Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler to host Lil’wat master carver Jonathan Joe for the Salish Summer Carving Series
The artist will carve a story pole at the entrance to SLCC’s Great Hall
Jonathan Joe.
THE SQUAMISH LIL’WAT Cultural Centre (SLCC) has announced it is hosting Lil’wat master carver Jonathan Joe for its Salish Summer Carving Series.
Joe will be carving a story pole throughout this summer at the entrance to SLCC’s Great Hall. The pole will incorporate designs that honour the Declaration of the Lillooet Tribes signed in 1911. (Read Stir’s story about the Declaration of the Lillooet Tribes exhibition here.) As per tradition, Joe will be mentoring a youth, SLCC apprentice Redmond Q̓áwam̓ Andrews, who’s also of the Lil’wat Nation.
The pole will be a companion piece to one completed by master carver Xwalacktun (who is of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Kwakwaka’wakw, and ’Namgis ancestry) and mentee Brandon Hall (who is of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh ancestry) during the summer of 2023. The new pole will eventually stand beside the house post by Xwalacktun at SLCC’s entrance on Lorimer Road.
House post carved by master carver Xwalacktun and SLCC apprentice Brandon Hall for SLCC’s 2023 Salish Summer Carving Series.
Joe was born and raised in Mount Currie and was interested in carving at an early age. He began learning how to carve wood while at the Xet̓ólacw Community School from First Nations art instructors Jeff Wallace of Lil’wat Nation and Tyrone Joseph of Squamish Nation. He works with bark, driftwood, and red and yellow cedar and is inspired by the natural beauty surrounding him.
Visitors will be able to witness the work being done by Joe and Andrews in the Salish Summer Carving Tour, which takes place Wednesdays through Saturdays at 11 am and is included with museum admission. The tour is led by an SLCC ambassador and begins with a welcome drum song before incorporating storytelling about the connection to the land held by both the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations. 
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