On September 28, 2018, Langara was again gifted a significant expression of our growing relationship with Musqueam: a house post. The house post honours the passing of Si?ém Henry Charles, who was the person who gifted the name snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ to Langara College in 2016.
In the culture of the Musqueam people, house posts are traditionally located inside or outside the houses of families and represent significant aspects of families’ history, stories, or character.
Our 14-foot house post was carved by Musqueam carver Brent Sparrow, Jr. and made out of a single piece of red cedar. It depicts a woman wrapped in a shawl and holding a spindle whorl, which is a tool used in weaving. In Musqueam society, knowledge is traditionally passed down through women, and sometimes the sharing of knowledge and stories occurs during the weaving of blankets and other materials.
The short video below explains the meaning of the house post.