Stqéyə - Staqeya (20??-2020)

This memorial statue stands to honour the wolf known as Stqéyə (Staqeya), which translates to “wolf” in lək̓wəŋən (Lekwungen). In 2012, he braved ocean currents on his own and swam to Tl’ches, also known as the Chatham (Stsnaang) and Discovery (Skungeenes) Islands, within Songhees Nation’s core traditional territory. The statue also pays homage to Songhees Nation’s beloved late Chief Robert Sam (1936-2012). Stqéyə arrived on Tl’ches just days after the late Chief’s passing in 2012, and the Songhees Community felt his presence through the wolf, still watching over and protecting the Nation. As such, Stqéyə was a source of strength for the Community that personified courage, guidance, leadership, and resilience.

Stqéyə made Tl’ches his home for eight years until he left in 2020 and swam to Victoria; his life and travels drew worldwide interest and excitement through news media and stories shared from one person to another. After arriving in James Bay, Stqéyə was relocated up-island to a wild coastal habitat to have the best opportunities to live in a safe environment. Devastatingly, a private trophy hunter killed Stqéyə not long after this; his loss was felt not only by Songhees, but also a global community.

Not only memorializing Stqéyə, this artwork also demonstrates the District of Oak Bay’s respect and gratitude to the Songhees Community for their trust in sharing stories that speak to their culture and the sacred significance of Stqéyə. The lək̓wəŋən language has been honoured through oral storytelling from one generation to the next for millennia, carrying teachings from the ancestors to today’s young ones. One of these stories, “the Man of the Land,” is a sacred origin story held by the lək̓wəŋən people that speaks to the spirit of Stqéyə. The story of Stqéyə is a powerful one, and respecting his name through the lək̓wəŋən language is one way we acknowledge and hold up the lək̓wəŋən people who have cared for this story since time immemorial. It helps us all to look back and learn so we can move forward together towards true and meaningful reconciliation.

The marble sculpture was carved between 2020-2023 by artist Kent Laforme. The stone he selected was locally sourced from the face of a marble quarry on the island. This stone has been in the world for thousands of years, whispering stories carried by wind and water, shaped by the forces of nature and culture, and a monument to cultural teachings from the natural world. Like cave paintings, these stone carvings share stories congealed in geology and mystery, weaving supernatural power through the natural and supernatural worlds. Just as this stone is a slow poem of time, Stqéyə is the Man of the Land.

The portal through the stone offers a lens, a tunnel of light, directing one’s gaze onto the sacred lək̓wəŋən lands of Tl’ches, where longhouses stood and community gathered for thousands of years. This is where one finds the trails of Stqéyə; where he hunted, lived, roamed, and slept for those eight special years. When you look through the portal, we invite you to imagine Stqéyə howling across the Salish Sea.

Həyšxʷq́ə siam, our deepest thanks, to Chief Ron Sam, the Members of Songhees & Esquimalt Nations and their ancestors, the communities of Oak Bay, and the James Family Foundation.