From the ocean to the garden, Raven Dancer B次元官网网址� a Coast Salish canoe B次元官网网址� journeyed to Belmont Secondary SchoolB次元官网网址檚 community garden Wednesday morning.
Raven Dancer (commonly referred to as her and she) started in 2002 as a cedar log and was initially created to give urban youth the chance to go on tribal journeys.
The canoe was a gift to Belmont Secondary School from Hulitan Family and Community Services.
The two groups and School District 62 have been working together for the past four years to sign a memorandum of understanding, signifying their partnership.
B次元官网网址淩aven Dancer will be used as a teaching tool for young people, children and youth, that come into this district around the significance of cultural learning [and] cultural teachings of the canoe,B次元官网网址� said Kendra Gage, executive director of Hulitan Family and Community Services.
On Wednesday morning, community members, First Nations elders and students gathered at Belmont Secondary School to sing traditional songs and watch the canoe make her journey to the schoolB次元官网网址檚 community garden.
B次元官网网址淪he was retired in 2014 as they didnB次元官网网址檛 feel she could do the ocean anymore,B次元官网网址� Gage said. B次元官网网址淏ut now sheB次元官网网址檚 going to continue her journey here, probably for years and years to come, and this is where she will stay.B次元官网网址�
The canoe is also a memorial to the late Chief Frank Nelson who gave the canoe its name.
Elder Alex Nelson B次元官网网址� brother to Chief Frank Nelson B次元官网网址� was at the ceremony and said he and his brother worked together to promote canoe gatherings in the area.
Nelson said he remembers seeing a canoe on television in 1986 during the World Exposition in Vancouver. After seeing that, he and his brother led a journey for 25 canoes to arrive in Victoria for the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
After that, Nelson said canoe gatherings began to grow.
B次元官网网址淥ur elders that were standing on the shoreline each time a canoe was entering, they would start to cry and say this is like the old days,B次元官网网址� Nelson said. B次元官网网址淚t starts to give you the significance of what this means to our people.B次元官网网址�
Nelson said the fact that Raven Dancer is being retired in a school is also significant and beautiful.
B次元官网网址淲e come from a dark era called the residential school era,B次元官网网址� Nelson said. B次元官网网址淎nd here we are where this beautiful canoe has a spirit prompting teachings and a way of life and itB次元官网网址檚 going to be housed in a school and will now be classified as its resident.B次元官网网址�
Nelson said the canoe takes a negative past and signifies a positive future.
B次元官网网址淲hat a story to tell,B次元官网网址� Nelson said. B次元官网网址淔rom a dark day to now a lighter day.B次元官网网址�
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