First Nations Culture in BC

Aboriginal and Native-Run Museums and Villages in Western Canada

Nov 1, 2007

BC's rich and varied First Nations cultures can be seen first-hand at many aboriginal owned and operated museums, villages and cultural centres throughout the province.

One of the more fascinating aspects of a visit to British Columbia is a chance to experience the province's rich and varied aboriginal cultures.

Home to more than 197 distinct First Nations communities -- each with its own language, culture and traditions - BC also boasts a growing number of First Nations owned and operated culture centres.

These centres are as varied as the groups they represent, but each offers insight into indigenous peoples' art, history, language, culture, and cuisine.

The Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre

Probably the most accessible centre is The Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre in Duncan, just an hour north of Victoria, the provincial capital. Run by members of the local Cowichan First Nation, this cluster of cedar longhouses sits on six grassy acres on the banks of the Cowichan River (incongruously tucked behind a Superstore and a WalMart). Guides reveal the stories behind the sites' 13 purpose-made totem poles and an audio-visual show offers a summary of Cowichan history. The site is also home to one of Vancouver Island's unsung treasures: the Riverwalk Café, one of the few places in the world serving traditional First Nations cuisine.

U'Mista Cultural Centre

Further north, just off Vancouver Island's Northeast coast, is Alert Bay, home to the U'Mista Cultural Centre. Accessible by ferry from the town of Port McNeill, this centre is home to a renowned collection of Kwakwaka'wakw potlatch regalia. The items were returned to the Kwakwaka'wakw people in 1979 after being confiscated by the provincial government earlier in the century.

Xá:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre

Another easily accessible centre is the Xá:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre, near Mission, only about an hour east of Vancouver. This National Historic Site and interpretive centre is also a sacred site to the Stó:lo people.

The Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park

Also in BC's southern interior is the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park in Kamloops. A replica winter pit-house, a summer lodge, and indigenous gardens are part of a village reconstructed on a traditional gathering place.

BC's North has some of the province's most intriguing cultural centres, notably the 'Ksan Historical Village and Museum, a re-created Gitxsan village in Old Hazleton, and the newly opened Haida Heritage Centre at Qay'llnagaay, in Skidegate, Haida Gwaii.

The 'Ksan Historical Village and Museum

'Ksan is one of BC's oldest First Nations cultural centres. Its seven longhouses, built in 1965, replicate a community that stood on the same riverside site for hundreds, or possibly thousands, of years.

Haida Heritage Centre at Qay'llnagaay

Opened in July 2007 on Haida Gwaii (also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) this new attraction models a traditional Haida village of cedar longhouses. Linked by a glass atrium, the buildings house a carving shed, a performing arts theatre, an Eating House offering traditional Haida fare, a gallery displaying contemporary and traveling exhibits, and an expanded Haida Gwaii Museum.

Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre

An even newer centre is due to open in April, 2008 in Whistler, two hours north of Vancouver. The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, a three-story complex on six forested acres, will celebrate the art, history and cultures of the area's Squamish and Lil'wat people.

For more information about First Nations Cultural Centres and tours in BC, contact the Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (ATBC) www.aboriginalbc.com

The copyright of the article First Nations Culture in BC in British Columbia Travel is owned by Sue Kernaghan. Permission to republish First Nations Culture in BC in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.