Master Carver awarded Order of Canada – doc.


Monday, February 14th, 2005

Six B.C. residents are recipients of country’s highest honour

Krisendra Bisetty
Sun

 

Walter Harris

Walter Harris thought he’d reached the top when he walked into Rideau Hall in March 2003 to accept the Governor-General’s visual and media arts award.

The native Indian carver from Hazelton had little idea then that he would be returning to Ottawa within two years, this time to receive the country’s highest honour, officer of the Order of Canada, for lifetime achievement.

Vancouver diamond prospector and philanthropist Stewart Blusson has also been made an officer of the Order of Canada while four other Lower Mainland residents were named as members of the order.

A renowned master carver, Harris, 73, has been an inspiration to artists along B.C.’s northwest coast for more than three decades, says the citation for the award, which was announced by Gov.-Gen. Adrienne Clarkson Feb. 8.

“He has perpetuated the Gitksan Nation’s rich cultural heritage through his unique and exquisitely detailed works, which include a limestone killer whale sculpture located above the entry to the House of Commons in Ottawa, a totem pole erected in San Francisco‘s Golden Gate Park and a panel in the Canadian Embassy in Paris.”

Locally, Harris is probably known best for work on display at the Vancouver International Airport and at the University of B.C.‘s museum of anthropology.

The award also recognizes his role as a hereditary chief who is widely respected for the “wisdom and leadership he has provided to his people, and for having played a vital role in their cultural resurgence.”

After suffering a stroke in 1986, and another just last month, Harris speaks with difficulty, conveying his emotions mainly in monosyllabic sentences and facial expressions.

“There was just a big smile on his face when he found out,” his son, Rodney Harris, said. “He was overwhelmed with joy. He feels very honoured to be recognized for all the work he’s done.”

Before his fame, though, Harris worked in a variety of fields, from mining to commercial fishing and once owned and operated a sawmill.

In 1969, he enrolled in the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art and eventually taught there, inspiring a generation of carvers, said Rodney Harris, himself a wood artist.

“The younger artists can now appreciate more that you can go somewhere in the world if you put your heart to it.” He said his father was thrilled with the 2003 award and is looking forward to returning to Rideau Hall.

Blusson was recognized for being a leader in the fields of mineral exploration and geological research. By following trails left by glaciers in an area north of Yellowknife, he and fellow geologist Charles Fipke discovered a diamond deposit in 1991, leading to the establishment of the first diamond mine in Canada.

His generosity was also noted. Blusson donated $50 million to the University of B.C. in 1998 to promote scientific research — at the time, it was the largest individual donation made to a Canadian university — followed in 2002 by $30-million worth of shares to a charitable foundation associated with the Sea to Sky University in Squamish. The university will be the country’s first private, secular, not-for-profit liberal arts and science institution and anticipates opening its doors in September 2006.

Vancouver poet, teacher and editor Robin Blaser was also honoured with an Order of Canada award for his highly regarded work.

“Professor emeritus of English at Simon Fraser University, he has drawn on his extensive knowledge of art, mythology, religion and politics to inspire and stimulate generations of students,” his citation reads, noting that he is known for originality, lyricism and critical spirit.

Marie Bourgeois, executive director of La Maison de la francophonie de Vancouver, was honoured for her commitment to the promotion of the French language and culture.

Bourgeois, of Pitt Meadows, works on the boards of various francophone organizations in B.C. and was also cited for advancing the interests and rights of francophone women and parents in the province.

The founding executive director of both the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Writers Development Trust, Alma Lee of Vancouver, was recognized as a “passionate and effective champion” of Canadian authors.

Lee is also the driving force behind the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival, a major literary event that attracts about 11,000 people a year.

Nancy McKinstry of Vancouver was honoured for her commitment to making a difference in the lives of women. A senior investment firm executive, she has also served as a founding member and chairwoman of the Minerva Foundation for B.C. Women, an organization dedicated to helping women realize their educational and professional goals.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005



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