Title : Secrets of the Stanley Park Totem Poles
link : Secrets of the Stanley Park Totem Poles
Secrets of the Stanley Park Totem Poles
[By T.K. Justin Ng, Vancouver] This is my first time posting on the blog as a correspondent, I am very excited to share my drawings from Stanley Park in Vancouver with you.
Stanley Park is hailed as an enduring natural paradise amid the bustle of urban life but few people know that the park was logged about a hundred years ago.
From a distance, Vancouver’s infamous group of totem poles blend into the backdrop of trees. The first indicator that I have reached my destination is the rows of tour buses and horse-drawn carriages lining the sidewalk with crowds of tourists crossing the road.
Upon crossing the road, the noise from the road dissipates and trees cover my view of the waterfront. In front of me, nine monuments tower over a group of tourists, shining bright in the afternoon sun. Although totem poles are one of the most recognizable cultural symbols of Western Canada, it is rare to see such a large collection of erected totem poles together. These monumental sculptures were carved from large trees by First Nations, depicting stories or family history.
Stanley Park was originally inhabited by several aboriginal groups, namely the X̱wáýx̱way (pronounced Whoi Whoi in English) who were evicted upon the establishment of the park. Today, these inhabitant’s tie to the land is only acknowledged through the erection of several totem poles that bring “Indian-ness” back to the peninsula.
In 1919, a plan was created to “ensure the retention of some of the relics” of the park. The original plan was to purchase an abandoned village from the north and move it to the park, introducing foreign elements disguised as historic to the park. However, funding issues led to a new plan of placing a group of totem poles instead.
Rather than a group of similar poles, some of these totem poles date back to the late 1880s while the newest one was carved in 2009. The first few poles were brought from Alert Bay and some were from the Queen Charlotte Islands and River Inlet. They were originally located at Lumbermens’ Arch and at Prospect Point but were all brought to Brockton Point in 1962. The older totem poles have now been replaced with replicas, with the originals kept in museums for preservation, however, the expert craftsmanship is able to maintain the authenticity of the atmosphere.
See more of Justin's drawings here
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