təmtəmíxʷtən (Belcarra Regional Park)

Serpent Slayer Located at təmtəmíxʷtən (Belcarra Regional Park)Long ago, as the waters of the great flood receded, sʔi:ɬqəy̓ (the great two-headed serpent) lay across səl̓ilwət (Burrard Inlet). sʔi:ɬqəy̓ was a sƛeləqəm (powerful being) and all other living creatures feared and avoided it at all costs. Its gaze was more deadly than the fire from lightning. One day, a young səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh or person of the inlet) boy living at təmtəmíxʷtən was swept away by a seal while swimming alone as his sister watched. The seals began to raise him as their own. The sea world prepped the boy to become a great warrior who would face the most difficult task: slaying sʔi:ɬqəy̓. After a decade of travelling the world, training, learning, and living with his kin of the sea kingdom, he returned to təmtəmíxʷtən, ready to fight the giant two-headed serpent. This was a gruesome battle and required the warrior to use carefully prepared arrows laced with pitch from a special tree. He struck the serpent twice, one arrow to each head. The serpent fell to its death and the warrior saved the land. After his great battle with sʔi:ɬqəy̓, the warrior returned to təmtəmíxʷtən and stabbed the ground with the two-headed serpent’s fang, opening a freshwater spring and sparing his people from having to travel for their water.