The Squamish Valley will soon be graced by a landmark piece of Coast Salish art, one certain to raise the profile of the local First Nations community while drawing an increased number of tourists to the area.
The Ministry of Transportation (MOT) has begun construction of a footbridge over Highway 99 that will feature traditional Coast Salish designs inspired by the Squamish Nation legends of the thunderbird and the serpent as part of Phase 2 of the Sea to Sky Cultural Journey. Phase 1 included the series of highway signs and kiosks showcasing First Nations history from Vancouver to Whistler Canada's first highway signage in ancestral languages ending with the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler.
"Most people when they think of native art, they think of northern style," said Xwa Lack Tun (Rick Harry), the internationally recognized Squamish Nation artist commissioned to design the concrete forms. Xwa Lack Tun was born and raised in Squamish, and went on to study art at what's now known as the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He lives in North Vancouver.
"We even hear that we're sometimes invisible in our area, in our own territory," he said. "People don't see us a lot, so it's a recognition in a sense."
For those travelling north on the highway, the thunderbird design will be visible on the right, a symbol of the legend of a mythical thunderbird that made its home on Black Tusk and watched over the people. The serpent design, based on a different legend about the great healer Te Quit'chitail, who slayed a serpent, will be on the left. The images will be illuminated; the option of incorporating colour is under evaluation. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2012.
"It's really innovative and very different than anything that's ever occurred before," said Sarah Goodwin, the director of development for the SLCC. "We haven't been able to find another example of anything like it in North America."
Intended as a safe crossing for children living in the Stawamus community who must cross the highway on their walk to school at Stawamus Elementary, the footbridge will be located just north of the intersection at Totem Hall and the handprints of the school's students will be visible on the pathway.
"We want to ensure there's a connection for them with the structure," Goodwin said.
Phase 2 of the Cultural Journey is a comprehensive, two-year $1.4 million strategy to increase cultural tourism throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor. The overpass is one of 11 components made possible by 14 funders including Western Economic Diversification, Canadian Heritage, the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, the West Coast Railway Heritage Park and the Britannia Mine Museum.
Exit surveys conducted at Vancouver International Airport and other high-traffic locations have demonstrated that Phase 1 successfully generated a widespread interest in Aboriginal tourism.
"They've had a very strong response in terms of interest in First Nations culture, and specifically in the cultural centre," Goodwin said.
Other components of Phase 2 currently available to the public include the Cultural Journey Discovery Pass, a Sea to Sky visitors guide and coupon book with discounted offers by local businesses including the Howe Sound Brew Pub, Kaos Kids, the Living Room and more. A Cultural Journey Audio Tour that connects the themes of the highway kiosks with stories and music is available as an MP3 download on the SLCC website.
The Cultural Journey has increased the number of visitors to Totem Hall and the interest in purchasing local art, said Goodwin, as well as the number of Squamish Valley youth applying for the Aboriginal Youth Ambassador Program, which provides Aboriginal youth with tourism training and leadership building.
Squamish Nation member Roxy Lewis is an SLCC front-line agent and senior ambassador for the program who also volunteers teaching traditional dance to children.
She said most of the questions she handles at work have to do with the Cultural Journey, which she credits with helping revitalize her ancestral language.
"A lot of us know our landmarks a lot more, we know a lot more of our territory's village names and place names," she said. "Before the Cultural Journey, I didn't know what we called Vancouver or Horseshoe Bay."
She said the footbridge will make a statement that will draw even more attention to the presence of the Squamish people in their own territory.
"It's a major stepping stone for our nation," said Lewis, "not just today but for the future as well, and to create that sense of pride."
