Newspaper Page Text
Hometown 4q
Hero g£3
f
4p\
.. ... !' *
y
0 k
o
Jewell James maintains
the ancient art of his
ancestors on the Lummi
Indian Reservation near
Bellingham, Wash.
Korwng Totems
I for Healing
by HEATHER LARSON
I The scent of freshly cut cedar fills the air as
It Jewell James chisels curls of wood from a 15-foot totem pole that he hopes
Sgj will bring healing to the families of three boys killed in a 1999 gasoline
IH pipeline explosion along Whatcom Creek in Bellingham, Wash,
gf' As lie chips away at the 300-vear-old log in his yard on the Lummi
1 Indian Reservation, the outline of a salmon takes shape with each slice
§1 of his homemade carving tool. The salmon symbolizes the fish and other
I: | wildlife destroyed when a fireball ravaged more than a mile of the creek,
killing Liam Wood, 18, Wade King and Stephen Tsiorvas, both 10.
11l “The pole is to restore die stream and its habitat and to remember the
ft: three bovs who lost their lives,” says fames, 54, a master carver for the
Lummi Nation, based near Bellingham.
During the last three decades, James,
with the help of fellow American Indian
carvers, has created more than 60 totems
to reawaken native culture and promote
healing for families, communities and the
nation.
Three of James' most famous works The eagle symbolizes
honor victims of the terrorist attacks of wisdom in totemic art.
Sept. 11,2001. The totems, painted red, black, yellow and white to repre
sent the races of people hurt during the attacks, were dedicated in Sterling
Forest in New York, Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon in Washington,
D.C., respectively each September between 2002 and 2004.
“We have used the totemic art as a teaching tool to help all of us learn
to heal from grief, and this was the message we wanted to convey with
the 9-11 poles," James says.
In 1972, James began carving totems and studying the ancient art of
his ancestors while attending the University of Washington in Seattle. He
learned about totem designs and color patterns from master carver Marvin
Oliver, who taught American Indian studies and an at the university 7 , and
he gleaned even more knowledge by 7 working alongside other carvers,
including his younger brother, Dale.
James begins the totem-carving process by selecting a log. He prefers
Western red cedars that are at least S(X) years old. The giant, old-growth
trees are valued for their tall, straight trunks; soft, lightweight wood;
Photos by Michael Good
w iar
»«i «sg !■■<
‘--‘m>«J '*'" f * aA* df. b UW^WKik l ** l
‘ s * mwm m 'l lW'■ v ’BIBWBL- I -
One of James’ “healing” totems was dedicated at the Pentagon
in Washington, D.C., in 2004 to honor victims of the 9-11 tragedy.
• www.americanprofile.com
page 4
I Courtesy of Fred tone