Weyla Quiy’saariiaa Chipps

Belmont 2023 Logo

My name is Weyla Quiy’saariiaa Chipps, and I am a proud Snuneymuxw First Nations woman from Swah'shut Bay. As a graduate of the original Belmont school and someone who spent seven years working as a teacher at Belmont, this project holds a special place in my heart. It allowed me to connect deeply with the school community and contribute to something that represents both the land and the people who are part of it.

This logo was a collaborative effort, created with a focus on community. The designs reflect the ebb and flow of the tide and its connection to the flow of the wind. Together, these elements tell a story of movement, balance, and harmony—reminders of the natural rhythms that surround us on the island we call home. The circular shape of the logo carries significant meaning from indigenous perspectives.

The circle is a powerful and sacred symbol seen in drum, the medicine wheel, our dances, and the unbroken circle of life. It reflects the deep connection we have to our ancestors, to nature, and to the earth itself—connections that are timeless and enduring.

The flow of the design, moving from the mountain into the ocean, illustrates the interconnected power of air and water. Whether calm or stormy, they move together, representing the essence of island life. The mountain shape is simple yet distinct, offering a sense of familiarity that evokes the beauty of Vancouver Island’s many mountain ranges. It serves as a gentle reminder to respect and enjoy the land we are so fortunate to call home.

I was also inspired by the incredible designs and imagination of Belmont’s students, who contributed their creativity to the project. I specifically want to mention Sienna Bigg. Her ideas provided the foundation for what this logo became, and I am grateful for their vision and effort. December 2024.

Canoe Floor Decal

The Sun

Sun is known to provide the earth with healing energy and life.

The Wolf

The Wolf symbolism per severance, intuition and success. The teacher of new ideas and wisdom, shows intense loyalty with a balance of independence. The Wolf is a teacher of cooperation, protectiveness and extols the value of extended families and loyalty.

The People

Either the owner of the canoe or the most experienced person takes the position of steersman. Especially among the Tlingit, this is considered an honour that usually falls to an older person of rank, often a woman.

The Paddles

Made of western Red Cedar, Yellow Cedar or Yew wood. Paddles pointing up is a gesture of friendship, showing to you approach that you are friendly.

Canoe Journey

Canoes are spiritual objects which hold great respect. The hulls are constructed of once-living trees that have survived centuries and the lives of birds, insects, mammals and other plants. Canoes represent wholeness and communities. Today the canoe carries with it a knowledge of an ancient culture as well as the dreams and aspirations of the young new generation. It is a vessel of knowledge and a metaphor for community, as everyone must work together, paddling or pulling as a single entity. This commitment to work together involves planning, fundraising, building, practicing, and traveling to make communities strong and vital in the old cultural ways, which brings families, villages and nations together again to work and share.