Snuneymuxw History Written in Places and Space

Petroglyphs, sites of cultural significance, and traditional Hul’q’umi’num place names on Gabriola Island

Snuneymuxw History Written in Places and Spaces: Ancestors’ Voices — An Echo in Time seeks to promote appreciation of the history and culture of Snuneymuxw First Nation on Gabriola Island. In the spirit of syeyutsus (walking together), Traditional Knowledge Keeper and Snuneymuxw Elder Geraldine Manson, C’tasi:a, offers a deeper understanding of the Nation’s ongoing relationship to the land.

Produced through a partnership between Snuneymuxw First Nation, the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society, and New Society Publishers, this booklet draws on the sacred knowledge shared and passed down through Snuneymuxw oral history and culture. Beautifully illustrated in full colour, this unique work provides an overview of the many petroglyphs, sites of cultural significance, and traditional Hul’q’umi’num place names on Gabriola Island.

Readers will also learn how the sharing of Snuneymuxw historical and cultural knowledge handed down from the teachings of the Ancestors differs from colonial history told through a Western chronological lens. Those who gather on these unceded lands to learn about the petroglyphs and the traditions that surround them are welcomed as visitors and invited to support and respect the teachings and the images, their spiritual significance, and the sacred ground where they are found.

Au si:em s’ulxwe:n, si:em siyeyu; si:em mustimuxw
Uy’ kwunus si lumtula
Hay ce:p qa kwuns ulup skaqip tu xe:xe Snuneymuxw tumuxw

Respected Elders, friends, visitors to this land
We are happy to see each one of you
Thank each for gathering on the sacred land of Snuneymuxw.