Cruelty | Charles Joseph | EP 223

This episode was recorded on November 10th, 2021. Charles Joseph is a Kwakwaka’wakw artist known for his masks, totem poles, and canoes. His work can be found in homes and businesses worldwide, including mine. His “Residential School Totem” stands before the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts for “all Canadians, not just residential school survivors.” It represents Charles’ “reconciliation” and his “story is on the pole.” Charles’ carving homepage Facebook page _______________ Timestamps _______________ [00:00] Intro [02:21] Charles’ background [03:36] Backstory: Jordan’s first non-native friend [09:59] Tough times at residential school; finding enough to eat [12:35] Being locked in as punishment [14:14] Isolation and treatment by so-called Christians; rejecting religion [16:35] Unmarked graves at Canadian residential schools [19:29] Jordan asks what could motivate such cruelty towards innocent children [22:08] Leaving & coming of age [22:19] Blaming the world [30:08] Charles describes more of what happened to him at residential school [34:24] Looking in the mirror [36:11] His grandparents’ influence [41:26] Creative process & dreams [47:08] The spiritual effect of art & culture [48:03] Carving as a personal church [49:38] History and cultural significance of specific elements in Charles’ art [54:36] The 55-foot totem pole sculpture [01:04:07] Seeking out the meaningful and positive [01:09:07] The Residential School Totem at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts [01:11:11] Reconciliation [01:17:26] Accused of racism and welcomed into a new family in 24 hours [01:20:15] Wrapping up #ResidentialSchool #Art #Native #Carving #Canada // SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL // Newsletter: Donations: // COURSES // Discovering Personality: Self Authoring Suite: Understand Myself (personality test): // BOOKS // Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life: 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos: Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief: // LINKS // Website: Events: Blog: Podcast: // SOCIAL // Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: // SPONSORS // For Advertising Inquiries, visit