A photographer turns his lens on new surroundings, and opens his minds to the subtle, sometimes unexpected lessons that present themselves
Situated at an elbow of the Similkameen Valley, a tall mountain is marked by a distinctive striped rock face. The Nysilcen word for it is Snaza’Ist, meaning “Striped Rock Place.” The story goes that Bear scarred the mountain here when he took a swipe at Chipmunk, and missed.
Similkameen Crossroads is the result of time spent in this remarkable setting.
A mere pit stop on the side of the highway to most travellers, this is where the Upper Similkameen Band calls home, and where generations of First Nations and Europeans have put down roots, establishing their cultural and spiritual traditional, and telling their stories.
Métis artist Tyler Hagan spent weeks here, gathering images and interviews, in search of a deeper understanding of the relationship between place, faith, and identity.
It is a highly personal undertaking for Hagan, who, since obtaining his Métis citizenship, has struggled to reconcile his suburban Christian upbringing with the realities of the Church’s role in subverting Indigenous culture.
The people of the Similkameen Valley were incredibly generous with their stories and their time. The beliefs and practices they describe simultaneously encompass complex, often contradictory, spiritual and cultural identities. In the end, what they offer Hagan is an invaluable working model for a ‘way of being’ that comfortably embraces multiplicity.
