First house post, part of In the Presence of Ancestors project, is in place on Shoreline Trail

The first of five house posts – created as part of the In the Presence of Ancestors project – is in now in place along the Shoreline Trail at the viewing platform in Old Mill Site Park.

“The City of Port Moody is proud to support In the Presence of Ancestors and thanks Artistic Director Tasha Faye Evans and everyone involved for their work on this important project,” says Mayor Meghan Lahti. “We are also grateful to Noons Creek Hatchery for providing In the Presence of Ancestors with ongoing support and acknowledge the financial contribution of the Province of British Columbia through the 150 Time Immemorial Grant Program. We invite the community to visit the site to view the exceptional work of the artist, Xwalacktun, and reflect on the things that unite us such as our shared responsibility to care for the land, water, and air on which we all rely.”

“This house post calls for community,” says Project Sponsor and Artistic Director Tasha Faye Evans. “Xwalacktun titled it ‘i7x̱w n eḵw'í7tel’ (All My Relations) and invites us to remember that we are part of a family living here on this earth. Regardless of where we are from, whether we swim, fly, or walk we all need the same to survive. When we remember that we are related then we can remember that we have a sacred responsibility to participate in creating a future of health and prosperity for all our relatives. I am thankful for financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the BC Arts Council. We need this teaching right now. I’m so grateful that it is finally here!”

In the Presence of Ancestors is a project that reasserts the presence of the original caretakers of the Coast Salish lands and waters in and around the place we now call Port Moody. In the Presence of Ancestors has offered a variety of community engagement opportunities over the last five years, and the project will culminate in 2025 with the raising of five house posts from Coast Salish Nations along Port Moody’s Shoreline Trail, between Rocky Point Park and Old Orchard Park. 

Carvers from səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), q̓ic̓əy (Katzie), and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nations have carved unique house posts that will restore a highly visible First Nations presence in the community. Installed facing the water, the house posts remind our community of our shared responsibility for protecting the Burrard Inlet. Each installation site will be designed as a space for learning and reflection and will include signage, in Salishan languages, sharing words from the carvers and the vision for the future of Coast Salish Lands and Waters.  

The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation house post is carved by Xwalacktun, O.B.C. (Order of British Columbia), a Squamish Nation artist whose works are recognized internationally. Healing, growth, and raising an awareness of the environment are central themes in Xwalacktun’s work. By focusing on how the traditional stories relate to his own life, he suggests to us how to use this ancient knowledge to help heal ourselves and our community. Signage for the house post on the Shoreline Trail will be installed at a future date.