Hundreds of people have been involved in the preparation for the arrival of the Totem Pole Journey in Winnipeg on Monday.
Clayton Thomas-Muller, a stop it at the source campaigner with 350.org, said the totem pole represents an alliance against tar sands expansion and calls for renewable energy.
Over the course of the days leading up to its arrival, volunteers poured into an art space to make movement art.
“All of this artwork is in preparation for the arrival of a beautiful gift from the Lummi Nation of Washington state,” said Thomas-Muller. “It’s coming here to Treaty One territory as a gift to communities here that have been resisting TransCanada’s Energy East proposal.”
The totem pole has been travelling across North America stopping at various “indigenous-led struggles against the fossil fuel regime,” he added.
“It’s making unity between different indigenous groups and communities at large across Turtle Island and when it comes here it’s really about linking all of these different grassroots struggles for climate justice together, for indigenous rights together, so it that we can become a powerful social movement for change,” said Thomas-Muller.
The totem pole is set to arrive at the Oodena Circle at The Forks at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.
Following its arrival, people will march with the totem pole down Main Street to the Thunderbird House for a panel discussion with renowned climate activists and Manitoba indigenous leaders.
“Our message to the prime minister is quite simply that no tar sands, pipelines, make sense under his commitments to climate change, under his commitments to renew the nation-to-nation relationship and Monday’s activities will be all about lifting up that profound message,” said Thomas-Muller.
