The origin of many Indigenous related projects, such as the Signs of Lək̓ʷəŋən, get lost in time. This project began in 1993, as part of the plans to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the building of Fort Victoria and 125th anniversary of Victoria becoming the Capital of British Columbia. The Premiers Protocol Office invited individuals to established a celebrations committee from which a sub-committee was formed to celebrate Indigenous history. The sub-committee was made up of the late Chief Andy Thomas of the Esquimalt Nation, the late Chief Robert Sam, then a Councillor, and myself, then a curator of Archaeology at the Royal B.C. Museum.
The celebrations sub-committee agreed that I would come up with a list of traditional place names to be considered for placing monuments, in locations where they would be accessible to educate the public.
The number of surviving Indigenous place names in Lək̓ʷəŋən territory is small, compared to many other locations on the coast. I originally produced a list of 17 place name locations (see appendix 1) which was reduced over time to seven. This project dragged on for 15 years with many different people and different money sources coming into effect.
During the planning for a new entrance to the Royal B.C. Museum, I wanted to have a giant spindle whorl that the public could walk through as the main door. This did not happen, but the sub-committee agreed this would be the best symbol to place on all the new cultural markers. Spindle whorls would be placed on incised metal information posters that were designed to survive the abuse of vandals. At first, the idea of having large wooded spindle whorls was rejected, as they would likely be vandalized. The Provincial Government at the time did not take the initiative in providing sufficient funds for the larger scale project we envisioned. Making bronze spindle whorls was seen at the time as being too expensive.
The city of Victoria became involved in seeing this project through, working with the Lək̓ʷəŋən chiefs, the artist Butch Dick and Cheryl Bryce, Lands manager for the Songhees.
At one point there were discussions about making a replica of a longhouse on Songhees Point but this proved to be too complex to implement at the time. Instead, an outside information panel called the “Spirit of Lekwungen Nation”, showing an image of the Songhees Nation council at the time, with human figures on the sides of a panel, was placed on Songhees Point (Figure 3 and 4). This occurred before the placement of any spindle whorls. The creation of the figures on the sides of the panel by Songhees artist Butch Dick, was modelled after known local 19th century burial figures, not “totem poles” as some have reported.
In 2004, the City of Victoria, Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, Provincial Capital Commission, and Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, developed a new concept for “a self-guided, interpretive walkway along the Inner Harbour and surrounding areas that would promote the artistic, historical and cultural contributions of the Coast Salish people. The walkway would consist of the installation of site markers at culturally-significant sites”.
In 2005, the City of Victoria was designated a Cultural Capital of Canada by the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Cultural Capitals of Canada Program. With this designation came funding to support seven arts and culture projects, one of which included a continuation of the Signs of Lekwungen.
The Signs of Lekwungen had now expanded to include, as project partners, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations; the City of Victoria; the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia; the Provincial Capital Commission; the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority; and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
In 2006, project research commenced. The idea to install original cedar carvings at the base of the spindles was changed, but now money was available to go with strong bronze castings (see Appendix 2).
People involved in the project from the city included Joe Daly, Manager of the City Parks and Gail Price-Douglas, Community Development Planner. A big change occurred when Richard Linzey, Heritage Planner. City of Victoria Planning Division, acquired funding in January 2006, through the Cultural Capitals Program “for a First Peoples land use interpretation trail in the inner harbour”. In 2007, the City of Victoria received a Community Tourism Grant from the Province of British Columbia through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, which helped pay for the bronze casting.
Chief Robert Sam of the Songhees Nation and Chief Andy Thomas of the Esquimalt Nation nominated Yux’wey’lupton, Clarence “Butch” Dick, as the commissioned artist for the project. His sons, artists Yux’wey’lupton, Bradley Dick, and the late Whooshk, Clarence George Dick, assisted him with some of the whorl carvings. Butch Dick is a master carver trained in fine art and graphic design. He has taught First Nations Art and Culture in School District 61 for more than 20 years and served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria, teaching an Indigenous Learning course.
By 2008, seven cedar spindle whorl site markers, conceptualized and carved by Butch Dick, were completed. Work then began to create molds at the Jack Gibson Studio Gallery in Richmond for casting in bronze at the Burton Bronze Foundry on Salt Spring Island. All seven site markers were installed in Victoria by the end of September 2008.
A formal ceremony was organized by the city of Victoria in the Inner Harbour lower causeway on September 30, 2008 (Figures 6 – 14). Speakers involved Lək̓ʷəŋən Chiefs, elders Elmer George and Mary Anne Thomas, Mayor Fortin, other City officials and representatives of the organizations seen in the invitation (Figure 5). It was gratifying to see that both Chief Robert Sam and Chief Andy Thomas were present to see the results of a project that they had played an important role in developing fifteen years earlier.
Offshoots of the Original Project.
During the Victoria project I gave a number of local talks, mentioning the Lək̓ʷəŋən place names, not in the city of Victoria, that were left out. The Saanich Parks department took quick action, in working with the Esquimalt band to rename Craigflower Park, Kosampson Park and later initiated sidewalk signage.
Marion Cummings of the Oak Bay Heritage Society wanted to have a similar project for Oak Bay, in which I assisted.
Marion Cummings worked with Oak Bay Parks and Recreation, the Oak Bay Council, Oak Bay Heritage Foundation, the Oak Bay Heritage Steering Committee, the artist Charles Elliot and the XAX TENEW Sacred Land Society president Cheryl Bryce.
Nine locations were chosen for cairn-style monuments. These were made of stone set in a cement pad with a bronze plaque inset on top describing the Indigenous location. These included Gonzales Bay, Harling Point, Trafalgar Park, Trail Islands, McNeil Bay, Turkey Head area, Bowker Creek, Willows Beach, Loon Bay and Anderson Hill.
The Cattle Point Monument
During one of my Oak Bay talks, a private citizen, Betsy Shorthouse, stood up and asked if she could help with, and offered to pay for, a monument acknowledging the Lək̓ʷəŋən at Cattle Point, near where she lived. This became a separate project on its own which was unveiled June 15, 2006 (Figure 18-19). Lorne Middletown, the manager of Oak Bay Services, played an important role in seeing these Oak Bay projects move along.
The house posts that are part of this monument poster board were carved by Yux’wey’lupton, Butch Dick, who carved the Victoria Spindle whorls.
Figure 18. Ceremonies are the opening of the Cattle Point Heritage Panels. Speaker Yux’wey’lupton, Bradley Dick at centre with his late brother Whooshk, Clarence Dick on the right and his sister Malfreo, Pisceda Harris on the left.
Appendix 1
LEKWUNGEN PLACE NAMES TO COMMEMORATE. (Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations).
Grant Keddie Notes 1993.
Camossung Falls – name of person and reversing falls at the Gorge.
This is a sacred place in the history of the Lekwungen peoples. It was here that Hayls the transformer spirit-being turned the young girl Camossung and her grandfather or slave to stone. Those on spirit quests dove in the water to gain powers, which could be granted by Camossung. The word Camosun was the original name for the general area around Victoria but pertained specifically to the falls. Fort Victoria was first called Fort Camosun in honour of the Lekwungen name and Camosun College and Camosun streets in Victoria and Vancouver are from this origin.
Pallatsis (p’alac’as) Rock – Songhees Point.
This location on Songhees Point, across from Laurel Point at the entrance to the constricted area of the inner harbour, was a sacred place in the history of the Lekwungen people. It means “place of cradle”. After children learned to walk, their cradles were placed here and New Dancers staffs were placed here to ensure that the power of the place gave their owners long life. Persons on a spirit quest would dive in the water here to gain spirit power.
Sahsima Rocks – meaning – “harpoon”.
A location along the south-west side of Harling Point where there are large glacial erratic boulders in the water. This is a special location in Lekwungen history where Hayls the Transformer spirit-being turned a person harpooning seals into stone to be the protector of seals.
Kosampsom Beach – Near Craigflower school house.
Meaning – “place of Kosampson”. May have derived from sx sepsam “small neck (land shaped like small neck)”. This is the name of the village and people at the north end of the Admirals road bridge. The Craigflower Park and School area. In the 1920’s it was spelt Sahsum.
Meeqan – (mi’qan). meaning “warmed by the sun” (where people sat to have their bellies warmed by the sun).
An open meadow in Beacon Hill Park “where people sat to have their bellies warmed in summer”. It was also a playing field for the shinny-like game called qoqwialls. The exact location is not clearly defined. The most likely place is the flat area between Beacon hill and Finlayson Point. This would be between the ancient village on Finlayson Point and the burial cairns on the slope of Beacon Hill.
Mukwuks – Reef off Macauley Point.
This was by tradition a place where the reef net was used on the reef off the Point. A net weight was found underwater on the reef at this location. Name it Mukwuks reef and put up a commemorative plaque on the point.
Chikawich – name of beach at back of NcNeill Bay where village was.
Means “big hips” (a place shaped like a person with a large posterior). Name the beach Chikawich. A plaque along the sea wall could identify the location.
Tlikwaynung or Kikwaynan – Trial Island
The first meaning was given as “Indian peas” and refers to vetch growing on Trial islands. Kikwaynan was a general name given to the Trail Island area by James Fraser, where he noted there were “lots of seals” – as there are to this day. This information could be put on a plaque where there is a good view of Trial Island. Anderson Hill Park might be one location.
Shpwhung – Meaning “Flying dust” or Shepwhung meaning “fog”. Area around Oak Bay Marina.
The word means “fog”. This name could be given to the small park or point at north end of Turkey head.
Sitchanalth – Willows Beach.
Refers to drift logs and trees that lodge along the north end of Willow’s beach. Give name to creek (presently unnamed?) at north end of Willow’s beach. This creek drains part of Uplands Park and logs often accumulate around its mouth.
Thleethlayakw – Chain Islands.
The name of Chain Islands, which means “broken in pieces”. A traditional story refers to this. During a great flood this was a single rock, standing very high, to which people tied their canoes as the waters rose. When the flood receded, it fell and broke into many pieces.
Stchilikw – Up Millstream Creek.
Meaning “stones with green moss hanging from them”. James Fraser gave this name for an old village site “where the sawmill was”. This would be the location of archaeological site DcRu-141 on the west side of the upper reaches of the inlet to Millstream creek and just north of the location of the old sawmill site.
Old Songhees Reserve – Victoria Harbour.
A plaque at “Songhees Point” recognizing the location of this historic village of amalgamated Lekwungun peoples. The village, located here from 1844 to 1911, was the centre of cultural life where the First Nations majority lived during the early history of Fort Victoria.
Kuo-sing-el-as – Downtown Victoria area.
Meaning “strong fibre”. The bark of the willow was collected from swampy areas and used to make lines for attaching to stone fish weights. A commemorative plaque could be placed on the wall of the causeway.
Whosay Kum – Head of Old James Bay.
Meaning “clay” or “muddy place”. Lekwungen people pulled their canoes up at the head of the now filled in James Bay. They proceeded from here to gather camas in what is today Beacon Hill Park and collected crabs from the now filled in bay. A plaque commemorating this could be placed on the causeway wall.
Kalla – Esquimalt Reserve.
Meaning “spring water gushing down the beach”. The name of the village at the north end of Plumper Bay. The name Kalla Point could be given to the point at the north end of Plumper Bay.
Shtchaalth – Portage Inlet area.
The name means “to squeeze something through” or drag something over a narrow place. This refers to the narrow portage between Portage inlet and Thetis cove in Esquimalt harbour. The bay at its entrance in the extreme S.W. corner of Portage inlet could be given this name or the name of the bay changed from Thetis cove to Shtchaalth.
Appendix 2
Locations: The site markers are placed at eight culturally-significant sites to the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations along the Inner Harbour and surrounding areas: the Lower Causeway in the Inner Harbour; Songhees Point; Laurel Point; the site of the south west bastion of the Hudson Bay Company’s fort (on the north side of the Malahat building, on Wharf Street); the entrance to the Royal BC Museum; near City Hall on Pandora Avenue; and the Beacon Hill “Lookout”.
- Site Markers
- Each bronze casting is a disk, 106.7 centimetres (42 inches) in diameter, which is anchored to a brown powder-coated aluminum pole. Site markers are approximately 2.5 metres (8 feet, 4 inches) in height and weigh close to 455 kilograms (1,000 pounds).
- Each spindle whorl is anchored on an angle to a grey granite base. Underneath lies a sandblasted map of the Inner Harbour, illustrating the locations of the seven markers.
- The base’s top is inscribed with the traditional place name (where applicable), phonetically in Lekwungen as well as in English.
Figure 20. The components of the Spindle Worl information displays.
Themes:
The Indigenous participants developed new themes for each of marker locations and carvings. The Lekwungen and English names for each site marker and their cultural significance.
Songhees Point. Four Seasons of the Salmon Family.
Bastion Square Site. Walk in Two Worlds. Recognized colonization.
Outside City Hall. Siem Speaker. The Eagle is the messenger of the sun (grandfather) and the moon (grandmother) who guides man, represented by the figure in the middle of the carving.
Lower causeway of the Inner Harbour. Four Directions of the Eagle. Eagles are the messengers of the sun (grandfather) and the moon (grand mother) and are far sighted and strong.
Beacon Hill “Lookout”. Carving them: The cairns (rocks placed in circular pattersn to signify ancient burial sites).
Royal B.C. Museum entrance: Carving theme: Celebgrate Diversity. Three nations on Vancouver Island, Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chan-nulth and Coast Salish.
Laurel Point. Four Winds. Each Wind carries a healing power and a song.
Corrections to the 2005, Signs of Lekwungen Brochure.
4. Lower Causeway. “whu-SEI-kum, “place of mud”, marked wide tidal mudflats and some of the best clam beds on the coast”. The last part is not true. It was noted by Songhees, Jimmy Fraser, as an important area for gathering crabs – not clams. I examined the Bay deposits during the extensive excavations for the convention centre addition to the Empress Hotel. There was no evidence of this location having clam beds. Only some historic deposited clams and Japanese oysters were observed. The substrate and proportions of fresh and salt water are important in determining what species of molluscs existed in the Gorge Waterway.
Drawing. “South West Bastion of Fort with Indian home in the foreground”. The people and the Indigenous house did not exist here. These were drawn in by Sarah Crease from a drawing done of an 1859 photograph that did not include them.
Drawing. “Indian burial ground near Victoria”. This was on Laurel Point, the location of historic marker #7.
PDP2611. Wrong location given. The image is looking south-east from near the west end of Bay Street bridge toward the inner harbour. Hope Point, at the north end of the Old Songhees Reserve in seen in the distant right – not Songhees Point.
PDP 00070 Eleanor Fellows drawing is not “Indian village (PAH-LU-Tsuss)” The Point on the far left is Palatsis point. It is not the name of the village.
