News
Learning about local culture
Grade 8 trip to Duncan
As an early introduction to the First Nations culture and heritage of the Cowichan Valley, a Grade 8 group travelled to nearby Duncan on Tuesday to explore the downtown area and see some of the many totem poles that have been erected around the city.
Known as “The City of Totems,” Duncan is home to the world’s largest outdoor collection of publicly displayed totem poles. There are now more than 80 totem poles situated around the city, which serve to represent the close ties between the city of Duncan and the Quw’utsun’ (Cowichan) people and celebrate the unique art form of the totem pole.
Totem poles serve variously as signboards, genealogical records and memorials and are emblematic of coastal indigenous culture and Northwest Coast indigenous art.
This field trip was a fantastic opportunity for new Shawnigan students to enjoy an excursion away from campus and to learn more about Cowichan culture and the geography of the local area.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
