Tag Archives: Kitamaat Village

The pole raising feast

After the friendship pole was raised in Kitimat, the Haisla Nation hosted a feast for both communities at Kitimat’s Riverlodge Recreation Centre.

The headtable, from left to right members of the District of Kitimat Council and the Haisla Nation Council, Kitimat officials and the Haisla hereditary chiefs. (Robin Rowland)

Carver Gary Wilson was the host and master of ceremonies for the feast (Robin Rowland)

Hereditary chief Sammy Robinson  (He’mas C’esi) addresses the feast. (Robin Rowland)

Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) addresses the feast. (Robin Rowland)

A chief addresses the feast. (Robin Rowland)

A  man addresses the feast on behalf of his clan. (Robin Rowland)

Spirit of Kitlope dancers (Robin Rowland)

Spirit of Kitlope Dancers (Robin Rowland)

Spirit of Kitlope Dancers (Robin Rowland)

Spirit of Kitlope Dancers (Robin Rowland)

Raising the Haisla Kitimat friendship pole

On  May 4, the Haisla Nation and the District of Kitimat raised a totem pole to mark the growing friendship between “township” and Kitamaat Village.   Planning for the pole began a couple of years ago when the Haisla Nation and the people of the Kitimat township held a reconciliation forum at Riverlodge.   The pole was carved over the past year under the supervision of  carver Gary Wilson  (‘Nagamo’o).   Funding for the project came from the Canada 150 fund, the District of Kitimat and the Haisla Nation.

Before the ceremony

Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders gather for the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)

Skeena Bulkley NDP MP Nathan Cullen speaks to Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders before the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)

Eagle chief Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) speaks to carver and master of ceremonies Gary Wilson  (‘Nagamo’o) and Kitimat mayor Phil Germuth before the ceremony. (Robin Rowland)

Aiden Robinson speaking to her Ma’ma’o  (grandmother) Rose Robinson, Sammy Robinson  (He’mas C’esi) amd Basil Grant (He’mas Legaix)  (Robin Rowland)

 

Unveiling and blessing the friendship pole


Carver Gary Wilson unveils the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)

Sammy Robinson begins to bless the new pole, along with  Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o), Allan Williams (He’mas Wakas), Verlie Nelson (C’esi’s spokesperson) Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid)  as  Harvey Grant,  MP Nathan Cullen and Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth watch. (Robin Rowland)

Cedar boughs are used to cleanse the totem pole.  (Robin Rowland)

Sammy Robinson  He’mas C’esi and Verlie Nelson  prepare the eagle down to cleanse and bless the pole.  (Robin Rowland)

Cleansing and blessing the pole.  (Robin Rowland)

At the pole blessing,  Harvey Grant (He’mas Wiiseks), Sammy Robinson (He’mas C’esi), Nathan Cullen, Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid), Phil Germuth and Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas).  (Robin Rowland)

 

Raising the pole

Hereditary  chiefs and construction workers prepare to raise the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)

 

The construction workers prepare to secure the pole.  (Robin Rowland)

Simon Hall (Hai’mac Gax) helps put the totem pole in place. (Robin Rowland)

Carver Gary Wilson explains the meaning of the pole. At the bottom is the snowflake, the District of Kitimat’s official symbol.  The face in the middle  represents the people of Kitimat with four multi-ethnic  faces above it.  At the  top of the pole are representations of the clans of the Haisla Nation, with the eagle, the beaver in the middle, (Robin Rowland)

Dancing

 

 

Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas)  speaks to Gary Wilson speaks as the dancing begins.  (Robin Rowland)

 

Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid) leads the Eagle Clan dance after the pole was secured.  (Robin Rowland)

 

People join in the dancing. (Robin Rowland)

Children from the Haisla Community School participate with drumming and dancing. (Robin Rowland)




Portraits of the speakers at the Kitimat The North Matters forum

The North Matters group held a forum, LNG Myths, Facts & Benefits in Kitimat, BC, on May 2, 2018.

Here are the portraits of the speakers.

Fort. St. John, BC, Mayor Lori Ackerman. (Robin Rowland)

Elected chief counsellor of the Haisla Nation Crystal Smith (Robin Rowland)

Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth. (Robin Rowland)

Energy blogger Vivian Krause. (Robin Rowland)

 

A soggy day in Kitimat harbour as the spring migration comes north

On Thursday, April 19, was a soggy, to say the least, with wind-driven, cold, pouring rain when I went down to Kitamaat Village and Kitimat harbour to photograph the spring bird migration.  The highlight were the snow geese I saw both at MK Bay  (above) and at the Kitamaat Village soccer field. (Robin Rowland)

A bald eagle, drenched in the pouring rain, at the mouth of Whatl Creek near MK Bay Marina. (Robin Rowland)

A crow takes off from the sea grass in pouring rain near Kitamaat Village. (Robin Rowland)

Snow geese feed at the Kitamaat Village soccer field (Robin Rowland)

A snow goose at the Kitamaat Village soccer field. (Robin Rowland)

Snow geese fly past MK Bay. (Robin Rowland)

An Oregon junco on the waterfront. (Robin Rowland)

Mallards take to the wing as a bald eagle passes overhead (Robin Rowland)

 

A gull passes two bald eagles in the low tide puddles of Whatl Creek near Kitimat Harbour (Robin Rowland)

Two bald eagles in the low tide puddles of Whatl Creek near Kitimat Harbour (Robin Rowland)


Raindrops fall on the head of an American robin who posed on a log beside my car just as I was getting ready to leave. (Robin Rowland)

 

Bald eagles battle over a duck

Two bald eagles battle over a duck at Kitimat harbour. Images taken off the shoreline of Kitamaat Village.

A bald eagle flies over Kitimat harbour (Robin Rowland)

(Robin Rowland)

Another bald eagle watching from above. (Robin Rowland)

Splash!  The first eagle swoops down and grabs a duck (hard to see in this image) (Robin Rowland)

The second eagle heads skyward with its eye on the first (Robin Rowland)

The first eagle is heading away with his catch (Robin Rowland)

 

The second eagle swoops down to attack.  (Robin Rowland)

 

But the attack is unsuccessful and the first eagle escapes with its meal still in its talons. (Robin Rowland)

Birds in the fog on a sunny morning in Kitamaat Village

Fly past. A bald eagle passes some mallard ducks in flight over Kitimat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

 

A flock of mallards fly over Kitimat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

A “murder of crows” fly toward Kitamaat Village from the Kitimat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

 

A crow comes in for landing on the shores of Kitamaat Village. (Robin Rowland)

 

The beach at Kitamaat Village as the tide begins to recede with the sun shining on the fog in Kitmat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

A pair of bald eagles find perches on a old snag on the Kitamaat Village waterfront. (Robin Rowland)

 

A sparrow hides in the long grass and wildflowers in the Kitamaat Village seawall (Robin Rowland)