A detail shot of the 25-foot totem pole, carved by House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation, which traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of the Red Road to DC.
The House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation recently transported a 25-foot totem pole from Washington State to Washington, D.C., as part of the Red Road to DC, a cross-country tour led by tribal leaders from around the nation highlighting Indigenous sacred sites at risk. The totem pole—which traveled more than 20,000 miles, visiting lands and waters at risk from dams, mining, and oil and gas projects—was embraced by Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland; Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, Brenda Mallory; and PaaWee Rivera (Pojoaque), Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs and Director of Tribal Affairs at the White House.
A side view of the 25-foot totem pole, carved by House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation.
“The totem pole holds the prayers of all who blessed it along its journey to D.C.,” says Jewell James, a member of the Lummi Nation and master carver at House of Tears Carvers. “Across Indian Country, our places where we pray, gather food and medicine, and hold our ceremonies, are being threatened by the greed and carelessness of corporations. We wanted to bring attention to this crisis.” The initiative urges the federal government to take action when it comes to the protection and preservation of these sacred areas.
A permanent location for the totem pole is to be announced. Those interested in learning more about the Red Road to DC initiative can visit www.redroadtodc.org.
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