The Coastal First Peoples Exhibits

Many public meetings begin by people acknowledging they are sharing the land of the Strait Salish and Coastal Salish people.

We don’t do that in Alberta, so it seems a bit strange to hear it over and over in B.C.

As well, Duncan reminded me that there is a return in British Columbia to using the original names of places and native tribes.

For example, Mount Doug is known as Pkols, he told me, and he was careful that I should get the pronunciation correct.

 I liked that.

I also enjoyed the time I spent in the museum looking at the First Peoples Galleries which are full of amazing artifacts, text and recordings.

A pleasure to sit in the dark and hear the description of native masks, for example – one that deal with the animals, the birds, the sea creatures, and how the earth was made.

I liked hearing the raven call – not just at the diorama, but often during the museum, making it seems as though that trickster figure was everywhere.

... whale ...

Duncan says a person can get tired of going to the museums, but that hasn’t happened to me yet.

Arta