Today, as part of our celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day and in partnership with the City of Prince George, we unveiled a new public art in the foyer of a municipal facility - the Canfor Leisure Pool. The new art piece, titled ‘Talukw Bah Bedukaih’, and meaning Dipping for Salmon, was created as a collaboration between local Indigenous graphic artist Ray Desjarlais and their mother, Kym Gouchie of the Lheidli T'enneh Nation. ”Canfor commissioned this public art piece to honour the Lheidli T’enneh People and to help bring unique, local Indigenous traditions and cultural practices into the heart of our community gathering spaces,” said Kerri Simmons, Canfor’s Director of Indigenous Partnerships. “We recognize the unique place of Indigenous artists as creators, interpreters, and transmitters of Indigenous cultural continuity. In our commitment to support Truth and Reconciliation, Canfor looks for opportunities to amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples on whose land we have the privilege of operating on. Witnessing the collaboration and the intergenerational sharing between the artists, has been such a privilege and resulted in a beautiful gift to the community of Prince George and its visitors,” she concluded.
Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day and we are honoured to unveil new artwork, called Talukw Bah Bedukaih/Dipping for Salmon by local artists, Ray Desjarlais and Kym Gouchie. The art piece is located in the foyer at the Canfor Leisure Pool and shows an elder dipping their net at twilight on the Nechako River. Kym Gouchie said, “We were given the theme of ‘water’ which was a wonderful source of inspiration. I immediately thought of an outdoor setting to include salmon which has been an important part of our livelihood as Lheidli T’enneh. I was transported back to a memory when I was a child. In the summertime, my parents would always be at the rivers fishing for salmon. It was a community place of gathering and visiting. But when nighttime fell, they became quiet. They would take turns stepping out onto the dip stand. I remember the sound and the rhythm of the net hitting the water. I wasn’t strong enough to pull the long pole and net through the water but I loved watching and I remember the excitement when a salmon was caught. I love that I was able to convey this imagery to my second born child and professional digital artist Ray Desjarlais for the creation of the art piece Talukw Bah Bedukaih/Dipping for Salmon. I hope that it is enjoyed by all and that it evokes memories for those who have had the pleasure of doing this traditional practice of harvesting salmon.” We are honoured to showcase this artwork in our facility - we hope you stop by and see it soon! Read more about the project: https://lnkd.in/gE9CKqnE
