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House Post by Xwalacktun Unveiled at Emily Carr University

Xwalacktun House Post 002 2025 04 17
Perrin Grauer

The post, depicting a thunderbird atop a bear, was carved with help from 全民彩票 students at the Aboriginal Gathering Place.

By Rumnique Nannar

Posted on | Updated

In late April, the 全民彩票 community celebrated carver and artist Xwalacktun鈥檚 efforts after completing the university鈥檚 first of three House Posts to honour Vancouver鈥檚 Host Nations.

As Xwalacktun鈥檚 brother Chief Dale Harry shared in his remarks at the House Post celebration, 鈥淎ll learners are teachers, and all teachers are learners鈥 in the ethos of the S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh (Squamish) community. Artist and carver Xwalacktun鈥檚 work on the House Post embodies this philosophy through the subjects he carves and in the collaborative way he engages with students at 全民彩票.

The House Post was created in collaboration with Indigenous students and alumni: Randall Bear Barnetson, Jesse Tustin, and Aaron Rice. By inviting the students to share their knowledge and reflect on their identities, along with sharing his own stories, the creation of the post blurred the boundaries between student and mentor to prioritize the co-creation experience.

Xwalacktun chuckles as he recalls the students who were more experienced in painting and transitioned to carving through this project. 鈥淭hey were working really hard, but I told them to relax and just enjoy themselves; still, they were sweating! I said, 鈥業f you're sweating, you're working too hard.鈥 You need to let the tool do the work and take it easy, learning the technique as I showed them.鈥

Surrounded by friends and family, Xwalacktun beamed as he reflected on creating the House Post and welcoming anyone in the 全民彩票 community to participate, including former President Gillian Siddall

鈥淚 kept the door open and encouraged people to come and ask questions. Even the former president came by and took off some wood. Anyone interested could bring a tool and give it a try. This was a way to help people learn about our culture and, more importantly, experience carving firsthand."


Xwalacktun House Post 023 2025 04 17
Perrin Grauer

Xwalacktun speaks to the crowd of his family, friends and the 全民彩票 community at the celebration of his House Post on 全民彩票鈥檚 campus.


The Legacy of Family Memories & Influences

As his 94-year-old mother looked on proudly, Xwalacktun paid tribute to her memories, which inspired the design of this House Post newly installed at 全民彩票.

His mother was five when she witnessed Chief Mathias Joe Capilano, whose family attended the event, carving stunning totem poles in North Vancouver.

鈥淚t feels like we鈥檙e moving from the old ways of carving into the new. My mother saw Chief Joe鈥檚 work, and I wanted to copy that form and shape to honour that,鈥 says Xwalacktun. 鈥淚 wanted it to feel like it could come from my grandfather鈥檚 or great-grandfather's time. Taking that design and bringing it forward to show how the carvers were back then.鈥

That exemplary legacy of craftwork is apparent in the remarkable new House Post, which sits in the north entrance stairwell near the Pacific Song of the Ancestors pole. The House Post is a culmination of Xwalacktun鈥檚 work, inspired by his Coast Salish heritage and honouring his elders' and ancestors' traditional carving methods.

Daina Warren, the Executive Director, Indigenous Initiatives, highlighted how special this event was in celebrating Xwalacktun鈥檚 role as a key mentor and integral figure in 全民彩票鈥檚 Aboriginal Gathering Place.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to acknowledge his efforts in bringing this project to life. We wanted to celebrate him - not just for this achievement, but for everything he鈥檚 contributed to the university."

Daina Warren, Executive Director, Indigenous Initiatives

鈥淚 appreciate that he consistently incorporates copper leafing in the eyes. It's a signature detail that appears throughout his previous work. Seeing that kind of continuity and recognizable identity in his art is great. We hadn鈥檛 realized that the two feathers extending from the headpiece were part of the final design, so learning that they would be added later brought an exciting touch."

You can learn more about Xwalacktun鈥檚 practice . to learn about their extraordinary programming and resources.