Xatśūll Heritage Village
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
The Xatśūll First Nation community invites guests to the National Award-Winning Heritage Village overlooking the Fraser River, north of Williams Lake, BC. Open from mid-May to mid-October; the village offers guided tours and cultural workshops that immerse visitors in the history and traditional way of life of the Northern Secwepemc people, the northernmost Shuswap tribe of the Secwépemc Nation. Knowledgeable guides lead memorable journeys through the village, showcasing teepees, winter homes (pit houses or kikule houses), drying racks, lean-tos, sweat houses, summer huts, and a new covered picnic area. Guests can learn to cook traditional meals, listen to stories around an open fire, and fall asleep to the sounds of the Fraser River. The Xatśūll people have long-stewarded territory stretching from the Coast Mountains to the Rocky Mountains, and this heritage site provides a unique opportunity to experience their connection to the land and the mighty Fraser River, where the Xatśūll Peoples have fished for thousands of years.
Explore More Places
Shearwater Resort | Indigenous Wilderness Resort
Immerse yourself in Heiltsuk hospitality at our wilderness resort. Explore eco tours, fishing trips, and cozy accommodations with Indigenous influences.
Female Welcome Figure
First Welcome Trail
In Musqueam culture, Welcome Figures welcome visitors to our territory. The original poles were house posts and placed at the entrances of our house - right at the doorway inviting you in, welcoming you. Located behind the Vancouver School Board in public plaza.
Serpent Slayer - Welcome Pole
Public Art
At Belcarra Regional Park, on the shores of Burrard Inlet, stands a welcome pole carved by Tsleil-Waututh master carver TsuKwalton (Jonas Jones). It carries one of the Nation's most powerful origin stories — of a young boy swept away by seals, raised in the sea kingdom, and returned to his people as a warrior who could face what no one else could. This is his territory. This is where that story happened. The pole brings it back to the shore where it belongs.
“Return of the Orca” Welcome pole
Public Art
Return of the Orca” Welcome pole at Whey-ah-Wichen (Cates Park) in North Vancouver, carved by TsuKwalton Jonas Jones. the Return of the Orca carries the story of Great Chief wacəq II, whose deep relationship with the salmon and the natural world continues to guide Tsleil-Waututh teachings today.
