Prince Rupert City Council voted in favour of relocating the replica Haida-style totem poles outside of the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre on Sept. 8.
The current poles will be respectfully removed and laid to rest and will be replaced by traditional carved Ts’msyen poles. Since Prince Rupert is located on traditional Ts’msyen territory, erecting these new poles will more accurately reflect the heritage and identity of the land.
The current poles are beginning to deteriorate due to prolonged exposure to the elements and the likelihood of them falling over is increasing. Ts’msyen customs dictate that a pole shall remain where it falls. Due to the poles’ proximity to the roadway, if it were to fall it would be difficult to remove it respectfully.
Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond said relocating the current poles is crucial for safety and respect of Ts’msyen culture.
“These poles have a limited life and when they fall they represent a hazard. Traditionally in Ts’msyen culture where the pole falls it should lie. Should one of those poles fall across the road in front of the civic centre we are going to have a hard time being culturally appropriate, so this was a case of trying to get in front of that.”
The current poles will be laid in front of the civic centre plaza, in a manner respectful of cultural practices and community values, around the time of the All-Native basketball tournament
