[Full Length] The Indigenous View: with Joe Martin (Tutakwisnapšiƛ)

“Indigenous peoples always stay home, and so we're the ones left to suffer the consequences of over-harvesting and the destruction of resources.”

- Joe Martin

SYNOPSIS:

This is a beautiful conversation with Joe Martin, who is also known by his traditional name Tutakwisnapšiƛ. We speak about his work as a master canoe and totem pole carver, and role as an elder in his community. Joe is a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation living in Tofino, Vancouver Island, and has carved over seventy canoes made from ancient trees. He has sparked a revitalization of this ancient art form in his own community and among neighbouring nations in the Pacific Northwest.

In our talk, Joe describes how indigenous totem poles serve as visual living texts of natural laws of the land. He shares outlines of the learnings that are handed down in his tradition, from the land to grandparents to children. We learn about the teachings of the wolf, why bears are related to women’s puberty rituals, and how animals show us to only take what we need, and not for our greed.

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GUEST BIO:

Joe Martin has been dedicated to mastering the art of traditional ƛaʔuukʷiatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) canoe carving for decades. He has sparked a revitalization of this ancient art form in his own community and among neighbouring nations in the Pacific Northwest. Taught by his father, the late Chief Robert Martin, Joe has continued to transfer his knowledge to future generations, taking on apprentices and leaving a legacy of over 70 carved canoes. Joe has been formally recognized for his incredible contributions to the artistic community – in 2013 he received a BC Creative Achievement Awards for First Nations’ Art and in 2012 he received a BC Community Achievement Award.

QUOTES:

• The most important teachings that we can learn from these creatures, is that they take only what they need from nature, and never more.

• Trees are only harvested in fall or wintertime because there may be a bird nesting up there somewhere. You cannot see it. It may be up there. And so we're careful not to disrupt those creatures.

• Indigenous peoples always stay home, and so we're the ones left to suffer the consequences of over-harvesting and the destruction of resources.

SHOW NOTES

• Film: The Canoe Maker

• Book: Making a Chaputs, The Teachings and Responsibilities of a Canoe Maker

• BC Achievement Award, Joe Martin

• Joe’s Facebook page

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