Secwe?pemc Landmarks set to unveil Tsqu?qw7e Landmark in the Shuswap next month

Photo: Bernadette Dennis

The Secwe?pemc Landmarks project team will be honouring their heritage with the unveiling the Tsqu?qw7e Landmark next month in the Shuswap.

A ceremony will be held Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. in Tsqu?qw7e (ChaseMemorialPark).

The Tsqu?qw7e Landmark was created by the late Mike “Savage” Peters, assisted by his son Lone White Wolf Peters, and completed by Shayne D. Hunt and David Jacob Harder.

All are welcome to celebrate the installation of the sculpture, which is dedicated to the memory of Michael Alexander Peters, one of the two original artists.

Tsqu?qw7e, pronounced ch-kokw-a, is the place name for the Chase Memorial Park area, meaning “a small bay” in Secwepemctsi?n.

The sculpture is shaped in the form of a Coyote Rock, representing rock formations created by Sekl?e?p, Skl?ap, or Senxu?xwlecw (Coyote), with metal work sculpture in the shape of tree food caches which were used to store dried roots and salmon.

Carvings in the metalwork represent oral histories shared by the Secwe?pemc Elders Advisory Committee, made up of Elders from Adams Lake, Skwla?x (Little Shuswap), Neskonlith, and Splatsi?n.

Artists who are part of this project include Tania Willard who is from and lives at Neskonlith, Kel-c Jules from Tk’emlups, Hop You and Tony Antoine (Splatsi?n), Jules Arnouse (Little Shuswap), Rick (Jules’ son), Eric Kutschker, Rod Tomma, Tilkotmes Tomma, Ron Tomma, and David Jacob Harder. The Secwe?pemc Landmarks project will be installing 16 sculptures over the next year, designed by several teams of Secwe?pemc and non-Secwe?pemc artists, that highlight Secwe?pemc oral histories and place names in each area.

Sculptures are proposed at the following locations: Little Mountain, Haney Heritage, South Canoe Bluffs, Fly Hills Skyview Rotary Lookout, Tappen Bluffs, Bastion Mountain, Mara Lake, Sekm? a?ws (Sicamous), Tsutswe?cw Park, Quaaout Lodge, Skmana Lake, White Lake, the Splatsi?n Center, and Steglgelxu?s (Chase Creek Falls).

The Secwe?pemc Landmarks project team is also planning to install trailhead posts carved by youth from Secwe?pemc Child and Family Services, Shihiya, Chief Atahm and five schools in School District No. 83.

These trailhead posts were carved with the guidance of Kenthen Thomas who designed the curriculum for the workshops, and from Splatsi?n carvers Hop You and Vern Clemah.

Close to 200 youth carved just under 100 trailhead posts, which will be installed on trail systems throughout the Shuswap Lakes region of Secwepemcu?le?.