‘E Ala E,´ 2021. Acrylics on canvas. 18 ft X 18 ft. Currently touring.
Some legacies are too large for any single voice. This one involved 150 expressions across 20,000 miles, stopping at 30 different communities.
★ Red Road to DC totem pole journey | 20,000+ miles across the United States, 2021
★ Featured in Kwel’ Hoy: We Draw the Line | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC, 2021
★ Currently hosted by East Shore Unitarian Church
E Ala E Mural - Red Road to DC
How can we build the capacity to understand that we are all interconnected?
A 24-foot totem pole carved by Lummi Nation Master Carver Jewell James traveled over 20,000 miles across the United States as part of the Red Road to DC journey — calling attention to the protection of Native American sacred sites, lands, and waters. At each stop, participants joined a creative engagement process, contributing to this large-scale commemorative mural.
About 150 people shared customs, rituals, and ideas about connection with the world through visual language. Among hundreds of images, Hawaiian community leader Kimokeo painted a canoe beneath a yellow sun: “E Ala E” — every day is a new opportunity to stand up for what we believe. The journey concluded at the Capitol Mall, where the totem and its message were formally received by former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
“E, Ala, E! Each rising of the sun gives us an opportunity to make better decisions, to do what is right for our people and for our land.” — Anela Gutierrez, Hawaiian
Social Artist Lead & Facilitator: Melanie Schambach
Artistic Support & Facilitator: Dirrion Montgomery
Project Manager: Phreddie Lane - Sul ka dub
Partner Organizations: House of Tears Carvers, Se’Si’Le
Funded by: Private donations
This was a volunteer-supported project.
