Brocklehurst Secondary School Honours Master Canoe Carver Frank Marchand

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Story provided by Chelsea Isenor, Director of Communications and Board Administration

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Brocklehurst Secondary School students, staff, and community members celebrated the work of Master Carver Frank Marchand and the five year project he’s led carving cottonwood canoes with students.

Frank Marchand is a master carver from Sylix (Okanagan) territory with ties to the Secwépemc Nation through his father. Frank is one of very few carvers left in BC and since 2019 he has been sharing his skills and knowledge about canoe construction with students at Brock.

Carving a cottonwood canoe is an ancient technology that was used by the local Secwépemc people for centuries. The Secwepemc people used cottonwood dugout canoes to navigate the river systems for hundreds of years prior to contact with Europeans. The technology was an important part of their history based on the fact that many cottonwood trees grew in several areas the people utilized and in places that were easily accessible.

Students at Brock began this canoe carving project in the 2018-2019 school year with a ceremony to remove a log from an area near Scotch Creek. The elders and cultural leaders of the community of the Little Shuswap Band gifted the students with the remaining piece of the cottonwood tree they fell in 2018, and after the construction of two of their own canoes had been completed.

This project started with teacher Brenda Celesta and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) program that was running at Brocklehurst Middle School in 2019. Brenda Celesta designed lessons for the class and infused as much local Secwépemc knowledge as possible.

“I am grateful and thankful for the unique opportunity to partake in a project such as this one. I feel the students gained many skills throughout the project and it would have been an amazing and exciting life experience for them to share and be able to reflect on for years to come. I appreciate all of their dedication to make sure the experience was fun and memorable of their time at Brock. I wish Frank all the best and he’ll forever be a part of SD73 through these canoes and canoe revival,” shared Brenda Celesta.

Since the project began, both students and teachers have connected with local leaders, knowledge keepers, and organizations to learn as much information as they can about local plants, the ecosystem, Secwépemc stories and history, and any information linked to the cottonwood canoe carving expertise and traditional technology of the local Secwepemc people.

Since September 2021, Brock students have participated in the carving of the dugout canoes as part of the Secwépemc Language class. As Brock Middle School from 2021-2024, every Grade 7 student had an opportunity to carve the canoe with Frank.

The first dugout canoe, completed by Frank and Brock students, made its maiden voyage on Little Shuswap Lake at the Quaaout Lodge on June 21, 2019 on National Indigenous People’s Day. Read more here.

Two canoes have been completed since the program began and two more will be completed in November 2024. One canoe will remain at Brock Secondary to be proudly displayed in the school for years to come. Explore photos and the project timeline here.

“Frank has been a significant role model and mentor for Brock students,” shared Principal Tonya Perry. “He is celebrated in the hallways and in our Secwépemc Language classes. Students have been eager to participate in the carving experience. I have been honoured to be witness to his journey and the enriching experiences Frank has shared with students, staff, and our community.”

At the celebration to honour Frank this week, Superintendent Dr. Rhonda Nixon shared: “I am honoured to be here with you to celebrate this important work and honour master carver Frank Marchand. Frank’s knowledge, stories, and guidance have made this project possible and I know your work over the past 5 years has provided an unforgettable experience for students and staff. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for everyone who has been involved in this project since it began in 2019. The work you all have done carving these incredible canoes will have a lasting impact on the Brock Secondary community and the District.”