SEPTEMBER 15, 2002
Smoke Signals 5
Lummi Healing Pole Makes A Remarkable
Journey Across The Country To New York
Master Carver Jewell "Praying Wolf" James stops in Portland on his way to honor
victims of last year's September 11th tragedy and the children of the lost.
By Ron Karten
"What a beautiful job you
did!"
Observer after observer
said those exact words to
Lummi Nation Master
Carver Jewell James after
the ceremony unveiling his
Healing Pole August 23 in
Portland's Holladay Park.
Most also took the opportu
nity to be photographed in
front of the pole, which re
mained horizontal on a
flatbed trailer and many
leaned over and touched the
pole in prayer.
While James took the
compliments in stride, like
any artist, he acknowledged after
ward that the Healing Pole could
of course have been better, but its
real value, he said, derived from the
spirit of the carver at the time of
the carving.
"It's not the object (ha-lee-ton)
that helps cause healing," he said.
"The spirit is what makes it work."
The pole was carved to honor
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were among a small crowd of about
100 who came to see the Healing
Pole.
"I wanted to see the pole and
honor those taking part," said J ane.
"The first thing we think about with
911 is healing. And here are the
first peoples leading the healing. It
seems so appropriate."
With six similar stops across the
country - going backward over the
steps of Lewis and Clark the heal
ing pole was planted September 7th
in Arrow Park in the Sterling For
est, an hour north of Manhattan
and the former World Trade Cen
ter. Within the Sterling Forest is
an 80-acre site dedicated to victims
Symbol Of Healing - The Healing Pole made a stop
in Portland on its way across the country to New York. Lummi
Nation Master Carver Jewell James created the pole. Here,
people lay hands on the pole to feel its spirit and to pray.
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. 4
those who died September 11, 2001,
and to help the healing process for
those still living - particularly the
children of the lost.
"It was hard not to think of our
own children who were
lost," he said. "I had to
keep my mind clear. It
is important that you
are not grieving while
you do it."
"This is the greatest
act of generosity in
hundreds of years," said
Elizabeth Furse, former
member of Congress
and currently Director
of the Institute for
Tribal Government at
Portland State Univer
sity. "From a people
that have seen so much
grief... out of their gen
erosity, they will heal us
out of love."
With a crew of two,
and sometimes, three
other carvers, four
"little girls" who helped
paint, and one "little
boy" for cleanup, James
worked his consider
able talents for a month
on a 140-year-old cedar
log donated by Crown Pacific Lim
ited Partnership of Portland.
When first approached to do a
small pole, James agreed, without
knowing what it might be used for.
Since 1996, he estimates he has pro
duced five-dozen poles, some as
large as 30 feet. When he learned
that it would be for the children of
those lost on 911, he wanted to do
Jewell "Praying Wolf" James
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,
Portland
Police Chief
Mark
Kroeker
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The Honorable
Elizabeth
Furse
Grand Ronde
Tribal Elder
Kathryn Harrison
and Tribal mem
ber Joe Brisbois
attended the
ceremony in
Portland on behalf
of the Grand
Ronde people.
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something more generous - some
thing as large as 24 feet - but logis
tics whittled him down to the 13
footer that was in Portland in Au
gust. The finished healing pole con
tains a bald eagle, symbol of Na
tive American spirituality; a mother
bear on all fours, signifying our de
pendence on the earth; and a bear
child, representing children. James
used four colors instead of the two
(black and red) traditionally used
for Lummi poles, to represent the
four races.
"It's a great feeling to stand by
the pole," said Joe Brisbois, mem
ber of the Grand Ronde's Cultural
Committee.
"You are bringing this forward at
the right time, especially for the
children," said Kathryn Harrison,
Tribal Elder and former Tribal
Council Chair.
"We pray for each one's journey,"
said Pat Allen, Chair of the Grand
Ronde Cultural Committee.
The event featured a color guard
of the Northwest Indian Veterans
Association, speakers from Siletz,
Grand Ronde and other Tribes, and
others, like Hoodland Fire Depart
ment lieutenant Phil Burks, who
told the story of a letter to New York
City Firefighters that he read while
in New York following the attack.
It came from an 8-year-old boy who
wrote, "He wished it didn't have to
happen." And then added that his
father had yellow stripes on his ten
nis shoes and "he hoped that would
help them find him."
Ken and Jane Ames of Portland
of the terrorist attacks and their
families. The Sterling Forest is also
the sister forest of the Arlecho
Creek Forest, an hour north of Se
attle, at the Lummi Reservation.
The Lummi Tribe has raised more
than $5 million to buy and preserve
the Arlecho Creek Forest, a spiri
tual sanctuary for traditional cul
tural practices.
The pole now rests on a concrete
base. According to the Lummi
Tribe's webpage, a red powder sym
bolizing the contribution of Native
American people to the vision of
democracy was to be placed under
the pole. Eagle feathers, also to be
placed under the pole for all times,
"proclaim the sacredness of the vi
sion of government by and for the
people."
James is a Northwest Coast Spirit
Dancer, master carver, and presi-
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ers. His voice was large for the un
veiling of this pole. "The beginning
of this journey is the fulfillment of
a dream for those suffering, for
those with grief in their hearts," he
said. "We took it on because we've
seen grief and we've felt grief. We
know we shouldn't spend too much
time there, but to move from grief
to joy, that is what this is about."
"When the journey ends for the
pole," said Harrison, "everyone
should know, 'Who are the
Lummis?' I thank God for the
Lummis."
The value of the pole, said carver
James "is how people relate to it.
People really love this. They have
it within them."