Cultural Heritage
Protection of Hul'qumi'num culture and heritage is a critical aspect of our treaty negotiations. Measures designed to protect, respect and enhance Hul'qumi'num culture and heritage include:
- Protection of and access to Hul'qumi'num heritage sites, including archaeological sites and sacred cultural landscapes
- Repatriation of Hul'qumi'num artifacts, cultural heritage objects and our ancestors’ bones and funerary remains from Canadian museums
- Revival of the Hul'qumi'num language
- Recognition of Hul'qumi'num place names
- Protection of our intellectual property, such as legends, songs, masks and dances heritage sites
Heritage sites
Heritage sites are areas that carry a deep cultural significance for the Hul'qumi'num people. They include both tangible, archaeological sites — ancient monuments and cemeteries built by our ancestors, and the intangible cultural landscapes that, according to Hul'qumi'num legends and oral history, have symbolic and sacred significance for our people.
Archaeological sites
Archaeological sites are areas where physical evidence of our historical land and resource use has been preserved. Archaeological sites in Hul'qumi'num territory include the locations of our ancestors' ancient villages and settlements, cemeteries, rock art sites, and resource harvesting locations. Our cultural beliefs and practices concerning our deceased ancestors themselves underlie the importance we are giving to greater protection for our archaeological sites at the treaty table.
There are more than 1,000 identified archaeological sites within Hul'qumi'num territory. Of these, 85% are located on private property, presenting us with a challenge at the negotiating table. The provincial government currently holds the authority to protect First Nations’ archaeological sites based on their scientific, cultural and public significance to Canadian history. However, aboriginal cemeteries and other heritage sites have not always been accorded the same kind of legal protection and respect as non-aboriginal cemeteries in British Columbia and Canada. The province has frequently permitted development of many of these sites for private land use, despite repeated protests from our Hul'qumi'num Elders.
The Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group is negotiating for the tools and authorities to protect archaeological sites. Government may purchase key, privately owned sites on a willing seller basis as part of the cultural land selection component of the treaty. On Hul'qumi'num Lands, we expect our people to hold significant jurisdiction over the protection of our heritage sites. Outside of Hul'qumi'num Lands, we assert that the Hul'qumi'num people must play a meaningful role, in co-operation with British Columbia, in protecting and managing our archaeological sites.
Cultural Landscapes
Cultural Landscapes are special places, such as where our First Ancestors descended from the sky or where Xeel's marked the land. These cultural landscapes are honoured today by the Hul'qumi'num people as sacred heritage sites due to their spiritual significance. They commemorate our ancestors, venerate the spirit world, and reflect our people's ongoing cultural relationship with our land. The social and religious value of these cultural landscapes to our people has never been officially recognized in Canada. These sacred places remain completely unprotected from the impacts of modern land-use. We are negotiating in treaty to purchase key cultural landscapes and to build effective co management relationships with provincial and local governments.
Language
Second to land ownership, the protection and revival of the Hul'qumi'num' language is the foremost concern of our Elders. Assimilationist policies, particularly residential schools, largely wiped out the use of our language. There are currently less than 100 Hul'qumi'num' master speakers alive today, the majority of which are over 60. Fluency levels decrease significantly amongst our younger generations.
We urgently need to revitalize our language so that it will continue to be spoken for generations to come. Law making, funding opportunities, and changes to the education system will be key aspects of our treaty work related to language.
Place Names
More than 500 Hul'qumi'num' language place names are now documented, resonating a deep cultural connection between the Hul'qumi'num people and our territory. We envision having selected geographical place names officially recognized on maps by British Columbia and Canada. Official recognition of these place names within Hul'qumi'num territory will help to protect our language and reassert our cultural identity.
Cultural Property
Many Hul'qumi'num artifacts and heritage objects, even ancient human remains, are held by museums and private institutions across Canada and internationally. These items were removed from our communities by explorers, missionaries, government agents and private collectors over the last two centuries for reasons of scientific interest, colonial influence and commercial profit. Some of these are everyday items; others are sacred objects. They include everything from ancient stone and bone tools to carved house poles to sacred spirit dance regalia. We are negotiating for the return of Hul'qumi'num heritage objects currently housed at Canada’s Museum of Civilization, the Royal British Columbia Museum, and other museums in Canada to restore this important part of our cultural heritage to our communities.
Intellectual Property
Intangible cultural properties such as our hereditary names, sacred songs, and images are at risk of being exploited by non-Hul'qumi'num people under existing intellectual property laws. We are seeking to develop mechanisms to protect these intangible cultural properties as an expression of our aboriginal rights in the treaty.
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