Sointula is a remote village on Malcolm Island located in the unceded Kwakwaka’wakw Territory of the Kwakiutl, Mamalilikala, and ‘Namgis First Nations in British Columbia, Canada. Sointula (“Place of Harmony” in Finnish) was established by Finnish utopian socialist miners in 1901. In 2017 I started making portraits with people on the island during a residency at the Sointula Art Shed. The intention of the work is a nuanced and partial portrait of Sointula that captures something of its history, complexity, beauty, and uniqueness through portraits of its residents, landscapes, and architecture. I am intrigued by Sointula’s origins as an intentional, self-governing, self-directed settlement, and the ways in which this remote island community expresses the resilience of its original values in a changing world. A small excerpt of photos from this ongoing project are shown here.
![Sointula, British Columbia. Sointula, British Columbia.](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Sointula-Boats-1200px.jpg)
Sointula, British Columbia.
![Sue Ness Sue Ness moved back to her hometown of Sointula when she retired ten years ago. On her lap is a Sointula net rug created by local artisan, Wendy Davis. This style of rug is made from discarded fishing nets and is a heritage craft unique to this small town. Sointula, British Columbia.](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Sue-Ness-7727-1200px.jpg)
Sue Ness
Sue Ness moved back to her hometown of Sointula when she retired ten years ago. On her lap is a Sointula net rug created by local artisan, Wendy Davis. This style of rug is made from discarded fishing nets and is a heritage craft unique to this small town. Sointula, British Columbia
![Sointula Volunteer Fire Department Sointula Volunteer Fire Department. Sointula, British Columbia](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Fire-Department-6813-1200px.jpg)
Sointula Volunteer Fire Department
Sointula, British Columbia
![Sointula, British Columbia. Sointula, British Columbia.](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FA-Sointula-CF004144-1200px.jpg)
Sointula, British Columbia.
![Ricky Ricky. Sointula, British Columbia.](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Ricky-CF005331-1200px.jpg)
Ricky
Ricky. Sointula, British Columbia.
![Net loft, Sointula, British Columbia. Net loft, Sointula, British Columbia.](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Sointula-NetShed-1200px.jpg)
Net loft, Sointula, British Columbia.
![Harbour, Sointula, British Columbia Harbour, Sointula, British Columbia](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Sointula-Harbour-2-1200px.jpg)
Harbour, Sointula, British Columbia
![Grant McCormick Grant McCormick with his ten-year old dog Luna and the 1961 Ford Galaxy he's planning to restore one day. Sointula, British Columbia.](https://michaelbarker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Sointula-Grant-1200px.jpg)
Grant McCormick
Grant McCormick with his ten-year old dog Luna and the 1961 Ford Galaxy he's planning to restore one day. Sointula, British Columbia.
Lionel, Danni and Earl
Lionel, Danni and Earl in the garden. Lionel is a Carpenter, Danni is a Ferry Captain and Earl is a Bichon Frise. Sointula British Columbia.
James "Jimmy" Michael Poulton and Nancy Olga Poulton/Lanqvist
James "Jimmy" Michael Poulton and Nancy Olga Poulton/Lanqvist stand in front of the house they used to live with their mother "Toots" (Johanna Laura Poulton) over 50 years ago. Built in 1904 on this site on Rauhala heritage farm, it is one of the last buildings still standing built by the Kalavan Kanssa Finnish settlers. Nancy's son Roger Léo Lanqvist hopes to restore the building and turn it into a museum. Sointula, British Columbia.
Sointula, British Columbia
Pulteney Point, Sointula, British Columbia.
Ian and Bo
Ian and Bo with their fur babies, Burdock and Summer, standing in front of the water tower at the entrance to the Mateoja Trail. Sointula, British Columbia.
George
George. Sointula, British Columbia.
Betty Carlson
Artist. Sointula, British Columbia.
Betty's cat
Athletic Hall, Sointula, British Columbia
Ralph
Ralph in his sauna "with smile", Mitchel; Bay, Malcolm Island, British Columbia
Andi Grace Rose and Logan Hope Rose
andi grace rose and logan hope rose with their dogs dolly, bousha, and clover. Photographed with the first timber frame structure at their new home, fiddlehead farm on Malcolm Island. Sointula, British Columbia.
John, Mich, and Ava
John, Mich, and Ava. Sointula, British Columbia
Rough Bay, Sointula, British Columbia.
Vern and Shirley
Shirley and Vern Sampson stand in front of an old growth cedar stump in their garden in Rough Bay, Sointula, British Columbia.
Dan Klingbiel
Dan Klingbiel. Sointula, British Columbia.
Sointula, British Columbia.
Sointula, British Columbia
Tarkanen Marine Ways
Sointula, British Columbia
Tarkanen Marine Ways
Sointula, British Columbia
Greg Williams
Greg Williams "the mill guy". Sointula, British Columbia.
Ooangh
"Dreaming about summertime", Sointula, British Columbia
Tom and Gretchen Arthur
Tom and Gretchen Arthur with their four dogs, Fidel, Lela, Charlie and Romeo in front of their garden in Mitchell Bay, on the south end of Malcolm Island, British Columbia.
Stephanie
Stephanie "Getting grounded in the greenhouse." Sointula, British Columbia.
Loden
Loden was "stoked" to find this rope swing in the woods behind his house. Sointula, British Columbia.
Annie
Annie with her dogs Hunter, Blue, and Musta.
Deer
Deer on baseball field. Sointula, British Columbia.
Sointula, British Columbia.
David
David on the Rough Bay. Sointula, British Columbia. "Ready for the salmon opening"
Pulteney Point, Sointula, British Columbia.
Jan Joyce Lehde
Jan Joyce Lehde (Strawberry) "Photographer, Artist, Singer, Musician, Mother, Gardener, Teacher, and Crone." Sointula, British Columbia.
Jim
Writer, storyteller and self-described "Ne'er-do-well" Jim Rosgen. Sointula, British Columbia.
Sointula, British Columbia.
Heritage Trail, Sointula, British Columbia
Robbie Boyes
Sointula, British Columbia
Berepoint, Sointula, British Columbia.
Victor
Chilean baker, actor, and martial artist Victor Reyes at the Upper Crust Bakery in Sointula, British Columbia
Tyler Brett, Kerri Reid, and Teddy
Artists Tyler Brett and Kerri Reid, co-directors of the Sointula Art Shed, with their son Teddy and their chickens, all named Darlene, in front of the chicken coop Tyler built with help from Teddy. Tyler also works as a paramedic, and was recently hired as Sointula's first Community Paramedic, and Kerri works from home for Living Oceans Society. Sointula, British Columbia.
Rhea
Rhea, Sointula Co-op Store. Sointula, British Columbia
Roger Léo Lanqvist
Roger Léo Lanqvist, fourth-generation descendant of the original Finnish settlers to Malcolm Island. Photographed at Rauhala, his family's heritage farm. Roger brings public awareness to this site's fragile heritage through guided tours. The tree Roger is standing beside was carved by his Father when Roger was a new born baby, 36 years ago. Sointula, British Columbia