Join us for the Tsleil-Waututh Public Art Ceremony k̓ʷə səlilwətaɬ syəwenəɬ ct - Our Tsleil-Waututh Ancestors, a new public art piece created by Jonas Jones. The ceremony will take place at Burnaby City Hall on Wednesday, October 25 from 1-3:30 pm and will include official remarks from the Mayor and səlilwətaɬ(Tsleil-Waututh Nation).
This work was commissioned for Burnaby City Hall to honour the relationship between the City of Burnaby and səlilwətaɬ. Conceived as a carving in the style of a traditional Coast Salish house post, the work brings a two-sided wolf design in relief carving and metal. Designed as a marker for this civic and community space, the wolf is the emblem of the səlilwətaɬ.
About the artist
Jonas Jones (TsuKwalton) comes from the village of Átsnach (Tsleil-Waututh) with strong bloodlines running from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) as well. He is grateful for teachers such as Ses Siyam (Ray Natraoro), who taught him to indulge within the Coast Salish laws of art, a system that is passed down from master carver to apprentice. He is honoured to be practising this craft, as this foundation of art and way of life has been running through his blood for thousands of years. “To live and breathe a little piece of the old people, our swa7am (ancestors), is truly a beautiful thing.”
