An historical mural titled "When We Walked Together," located on the back wall of the Indian Friendship Center on Railway Ave in Mission, BC Canada. Approximately 36ft long x 18ft high. Completed in 6 days. Mural painted by Doug Cariou except for the 2 totem poles, which were designed and painted by Steve Stanczyk, along with the men in the boats and Jesus on the cross. Assisted by Lori Cariou and Nathan Woodrow. Click on image to enlarge.

The mural depicts the annual reenactment of the Stations of the Cross by different native groups which occurred for about 30 consecutive years beginning in the late 1800's. Many natives came up the Fraser River in their boats for this event from all over the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver Island, central British Columbia, and as far away as Oregon.

The man to the left of the cross is a first Nations chief. It's his turn to translate into his people's native tongue the story of the cross as it's being acted out by the native people, orchestrated by the Oblate Fathers. The tribal name of the host people is Sto:lo, which means: People of the River.

In the river, a creature (possibly a Cadborosaurus) is said to sometimes ply the waters of the Fraser. From the cross of Jesus in the center, Christ's atoning blood is running down, touching the serpent (which represents the enemy of the People of the River) and defeating it, bringing life and the victory of salvation.

This is displayed in the imagery of the native stylized eagle. The subdued images in the sky on either side are that of a Sto:lo elder on the right, watching over his people, and on the left is an Oblate Father.

It is said that well over 100 years before any white man came to the
land of the Salish peoples, a Sto:lo prophet, while hunting on a nearby mountain, met 3 strangers, who said, "Kneel down and draw two intersecting lines on your chest 8 times and shut your eyes.''

The prophet did this, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a tall
structure with a kind of tent on one side of it with a clanging thing
inside, and the most brilliant light he had ever seen shone out of it.
The 3 strangers told him that in the future men in black clothes would
come to teach his people what was good, and what was bad. However, not all of these men would be good, but listen to their message.

When the first Catholic missionaries arrived in 1841 to this area with the message of the cross, many believed this to be the fulfillment of the prophet's vision.