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heritage | by J o h n K. Grande Cedar Woman Returns to the Upper Elaho Forests The Coast Salish Squamish's Society of Women sacred ceremony, in the upper Elaho near Squamish. Hereditary Chief Bill Williams of the Squamish nation from North Vancouver's Capilano Reserve and a raft of environmentalists, interested parties, naturalists, natives and on-lookers gather to witness the raising. After lugging the carving, wrapped up in blankets like mysterious cargo, up the steep hill to Bear Bluffs, participants carry a stone to the base of the figure's site in a gesture of solidarity, and as an act of recognition of women's important place in native society and in recognition of the age-old importance this sacred site holds for the Squamish Tribe. It is a historic moment. Three Mohawk women from the Kanehsatake reserve in Quebec stand as witnesses, wrapped in ceremonial blankets. They offer a hand woven basket to Chief Williams as a symbol of their gratitude. It is an unprecedented protocol between the Squamish and Mohawk Tribes. Nancy Bleck believes that new links between native tribes can build cultural solidarity. Such cultural exchanges involving elders and young, she hopes, can rebuild a much needed sense of identity and support. Siyn'i is depicted as a welcome figure, born from a cedar log. Her hands are held up in a votive gesture. Her features are generalized and have an archaic beauty to them. She looks over a spectacular vista of the Elaho Valley and is within a 15-minute walk of The Douglas in Stewardship oithe Land, was a society within a society, comprised of women raised from birth to act as leaders who look after the land. "The women were as much medicinal doctors as they were environmental lawyers, as much libraries, people who carried the knowledge of the land, as they were land managers" explains carver Aaron NelsonMoody, whose native name is Tawx'sin Yexwulla. The tradition dates back to the Mayan era and was common to many native tribes, but has since virtually vanished or gone underground. Nelson-Moody and photographer Nancy Bleck envisioned a project to honour and this tradition. The result is an awe-inspiring project - a twelve-by-threefoot carving by Nelson-Moody named Siyn'i (Cedar Woman) placed in a sacred place, in Fir Loop, a stand of fourty 1500- year-old trees. The Cedar Woman (Siyn'i) of the upper Elaho is the first of many planned welcome figure carvings. Siyn'i looks over this sacred site like a goddess. Her spirit has now been released from the carver's hands to the tribe and the nature that surrounds her. It is a symbolic act. The ancient traditional society of women this work is dedicated to are witnesses who have participated since time immemorial as the guardian of native culture and history. Nancy Bleck's p h o t o portraits of trees a n d tribal members a n d witnesses to the ceremony will be exhibited at the Tandanya N a t i o n a l A b o r i g i n a l C u l t u r a l Institute in Adelaide, Australia in 2002. Future w e l c o m e f i g u r e s a r e i n t h e p l a n n i n g s t a g e s as o f f e r i n g s of exchange and support, collaborations with local tribes, carvers, a n d participants o n site in Q u e b e c , G e r m a n , a n d A u s t r a l i a . The s a c r e d s i t e a n d t r a d i t i o n a l t e r r i t o r y o f the S q u a m i s h p e o p l e s c a n be reached by d r i v i n g past S q u a m i s h t o B r a c k e n d a l e . The S q u a m i s h Valley Rd. turn-off leads to the S-main l o g g i n g r o a d . C r o s s a b r i d g e t o t h e E-Main l o g g i n g r o a d a n d c o n t i n u e t o the e n d of t h e r o a d . For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h i s area, check out the Western Canada Wilderness Committee website: www.wildernesscommitee.org PHOTO: NANCY BLECK M a r c h A p r i l 5