totem latamat

I had to be in Dumfries this afternoon for a meeting, so decided to go into town early and have a walk in the Crichton grounds, where there are some beautiful trees and shrubs. I also wanted to see Totem Latamat, which I had read about during COP26 but not yet visited. 

Totem Latamat, with the head of a man and the wings of an eagle, was made in Mexico by Totanac artist Jun Tiburcio, cut from a single cedar tree and measuring 4.5m when standing. You can read more about it and how it came to be at the Crichton in this article and also here, with photos of it being made.

“Latamat” means “life” in Tutunakú, and the totem is expressive of Totonac spiritual ideas as they relate to the environment.  It emphasises how deeply our existence is interwoven with nature, calls attention to the damage being done to the seas, the land and the air, and insists that we cannot ignore this destruction any longer.
 
In a special ceremony on 20th November 2021, the Totem was "retired to the earth" - lowered to the ground, where it will rest and decay, like all living things.

While I was here, an old woman with her dog came up to chat and showed me some photos she had taken of Totem Latamat in a standing position before the ceremony. She said that it had some quite frightening faces carved on its back which would never now be seen. Her wee dog climbed up onto the sculpture, so I took her photo too (see extra).