Payne called u p o n w e l l - k n o w n N o r t h S h o r e artist Xwa-lack-tun (Rick Harry) t o co-curate this c e l e b r a t o r y e x h i b i t i o n . " W e d i d o n e t o g e t h e r a b o u t six o r s e v e n years a g o a n d it w e n t really w e l l , " Xwa-lack-tun recalls. This m u l t i - m e d i a s h o w , e n t i t l e d A m o r e o f o u r s e l v e s . " T h e artists possess p l e n t y o f k n o w l e d g e about their heritage a n d about the commonalities a m o n g s t v a r i o u s cultures o n Earth."I e n c o u r a g e p e o p l e t o ask q u e s t i o n s of t h e artists, t o invite t h e m t o s h a r e . " For t h e past f o u r years, Xwa-lack-tun has traveled t o S c o t l a n d t o carve t o t e m s . "I like l o o k i n g f o r t h e s i m i l a r i t i e s . " His w o r k c o m b i n e s t h e stories of t h e Scottish p e o p l e w i t h those of his o w n c u l t u r e . " W e ' r e all r e l a t e d , " h e says, " a n d n o t j u s t the humans. The two-legged people and the four-legged p e o p l e , t h e w a t e r p e o p l e , t h e plant p e o p l e - w e relate t o all these t h i n g s . " The Celebration Kwaguilth, of the First People e n c o m p a s s e s artists f r o m t h e Nations. They Simon Sto:lo, C o a s t Salish a n d H a i d a include p h o t o g r a p h e r Jada Schembri, mask-makers Dick, K l a t l e - b h i a n d J o d i e B r o o m f i e l d , c a r v e r C o r y B u l l p i t t , w e a v e r s B r e n d a K e a r n s , B r e n d a C r a b t r e e a n d Elroy ( B u c k y ) Baker, j e w e l e r a n d w o o d c a r v e r A a r o n N e l s o n - M o o d y , p o t t e r L a u r a W e e Lay L a q a n d p a i n t e r B r a n d o n G a b r i e l . T h e Spirit Gallery in H o r s e s h o e Bay w i l l also c o n t r i b u t e a piece. The o p e n i n g r e c e p t i o n o n July 1 0 t h p r o m i s e s t o b e a b i g event. X w a - l a c k - t u n , a l o n g w i t h o t h e r artists, w i l l arrive at t h e Ferry B u i l d i n g in his o w n 3 0 - f o o t s e a w o r t h y d u g o u t c a n o e a n d the 5 6 - f o o t c a n o e b e l o n g i n g t o t h e S q u a m i s h N a t i o n . B e f o r e d i s e m b a r k i n g , t h e y w i l l e n g a g e in t h e t r a d i t i o n a l p r o t o c o l t o the p e o p l e o n s h o r e a s k i n g f o r p e r m i s s i o n t o l a n d . T h e festive evening will continue w i t h a salmon feast prepared o n an o p e n fire in t h e t r a d i t i o n a l w a y w i t h a red c e d a r stick c a r v e d by X w a - l a c k - t u n . Next w i l l b e a d r u m m i n g circle. E v e r y o n e is w e l c o m e t o b r i n g h a n d d r u m s a n d f o l l o w t h e lead d r u m m e r . M a n y o f t h e artists p l a n t o s p e n d t i m e o n site d u r i n g t h e e x h i b i t i o n w h i c h runs t o July 2 8 t h . X w a - l a c k - t u n says, " T h e y can carve or w e a v e or w h a t e v e r a n d interact w i t h people w a l k i n g by. I'd like that b e c a u s e w e g e t t h e c h a n c e t o share Celebration of the First People will be a w o n d e r f u l e x p e r i e n c e f o r all w h o participate. It is certainly a f i t t i n g w a y t o c e l e b r a t e t h e Ferry B u i l d i n g ' s 1 5 t h a n n i v e r s a r y a n d t o l a u n c h this beautiful gallery into a n e w era of serving the arts c o m m u n i t y of t h e N o r t h Shore. T h e F e r r y B u i l d i n g is l o c a t e d at 1 4 1 4 A r g y l e A v e n u e in W e s t V a n c o u v e r . To f i n d o u t m o r e a b o u t t h e e x h i b i t i o n a n d r e l a t e d e v e n t s call 6 0 4 - 9 2 5 - 7 2 9 0 .