From Christ Church, Anacortes:
The lovely Christ Episcopal Church in Anacortes was built in 1891 in the style of typical wood-structure churches in the Pacific Northwest. Numerous improvements have been made through the years: stained glass windows were added, a narthex was added, and doors moved, but it has always remained a classical church with a traditional wooden sign on the lawn showing the Episcopal flag and service times. What it has not shown until now is that Christ Episcopal Church acknowledges the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, past and present, and honors the land and the Coast Salish people today.
We are fortunate to have Melissa Simonsen as a member of our congregation (and former member of the Bishop’s Committee). She has served for seven years as a Tribal Attorney and Tribal Prosecutor for the Swinomish community. Through her work on the Swinomish Reservation, she became acquainted with Kevin Paul, a Tribal Senator, Vice Chairman of the Law and Order Committee for the Swinomish community, and master carver of contemporary and traditional Native American carving. Melissa was impressed with the spiritual manner in which Kevin approached both his Tribal work and his artistry. She brought the idea to the clergy and the Bishop’s Committee that we might join his artistry with our need for a new sign and incorporate our commitment to respect the Coast Salish people. A Committee was formed consisting of Melissa, Judith Render (Senior Warden), Lorne Render (Treasurer), and support from The Rev. Diane Ramerman.
Kevin Paul attended several services with us in order to get ideas about how best to represent our church family. He ultimately settled on two identical panels to be affixed to the support posts, each depicting an eagle above a salmon. The eagle represents the sending of our prayers up to the Holy Spirit, and the salmon represents our tradition of sharing. The sharing of the salmon is an ancient tradition of the Swinomish people, just as we share our bounty through numerous Christ Church outreach endeavors. Jamie’s Signs of Anacortes designed and produced the center portion of the sign.
We were delighted that Melissa’s proposal resulted in our receiving a significant grant from The Rev. Carla Robinson, Canon for Multicultural and Community Transformation. That grant, in addition to an anonymous donation and some church funds, has made it possible for Christ Church to show our respect in a permanent and visual tribute.
The Rev. E. Courtney Jones presided at the dedication on Pentecost Sunday, assisted by Deacon Vicki Johnson.
