September 5, 2019
Jasper, AB
0km
Almost the first thing you see when you exit the Jasper train station is a pole called the Two Brothers totem. It was carved by Jaalen and Gwaai Edenshaw, Haida artists whose work has extended from carving to film making.
The commemorative pole tells the story of the two brothers who travel from Haida Gwaii to the Rockies and one stays while the other returns home. It was raised in 2011. It was commissioned to replace a 94-year-old Haida pole which had grown old and unsafe and was repatriated to Old Masset, Haida Gwaii.
As I recently visited Haida Gwaii and learned of this pole and it’s history, seeing it was like spotting a familiar face. I recognized the potlatch hat, the grizzly bear, the raven, the brothers. I reflect that I did not have that same reaction last time I was in Jasper about 10 years ago.
What is the role that knowledge and understanding have in generating excitement and empathy?
Do I enjoy seeing this pole more because I understand it better?
Is it necessary to understand something to appreciate it?
It also occurs to me that as this pole was raised in 2011, the previous pole was repatriated in 2009, and I was previously in Jasper in 2010, maybe there’s another reason I didn’t notice a pole before… 🤦
Today, I tried my hand at whitewater rafting. It’s fun – getting drenched in glacial water on a beautiful sunny day with a friendly crew and a seasoned, skilled guide! Raftjasper.com has photos (Sept 5th 10am Fraser); if you can recognize me through the watermarks, I will be impressed.
It felt like a day of befriending and being befriended by fellow travellers. And I admit I am relieved to find I can still relate and connect – to my fellow paddlers, to folks at the hostel, and vacationer at the bar of Jasper Brewing.
Tomorrow the cycling begins for real, which probably means I’ll not be posting for a few days.
Alice
BC by Cycle 
Rafting looks fun. Questions:
1) Who took all those photos? If the guide was also piloting a drone, I am impressed.
2) Are you tied on? I am thinking yes.
3) Water comes in the boat. Do you have to get it out again?
LikeLike
1. The bus driver multitasks as photographer and gets shots at three points along the river.
2. Definitely not tied on. We are taught to wedge our feet so we can’t fall out while paddling, but also the guide gets us to pop “down!” onto the floor during the most likely bouncing out points. We also went for a swim… Guess who was last out? Haha
3. We did have some wading pools developing, and when we portaged around Rearguard Falls, we stopped to let water drains out the back. But even if full to the brim, the raft would float; it’s made of multiple (6?) air chambers.
The raft definitely felt like the right tool for the job, not like a canoe! 😛
LikeLike
Hey! I’m sure I recognised your muscular thigh in one of the pictures.
XXXOOOXXXMom
LikeLike