Plans to construct a traditional longhouse in North Vancouver’s Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park (Indian Arm Park), have progressed one step further, with the granting of $260,000 in funds from the B.C. Government.
The money from the province will assist the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, who manages the park collaboratively with the government, in conducting site surveys and evaluating locations for the construction and design of the longhouse, alongside carrying out community engagement.
“Building a longhouse in Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park has been a longstanding goal for Tsleil-Waututh Nation and has been identified as a priority in the park plan,” said Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief, Jen Thomas.
“This funding will help us bring our vision to life to have a place to gather, to feast, and for Elders to pass along traditions and cultural knowledge to our youth.”
Longhouses – long, narrow, single roomed buildings – are a home for ceremonies and social gatherings for many First Nations cultures. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation building will serve as a significant place of community, education, and healing for Nation members, said Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin.
“I raise my hands to the collaborative approach that led to this priority landmark which will be key for the Nation’s growth for years to come,” he said.
Say Nuth Khaw Yum, an 18 kilometre fjord that extends north from Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, lies in the centre of Tsleil-Waututh traditional territory and has long been an area of significance to the Nation’s people.
In 1998 an agreement that stated BC Parks and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation would manage the park co-operatively was signed. In 2010, the park’s name was changed from Indian Arm Provincial Park to Say Nuth Khaw Yum Provincial Park, meaning “Serpent’s Land.”
The provincial park is popular among tourists and locals alike for outdoor recreation, with visitors able to take part in motor boating, kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving, hiking and fishing.
Susie Chant, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour, said she was “grateful for all the amazing work” the Nation had carried out to move the project forward.
“Their ongoing stewardship of the lands and waters along the Burrard Inlet have restored much of the coastal habitat,” she said.
“The funding towards the creation of a longhouse at Say Nuth Khaw Yum supports the work of creating and maintaining a culturally appropriate environment that benefits all generations of the Nation.”
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
