Discover Musqueam’s ancient landscape and living culture.
2,000 years ago, c̓əsnaʔəm grew to become one of the largest Musqueam villages in the region with thousands of people living there—which is why this Museum of Vancouver exhibition is called c̓əsnaʔəm: The City Before the City.
During this tour, you’ll hear the oral story of the two-headed serpent and how it helped name the Musqueam people; learn about the site, and how it was disrupted through colonial development, archaeological excavations and modern construction; and you’ll be able to touch replicas of the belongings featured in this exhibition including harpoon points, stone handles with intricate designs and more. Plus, you can braid red cedar bark, often used for twine and rope.
This tour is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the Musqueam people before and through colonial settlement, how they lived in this region, and their resilience in ensuring their culture continues to thrive.
The tour will last about 90 minutes. Following the tour, refreshments will be served and people can mingle and discuss the tour.
This event is offered free of charge. Sighted guides are available.
Limited space! Sign up with the registration button below or email amy@vocaleye.ca or call 604-763-2695.
Resources
The Museum of Vancouver (MOV) connects Vancouverites to each other and connects Vancouver to the world. The Museum’s programs, exhibitions and collections bring people together and inspire conversation about the future. The Museum is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring a socially connected, civically engaged city. The Museum of Vancouver and the city of Vancouver is located within the shared, unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
To learn more about the c̓əsnaʔəm: The City Before the City exhibition, visit museumofvancouver.ca
