| May 4, 2011 ABBOTSFORD – Stone T’xwelátse is an ancestor of the Stó:lō, the People of the River. He was turned to stone long ago by Xexá:ls (the Transformers) as punishment for mistreating his wife. The Stó:lō recognize this stone man as embodying the living spirit of a man named T’xwelátse; a name belonging to the first ancestor of the Ts'elxwéyeqw (Chilliwack), one of the Stó:lō Tribes. For the Stó:lō people, Stone T’xwelátse is a beloved ancestor; a four-foot-high, 600 pound granite man with a living soul. In 1892, Stone T’xwelátse went missing. Fearing vigilantes from Washington State, Stó:lō villagers began to move away from the border. In their absence, the stone figure was taken by newly arrived farmers on the Sumas Prairie. Transported to Washington and then sold to a dime-store museum, the stone man ended up in the collections of the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Seattle. After being located there in 1991, an extensive 15 year repatriation campaign—headed by the T’xwelátse family with support from friends, including former Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo, Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen and current Lieutenant Governor Steven Point—began to return Stone T’xwelátse to his family and community. In 2006, after being lost to the Stó:lō for over 100 years, Stone T’xwelátse finally came home. Since his return, Stone T’xwelátse continues to share his story and central teaching that "we have to learn to live together in a good way." British Columbians have a chance to visit this stone man and learn more about his extraordinary story at The Reach Gallery in Abbotsford. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre, the T’xwelátse Family, and photographer / writer duo David Campion and Sandra Shields. It is being held until May 29, 2011. Quotes: "I was very excited for the Stó:lō people when T’xwelátse was rolled into the Sumas Long House for a six hour welcoming home ceremony in October 2006. It was one of the highlights of my time as Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations to have a direct role in returning T’xwelátse to its rightful owners. He is a priceless part of the Stó:lō heritage, and I'm pleased he is finally on display for British Columbians to see and appreciate." "T’xwelátse was a very precious thing to us. It meant a lot to our people. As children we were taught to work hard so that we wouldn't turn into a rock for doing bad things like T’xwelátse did. We are very grateful for all the help we received to help bring T’xwelátse home, and we encourage everyone in Abbotsford to visit The Reach Gallery to see the history of T’xwelátse." "Stone T’xwelátse has historical value tied to Xexá:ls walking through our lands making things right. The teachings of Stone T’xwelátse are central to our traditions and our belief in shxwelí, our spirit and our historical connections to the Creator, our Chíchelh Siy:ám. All those aspects are part of Stone T’xwelátse and his significance to our people. Our ancestor is part of our identity; part of the education model that we are using to teach our children, and our neighbors, the culture and traditions of our people." | |
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