This totem pole is traveling 16,000 miles from the Lummi Nation this summer
A totem pole created by Lummi Nation carver Jewell James will travel from Whatcom County to Washington D.C. on a 16,000-mile journey that takes it to dozens of sacred sites across the U.S. this summer.
The totem pole stopped in Ferndale on Wednesday, May 5, as part of the grassroots northwest tour the House of Tears Carvers are doing before embarking on their national tour.
The trip, called the #RedRoadtoDC, started in April, with the totem pole carved from a 400-year-old tree.
Along the way, the totem pole will serve as a place for people to gather, tell stories and discuss the future protection, reclamation and restoration of sacred spaces.
James, whose native name is Se-Sealth, began carving the pole in early February from a western red cedar.
The artwork that comprises the totem pole depicts eagles, wolves, salmon and human spirits, each one representing different stories, lessons and cultural traditions of the Lummi people.
The pole also includes art that connects the experiences of Native people across the country.
For instance, red hands painted on the totem pole remind people of the ongoing crisis of missing, murdered Indigenous women.
Donations to support the #RedRoadtoDC can be made online at ReadRoadtoDC.org.
