be

» Hundreds watched in
“awe as the first’ totem
“pole to be raised in
_ “Nishga lands for almost

100 years was pulled into
place Tuesday in
‘Aiyansh.

~ Jt was snowing and wet
and cold throughout the
-day but the discomfort
was forgotten in the
splendor and dignity of
the colorul ceremony
‘which was the symbolic
culmination of Nishga
unity in land claims
settlement and
educational deter-
mination.

The day started at the
eastern edge of the
village, about 60 miles
north of Terrace, where
the totem pole was
waiting. Percy Tait,
master of ceremonies
and interpreter led the
march through the
streets while dozens of
young men from Aiyansh
and neighboring villages
struggled with the heavy
pole.

The 60-foot pole was
carried a mile through
the village as the men
took orders from a
ceremonial drum telling
them when to stop for a
rest period.

Past the church where
the church bell rang out
and past the fire hall
where the sirens soun-
ded, the marchers were
followed by the cold, wet
crowd until they reached
the site in front of

Aiyansh School where the -

pole was to be raised. .

When it was time for
the unity pole to be raised
volunteers scrambled to
help with the pully ropes
and secure the guy lines

as, little by little, the
carved pole was brought
to rest against a sup-
porting beam.

The ceremony was all
the more impressive
because of the beautiful

traditional robes worn by
the participants and the
headdresses of the
various crests of
families.

Most of the speeches
were in Nishga, but in
interpretation, they
contained many allusions
to the need for a united
Nishga force in the Nass
Valley.

Frank Calder, MLA for
Atlin, spoke on the
history of the Nishga land

claims.

“The Nishga never
faltered,’ he said when
describing their many
setbacks. ‘‘We continue
to struggle for our

righ ”

Calder described the
ceremony as “a
manifesto of Nishga
unity... a declaration that
this Jand is our land.”

The unity pole was
carved by Eli Gosnell, a
hereditary chieftain of
the wolf family in New
Aiyansh with the
assistance of his two
sones, Joe and George
and son-in-law, Jacob
Nyce.

It is unique in the
native culture because
historically, totem poles
belong to individual
families -while the unity
pole represents 10 major
symbols of all the Nishga

people.

At the very top of the
totem pole a man holding
a rainbow is carved. The
rainbow is important in
Nishga legend because
during the great flood,
the nishgas took refuge
on a mountain until the
water stopped rising.
When the people saw the
rainbow they interpreted
it as a promise by God of
no more floods and a new
era of opportunity.

Nishga Unity Pole

In the next symbol,
Gitginsaa, the fleetest of
all birds, is holding
Taxamsen, a human

figure. Taxamsen was

able to fly to heaven on
the back of the bird to
bring back light and
water to the people.

The next seven sym-

bols represent the
variouis crests upon
which the Nishga culture
isbased. |...

It is also symbolic that -

the pole was erected in
front of the Aiyans
school.

It’s a beautiful school
finished in lava and
cedar found in the valley

‘and designed in the

traditional long-house
style. Control of their
educational destiny has
long been one of the main
objectives of the Nishga
and they have achieved
that goal with the
Aiyansh school.

The school is a unique
blend of old and new,
offering the 400 students
who attend courses in
Nishga language and
culture in an ultra-
modern facility.

The school was of-
ficially opened . yester-
day, but the Nishga
District (92) was created
in January, 1976 and is
trun by school trustees
elected from the five
villages of Kincolith,
jGreenville, Canyon City,
Aiyansh and Nass Camp.

The official opening ot
the school coincided with
the opening of the 20th

annual Nishga Tribal -

Council
yesterday.

This year’s convention
is expected to achieve
important steps in the
land claims issue which
the Nishga have been
pursuing since they filed

convention

_a 21-point proposal in

April, 1976.

-THE HERALD, Thursday, November 3, 1977, PAGE 5

Weiss,

‘Eli Gosnell, master carver.

The Japanese film ¢yew flew in a sepcial star for their production.

(the herald)

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r : ea P a er as,
Joe Gosnell directed the carriers with

pa

his drum.