xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Welcome Figures
A Coast Salish Welcome
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)
Susan Point · YVR International Terminal, Canada Customs Hall, Level 2 · Richmond, BC
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) · Medium: Carving
Two carved figures stand at the foot of the escalators in Canada Customs Hall — before the baggage carousels, before the taxi queue, before the city. They are not decoration. They are a formal introduction, offered in the tradition of a people who have welcomed visitors to this territory for thousands of years.
The two Welcome Figures were carved by Susan Point, one of the most celebrated artists of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation. Their frontal aspects are deeply carved and inspired by historical Coast Salish house posts — figures that once stood at the entrances of longhouses, right at the doorway, inviting people in. The back panels reveal Point's innovations on traditional images and motifs, carrying the form into the present while remaining rooted in its origins.
In Musqueam culture, Welcome Figures do exactly what their name says. They extend an open invitation to all who arrive — Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike — and establish from the first moment that you are on Musqueam territory, and that you are welcome here.
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Female Welcome Figure
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