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Meet the Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole carver

Submitted by Gwaii Haanas-Join Jaalen and Gwaii Haanas staff in the carving shed at the Haida Heritage Centre for a special evening next week about the Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole. Since September, Jaalen and his assistants Gwaai and Tyler have been transforming an ancient red cedar into a monumental work of art to help celebrate a unique relationship between the Haida Nation and the Government of Canada. On August 15, the pole will be raised in Windy Bay (Hlk'yah GaawGa) on Lyell Island.The event honours the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Gwaii Haanas Agreement, a groundbreaking accord reached after the turmoil of a blockade and five years of negotiations. Hear how Jaalen's design - interlocking figures such as Sculpin, Grizzly Bear, Sacred-One-Standing-and-Moving, Raven and Eagle - represents the connections between the Land, Sea and People in Gwaii Haanas. Meet at the carving shed at the Haida Heritage Centre on June 27, at 7 pm.