As the 91原创 Memorial Hospital emergency room expansion gets underway, a sacred First Nations art piece is being displaced.
A totem pole, gifted to the hospital by its nurses in 1965, currently stands in the spot where the new emergency room will be built and has to be moved.
Fraser Health originally suggested it be transported to Chemainus on Vancouver Island, as its carver, the late Simon Charlie, was from the Cowichan Band.
But after learning about the totem pole鈥檚 unique history, a new plan is being crafted.
鈥淥ur Aboriginal Health team is working with the First Nations Health Authority and the Cowichan Tribes to develop a plan to move, store and relocate the totem pole in a respectful and culturally appropriate manner to facilitate the redevelopment and expansion of 91原创 Memorial Hospital鈥檚 emergency department,鈥� a spokesperson from Fraser Health said.
鈥淲e recognize that 91原创 Memorial Hospital sits on the shared, unceded traditional territory of Kwantlen, Katzie, and Matsqui First Nations and we will be looking to those communities to address any local cultural protocols.
鈥淲e are looking at alternate locations on the hospital鈥檚 campus to relocate the totem pole.
鈥淭he Cowichan Tribes have also connected with the sons of the totem pole鈥檚 late carver and they will be intimately involved in this planning.鈥�
LMH Heritage Committee member Doris Riedweg said the committee would like to see the pole erected by the stone wall, the only feature that remains from the original 1940s Cottage Hospital.
鈥淭he pole was a donation to the hospital from the nurses at the time. It was for the 1965 opening of the south tower, which we called the new building,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t has to stay on the hospital ground, simply because it鈥檚 now on Kwantlen Nation territory, and so it has to stay here. And also being a gift from the nurses to the hospital, it has to stay on the grounds.鈥�
Members of the committee are meeting with Kwantlen First Nation and Fraser Health representatives next week to discuss a new location.
When the totem pole is moved later this summer, a formal First Nations ceremony will be held.
miranda@langleytimes.com
Like us on and follow us on
