12 — Wednesday, September 7, 1988 ~ Capitany Chronicle

Native spirit
lives on with
Indian carver

THE SPIRIT of the original Capilano Suspension Bridge
area inhabitants lives on in the person of Stan Joseph, In-
dian carver-in-residence at the popular tourist attraction.

Joseph, whose Indian name is
Sequilem (‘‘spirit. dances”), is a
member of the Squamish nation
and has lived on the Capilano
reserve all his life. His grand-uncle
is Chief Mathias Joe Capilano,
who from the 1920s to 1950s carv-
ed most of the totem poles that are
part of the bridge's gardens today.

**! used to watch him as a boy,’”
said Joseph. ‘From there | picked
it up naturally.”

Joseph, who has been carving
with wood and ivory for 26 years,
says his art reflects his part-Salish
and part-northern = Tsimishian
heritage. Much of his time during
his two years at the bridge has
been spent restoring the old poles
of carver and spirit: dancer Chief
Mathias,

He has also carved smaller poles
of his own for the bridge, and a
display of his other carvings is on
sale at the bridge’s Trading Post.

Soon Joseph will start’ what
could be his most ambitious pro-
ject at the bridge: the designing
and carving of a 40-foot totem
pole that will commemorate the
bridge’s centennial year. Joseph
expects the pole will include up to
six carved figures.

In designing the pole, or in pro-
viding ideas for other bridge
events, Joseph is able to draw on
his knowledge of over 200 Indian
legends, which he learned from his
great-grandparents and grand-
parents.

“T grew up with my ancestors,””
he says.

Joseph is a descendant of a chief
family that has long been involved

By PEGGY WHITTAKER
Chronicle Reporter

in the area known to the natives as
Homulcheson.

His grand-uncle, Chief Mathias,
was the son of Chief Joe Capilano
and Mary Capilano. Mary
Capilano was the half-grand niece
of Chief Ki-ap-a-la-no, who had
no direct blood descendants after
his son Chief Lahwa died.

In 1906 the Squamish Indians
formally gave Chief Joe Capilano

, the name of Capilano and status as

chief.

Although he died in 1910 at the
age of 60, his wife carried on as a
respected leader of the community.
When she died in 1940, she was
believed to be over 100 years old.

Mary Capilano is immortalized
in one of the bridge’s carvings that
shows her with her child Chief
Mathias on her back.

The statue was carved by Aage
Madsen, one of two men who
carved at the bridge during the
Great Depression in exchange for
room and board.

The colorful history of the
bridge and the characters who have
been involved with it is outlined in
the book The Laughing Bridge: A
Personal History of the Capilano
Suspension Bridge, by Eleanore
Dempster. The book is available at
the bridge for $9.95.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge
is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
weekdays, till 7:30 p.m. weekends.
Joseph is carving on-site nearly
every day, from 10 a.m. to 6 or 7
p.m. ‘

The Blossom
Shop

NOT JUST FLOWERS,
BALLOONS, CERAMICS
& GIFTWARE...
ME AND MY FRIENDS

3077 Woodbine Dr.
North Vancouver
987-2606

(THE EDGEMONT VILLAGE)

photo Mike Weketield

STAN JOSEPH, carver-in-residence at the Capilano Suspension Bridge, learned his craft from geand-uncle
Chief Mathias Joe. Joseph, who can be visited at the bridge daily, has restored maay of his grand-uncle’s orig-
inal totem poles on the site, and is currently working on a centennial pole for the bridge’s 100th anniversary

next year.