The City of Port Moody was incorporated one hundred years ago so there have been lots of celebratory occasions all this year. The final and perhaps most significant event took place on Saturday at City Hall.

Recently my husband Alan was part of a committee that selected an artist and commissioned a special piece of public art to recognize the fact that this city has grown up on traditional Salishan territory. Although there are no formal reserves here there are several Coast Salish First Nations living nearby, in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Deep Cove. There was a large Salish village on the beach at present-day Belcarra. Alan is particularly aware of the people who lived here long before ships arrived in Burrard Inlet. In the summer of 1971 when we bought our house in old Port Moody, Alan, who was teaching Archaeology and Native Studies at Douglas College, led an archaeological dig in Pigeon Cove, at the easternmost end of Burrard Inlet. He and his students established that this inlet was indeed used as a Summer campsite, where people fished and dug clams. (The clam beds were subsequently buried under layers of sawdust and debris generated by the seven sawmills and shingle mills that were the economic engine for the early years of Port Moody.)

So the history of Salish people in our city is now to be recognized by two fine contemporary house posts on either side of the main entrance to City Hall. On the right is Man, the provider and on the left is Woman, the bringer of life. They have been carved from cedar by well-respected Squamish artist Jody Broomfield, and painted bold red. The Art committee consulted Jody about a suitable ceremony to celebrate the completion and installation of these posts and the result was a traditional Salish welcome, thanks and feast. The other artists who’d helped with the carving, members of his family, and others from his Capilano Reserve community assembled in the atrium of City Hall on a very chilly but bright day.

In the tradition of a ceremony like this, the artist does not address his guests but is represented by a spokesperson. We were told that there were specific duties to perform, to thank the City for inviting the artist to make the work, to thank the artist, to thank the chosen witnesses and to feed the guests. Thanks were expressed in the Native language, with translation for us, band members in special regalia sang, drummed and danced and then we were invited outside for the blessing of the posts. While some drummed and sang four women dipped cedar boughs in water and stroked the carving all over. The ceremonies were not to be photographed but afterwards we were encouraged to take photos of the dancers and Jody with his wife and daughter in front of his work. It was so interesting to hear at least two of the performers talk of having lived in Port Moody. One caught his first salmon in nearby Noon’s Creek (where I saw salmon swimming upstream just last week) as a boy.

http://www.gotsalish.com

The honorary Colonel Moody and his wife graced the occasion with their final Centennial appearance. Locals David Spence and Donna Otto have had a busy and fun year acting the parts of our city’s important pioneers!

So now, when you pop in to City Hall to attend a Council meeting or other event in the theatre, notice the smart new house posts on either side of the entrance and remember that this growing city was home to people long before railway builders and sawmill workers arrived.