In the summer of 2021, members of the Lhaq'temish (People of the Sea), also known as the Lummi Nation, embarked on a journey from their ancestral lands outside of Bellingham, WA. Traveling with them was a 24-foot 8-inch totem pole, beautifully carved and decorated by the Lummi House of Tears Carvers. Their destination? The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, with several important stops along the way. The purpose at the heart of this journey was to raise awareness of endangered indigenous sacred sites throughout the United States through education sessions, blessings, and outreach events. The trip became known as the "Red Road to DC."
Totem poles have been created by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest for centuries. Carved from old-growth cedar trees, the poles have different meanings to the different tribal nations creating them. They may tell stories of a clan’s ancestry, or celebrate the achievements of a clan member. In more recent decades, totem pole carving by the Lummi Nation and others has emphasized the importance of connection to the earth, warned of threats to the environment, and advocated for the sovereignty of native peoples and the importance of ensuring native voices are uplifted during discussion of environmental issues.
The Red Road to DC totem pole was carved from a 400 year old red cedar tree, and is filled with symbols that "highlight issues important to Indian Country," carver Douglas James told Native News Online. The red handprints on the full moon call attention to missing and murdered indigenous women. The bear, wolf, and salmon are all endangered species vital to the health of the environment, as well as showing spiritual significance for native peoples. Near the pole's base, a Mexican child in a cage represents the separation of families at the border and draws a parallel to the removal of children from their parents to government-run boarding schools.
During the journey, the totem pole stopped at several sacred sites in the United States that are endangered by resource extraction, overdevelopment, or other environmental threats. One of the first such stops was on the banks of the lower Snake River, where the Nez Perce and other northwest tribes have been advocating the removal of the four federal dams on the river so that salmon can once again thrive there, a mitigation recently undertaken on the Klamath river. Another was Bears Ears National Monument, which had been reduced from its original size of 1.35 million acres and was marked for oil and gas drilling. The struggle to protect Bears Ears is notable as it is the first time different tribes joined together in coalition to protect a sacred site. (Its original size has since been restored, in part due to awareness raised during the Red Road to DC. Its future is still uncertain, however.)
On July 29, 2021, the Red Road to DC journey culminated with an exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American to hold this office, received the totem pole on behalf of the Biden Administration. As described in the National History Museum's coverage of the event, the totem pole "stands as a symbol of the promises made to the first peoples of these lands and waters, and of our collective ancestral obligation to care for the natural world for generations to come."
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by learning more about the history of tribal peoples and their efforts to protect their sovereignty and the lands that we all call home.
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