House post raised on Shoreline Trail

It’s a piece of art and an assignment.

For Tasha Faye Evans, the newly-installed house post along Shoreline Trail points toward a “sacred responsibility.”

“This house post calls for community,” explained Evans.

Evans is the artistic director of the project, which aims to add another four house posts to the trail as part of the In the Presence of the Ancestors project.

Perched on Old Mill Site Park a stone’s throw from the water, the carvings are meant to underscore our duty to protect the Burrard Inlet, Evans said, explaining the intention of artist Xwalacktun.

“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,” Evans stated in a release. “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.”

Speaking to the Dispatch in 2023, Evans explained that the posts are reminders of the importance of environmental stewardship.

“The original caregivers of these lands have been here since time immemorial. Their prayers and their songs are in the air we breathe, this land that we stand on. Underneath this land there are layers and layers of stories of people,” Evans said. “This new system is only 100 years old.”

The project was supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the BC Arts Council.

Port Moody Mayor Meghan Lahti thanked Evans and stated that the city was proud to support the project.

“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,” Lahti stated in a release.

Coun. Amy Lubik agreed.

“What an honor to have this project on unceded territory and work with the Nations whose territory Port Moody is on,” Lubik stated in a social media post. “It’s so important to be reminded of our responsibilities to the earth, the water, and each other.”

Set to be complete later this year, the finished project is set to consist of five house posts between Rocky Point and Old Orchard parks.

The work is carved by artists from the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), q̓ic̓əy (Katzie), and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) nations.