. over the last 150 years and the New Relationship B.C. is forging based on respect, recognition and reconciliation of Aboriginal rights and title.

It is expected that by the time the pole is completed as many as 10,000 people will have contributed. Participants may keep their shavings as a souvenir and will be asked to sign the book of artists, which will be put on display at the end of the tour.

The spirit pole will eventually make its way to the coast and be integrated into Tribal Journeys, a celebration of Indigenous nations’ maritime heritage and one of the most prominent cultural events associated with the North American Indigenous Games. Tribal Journeys 2008 is slated to be the largest ever, with more than 80 traditional ocean-going canoes participating.

Canoes and participants in full regalia will cross the Strait of Georgia and gather at the mouth of Cowichan Bay, where they will be invited ashore to receive a traditional Coast Salish Welcome.

On Aug. 3, 2008, the pole will be carried through the crowds at the Cowichan 2008 Opening Ceremonies. An Elder and a Youth, representing past and present, will stand together to unveil the finished pole before a crowd of 20,000 spectators and participants. The Cowichan Spirit Pole will remain in the community as a permanent legacy of the 2008 Games.

BC150 Years is a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858. Every community in B.C. is invited to participate in this year-long celebration of B.C.’s cultural diversity, community strength and widespread achievement. The Cowichan 2008 Spirit Pole tour is one of the BC150 flagship events.

For more information on the Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games, please visit www.cowichan2008.com. For more information on BC150 events and programs, please visit www.bc150.gov.bc.ca .

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Media contact:	Don McDonald Communications Director Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts 250 213-1667

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