Internationally acclaimed First Nations artist and carver Charles Joseph (AKA) Boone, will be demonstrating his craft and telling stories at the Multicultural Village that will be part of the 4 Directions Festival taking place in downtown Williams Lake Saturday, July 1.
The Multicultural Village will be located on Third Avenue between Oliver Street and Yorston Street.
Joseph will be demonstrating carving, tell stories and teaching people how to draw animals from noon to 3 p.m.
Joseph comes from a long line of First Nations carvers and was trained by his father Leonard Joseph, grandfather Harry Joseph and his great-grandfather Charlie Dick for whom he was named.
“I was fortunate to have my family around me to teach me when I came out of residential school,” Joseph said.
He also credits Wayne Alfred and the late Beau Dick for mentoring him in the art form.
Born and raised in Alert Bay, Joseph said he is a member of the Tlowitsis Tribe which was originally from Turner Island and is among the 12 tribes that make up the Kwakwaka’Wakw North Coast Nation whose traditional territories span Northern Vancouver Island from Campbell River to Johnstone Strait and adjacent mainland inlets.
He has been a First Nations carver for 26 years and through most of that time he also owned his own fishing boat.
He said he fished both commercially and to gather food for his family and tribe. “It sort of keeps you alive,” he said.
In addition to creating masks, poles, and other carvings that illustrate traditional stories of his people, Joseph said he is also inspired by his dreams and the stories he is told by his elders.
“I keep forgetting that I am almost an elder myself at 57,” Joseph said. “I don’t feel that old though.”
At residential school he said he was forced to write with his right hand, but once home again he started drawing and painting with his left hand, but carved with his right hand.
“When my right hand gets tired from carving all day, I can switch to my left hand and draw at night,” Joseph said.
His work can be found in collections around the world and just this past May a 55-foot pole that he created was unveiled at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Joseph is currently working on a series of 20 paddles and a 14-by-25-foot carved wall for the entrance to another museum.
One of Joseph’s signs also graces the entrance to the Stemete7u’wi Friendship Centre in 100 Mile House.
While he often works on large projects, Joseph said he also works on smaller, more affordable projects for people. He said one of the more unusual requests he has had was for a table carved with a bear, a whale and an owl on it. Another request was for a carving of a favorite horse. Another interesting project was carving a large apple with a man winking on one side as a gift for a person who had grown up in an apple orchard and ate a lot of apples all of his life.
Joseph also shares his talent in painting ceremonial drums for people.