This art piece called Stelteglxús Landmark is located at the entrance to Chase Creek Falls in Chase.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Tania Willard

One of the artists behind a large steel sphere recently installed at Chase Creek Falls said creating the design for it has been a moving and powerful experience. 

“I do a lot in the wider art world as well, but this is the first time working with my community, with artists supporting one another and contributing as an artist to our land,” said Tania Willard, a Secwepemc artist in Chase.

The art piece called Stelteglxús Landmark is part of an ongoing project in the Shuswap called the Secwépemc Landmarks Project that began in 2021 to support Secwépemc language learning and create awareness of Secwe´pemc traditional territory, oral histories, language and laws, according to The Shuswap Trail Alliance. 

The project includes almost 100 trailhead posts carved by local youth and 16 Secwépemc Landmark sculptures and interpretive panels that feature Secwépemc oral histories, place names, culture and stories throughout the Shuswap Lakes region.

Willard’s sphere is designed to be able to hold ceremonial fires and is the first of six to be unveiled that she has been commissioned to design.

“The globe or circle is an important shape for Indigenous peoples, and the shape suites accessibility to the artwork and protecting it as it can be locked close,” Willard said.

“The spheres can be lit by propane, wood fire or in one case lighting, but aren’t necessarily for ceremonial fires. The use is for Secwempc people to connect to their lands, the usage is determined by the user.”

Every sphere will have different designs and include the names of the sites they sit on in Secwepemc language. 

“The language is an important part of the project but also takes a lot of work to develop,” Willard said. “The elders go through a process where they’re editing language. Our language suffered an incredible loss and this project relies on the brilliance of our elders.”

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Coming up with the designs was a process that involved the community and came from the stories shared by elders. The sculpture sites were blessed by Secwépemc elders.

“As an artist I was able to attend all the site visits with elders, learn the location names and hear the stories about each site, how the people related and connected to the site which inspired the designs,” Willard said.

On the sphere at Chase Creek Falls are elements of mountain goats, cedar root basketry, regalia, and pictographs rooted in Secwepemc design.

“I learned a ton on the project, visiting sites on the land with elders was fun and educational as well," Willard said. "It’s a beautiful project, it's been a meaningful experience and I'm grateful to be part of it." 

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It has been a year and a half since Willard’s first site visits and now all of her works are in the fabrication process.

The Secwe´pemc Landmarks project is led by Adams Lake Band, Neskonlith Band, Skwlax te Secwepemcúl?ecw and Splatsi´n with administrative support from the Shuswap Trail Alliance.

The other artist behind Stelteglxús Landmark is secwépemc artist and Kamloops resident Kelsey Jules. 

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