Recently the Ts’aahl Kayahl ‘Laanas clan raised a pole in memory of Chief Gaahlaay, the late Watson Pryce, at Xaayna Maude Island. The pole was the work of two Master Carvers, brothers Jaalen and Gwaai Edenshaw who are of the Ts’aahl clan. They were assisted by apprentice Cooper Wilson.

Usually, it’s someone from the opposite clan who carves this type of pole, so in honoring that tradition, the Edenshaw brothers had the Eagle at the top of the pole carved by Tyler York of the Skedans Raven Clan. The carving of the 45-foot pole was completed over nine months.

Watson, the first figure, appears in the belly of the beaver; then Kaagwaay appears with frogs peeking out. The six rings are for each of the potlatches that Watson hosted.

Gwaai told me: “Well, it felt so good to do something for Watson; it’s something he wanted to do for a long time, and we are pleased to be able to pull it off. Gaahlaay was a great man and deserved to have a memorial pole. It felt good to set that right. “The location was scary,” Gwaai continues, “since the logistics were challenging but happily people put their heads down to make it all happen. Shawn Peacock was instrumental in helping to get this pole moved along with Rollie putting it into place.”

In planning, the clan was unsure of the numbers that would make the trek across the inlet. However there was a total of 400 orange ribbons made to honour the children who were taken away to Residential schools and when the day came there was an offical count that exceeded 607 people who stepped ashore. It was a beautiful sea of orange shirts and ribbons paying tribute to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Two days later a pod of killer whales was sighted in the bay at Xaayna for hours. It was said the ancestors were celebrating.

The next day approximately 750 people attended the potlatch where, according to tradition, the host clan feeds the other and pays them in various ways for bearing witness. Food was served up, there was dancing, clan members were given names and there was so, so much more.

Photos by Taawa K'awas Roberta Aiken