MASTERCARVER

When UBC approached us to work on a promotion for an upcoming totem pole installation on their Vancouver campus, we were thrilled. We wanted to showcase the artist behind the totem pole to help raise awareness of the event.

For the Haida people, carving and publicly installing new totem poles is a way of honouring their history and ongoing cultural practices. However, the Reconciliation Pole represents all First Nations who share in the experiences that the story of Canada’s Indian residential schools tells.

On April 1st the Reconciliation Pole was installed on UBC's Vancouver campus to serve as a reminder to everyone who calls UBC home that the history of Canada’s Indian residential schools will never be forgotten.

Haida master carver and Hereditary Chief 7idansuu (Edenshaw), James Hart is a well respected artist that has been carving since 1979. Hart has both replicated and designed his own traditional Haida totem poles and sculptures for the Museum of Anthropology, Old Massett and Skidegate, Haida Gwaii, Ottawa, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Helsingborg, Sweden, Pau, France, and Lausanne, Switzerland.

The goal of the project was to raise awareness of the pole installation and to get upwards of 800 people to attend the event. We decided the most effective way to raise awareness was to make our community feel connect to the project. What better way to do this then to introduce them to the artist and the meaning behind the project.

The result:

The video gained over 90.5K unique views

Nearly 900 people attended the event, and we were able to successfully lift the pole with nothing but man power.