School District No. 35

A powerful awakening ceremony took place at the Langley School District Board Office on Tuesday, as two house posts created by Kwantlen First Nation artists Nəq̓ɑɬc̓i (Drew Atkins) and Miməwqθelət (Elinor Atkins) were unveiled in the lobby. 

The artwork was commissioned after the Board of Education passed a motion in spring 2022 to establish a permanent memorial to honour residential school survivors and those that did not return. This action was in response to the discovery of the remains of the 215 children buried at the site of a former residential school on the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation in Kamloops the year before. The requisition also represents the Board and District’s commitment to the journey of Truth and Reconciliation. As part of the ceremony, Kwantlen elders breathed life into the posts by brushing them with cedar, after they were unveiled, to awaken them.

The two posts – made of metal, anchored to a large piece of live-edge cedar – flank the door to the board room. For the last three years, a single wooden house post was stationed in the lobby. The former house post was always meant as a temporary installation to watch over the school district and “look after the staff in the building,” while the new, permanent posts could be created specifically for the school district. With those posts now in place, and awakened, the original post was returned to the Kwantlen First Nation.

The new posts honour residential school survivors and providing hope and positivity for the future, explained the father and daughter artistic team.

One post features a woman and daughter, and is complimented with hummingbirds, hearts, and butterflies. The elder is singing, Elinor said, “because that’s how we uplift each other.”

On the second post, “The raven above the man is to represent transformation and Justice - through these truths from residential schools being shared,” described Elinor.

A full explanation and symbolism of this artwork, can be found on Elinor’s Instagram account @elinoratkins_art.

“We wanted to focus on life and our warriors,” explained Drew, who added that choosing to work with metal instead of wood was a deliberate choice. “We chose a contemporary approach to the artwork because we wanted to emphasize moving forward, about not getting stuck in the past. You know, I love wood carving, but I think we have to recognize that the world is changing and we can change with it, we can adapt with it.”

He also noted that he was excited and honoured to get to work on the project with his daughter Elinor, who is a former Langley School District student. Elinor’s art can be found adorned on a number of doors at Langley Fine Arts School.

“The idea of intergenerational transfer of knowledge is getting more important as I get older,” he said. 

Deputy superintendent Woody Bradford, noting he was filled “with an immense amount of gratitude” for the work being unveiled, said the posts will serve as reminder of all the work left to do on the District’s journey towards Truth and Reconciliation.

“It reminds us that the work isn’t done. It’s an honour to have the artwork here and as we go forward, we need to continue to do this work together,” he said.

Superintendent Mal Gill echoed Bradford’s statement that the artwork will serve as a reminder to staff, Board members, and the public alike that doing what is best for students needs to be at the centre of everything.

“Every time I walk into that room, through those doors is a place where our Board meets monthly to make important decisions,” he said. The house posts “will remind me every single day about grounding ourselves in the right heart and the right mind, and remind us about who should be at the centre of our decisions.”