ROSLYN, Wash.- A project three years in the making has been unveiled. The Creator’s Law Sculpture now lives at Runje Field in downtown Roslyn.
The sculpture, in the shape of a hand, is an representation of some of the traditions that the Yakama Nation follows.
“It’s something sacred,” says Noah Oliver with the Yakama Nation Cultural Resource Program. “It’s an acknowledgment. It’s a responsibility.”
Oliver explains the hand symbolizes five key principles the Nation follows as rules from the Creator.
Cherish the Earth.Cherish water.The Sacred BreathEverything has a spirit.Connect with ancestors, past and future.
The organizers of the project viewed the installment as a way to unite the community with the legacy and heritage of the land.
“The Indigenous knowledge that is contained in this monument has everything we need to chart a path forward,” says Native Americans in Philanthropy’s Estakio Beltran.
George Selam, a longhouse spiritual leader for the Yakama Nation, called the piece an “interpretation” of how the tribal members live following the laws.
“When this Earth was created and the laws that were set here for us as Indian people to follow, we’ve been following since time,” says Selam.
The Roslyn Downtown Association began the process for the art piece to be installed, but initially was looking to highlight the cities legacy, before wanting to honor the legacy the city was built on.
“They too carry the ancestry in their heart as much as our local community and generations of family carry the ancestry of the coal miners,” says Cheri Marusa, President of the RDA.
With collaboration from the Nation, the city and state leaders, Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman, Gerald Lewis, is excited about what can begin out of this partnership.
“Maybe we won’t be here for our future, council and others, but we’ll be here to help in all these endeavors,” says Lewis.
