Packed house for Squamish Nation film
The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives presented a film screening of Squamish Nation: Stories from the Heart, with guest presenter Tsawaysia Spukwus on Saturday, June 13th from 2pm to 4pm. at the museum.
It was a full house for the Saturday afternoon screening of “Squamish Nation: Stories from the Heart” – a collaborative film project that documents the history of the Squamish Nation from the perspective of Tsawaysia Spukwus.
Spukwus, consultant for the film, was on hand to speak about the project and how it came to be. After realizing that the Squamish Historical Society lacked any information on the Squamish First Nations, she joined the society and worked with film-maker Helmut Manzl to create this feature-length film . It was a year long process of collecting archival photos, family albums and personal reminiscences covering the life and times of the Squamish people from the mid and late 20th century to the present.
Tsawaysia and her 8 year old daughter, Dominique, opened the event with a welcome song composed by Tsawaysia’s great-great grandfather, Chief Joe Capilano. (Photo at left)
She explained that the same song was first sung for King Edward VII in 1906 by Capilano and a group of Salish leaders who met with the King to discuss the treatment of Native people in the colony and to assert their rightful ownership over the lands.
As a cultural educator, her goal of building bridges and promoting dialogue amongst people was accomplished at this event. After the screening, she answered questions from the audience and spoke of how the film can be used for educational purposes. She encourages organizations and schools to use resources like this as teaching tools. Comments from the audience indicated that this kind of presentation and outreach to the community is well timed and vital.
SCMA Manager/Curator Kimiko Hawkes was excited to show the film at the museum. “We are on Squamish territory and it is easy to forget since the presence of that community was obliterated by smallpox in the early 1900’s,” said Hawkes. It is a part of this communities history that too often gets overlooked.
“Each one of us feels differently about our identity and history, but we share an understanding that those points of view should be nurtured and preserved to provide a more complete history of our times. There is not one story but many! My hope is that by providing examples like this, people will be inspired to reflect on the history of their families and communities and find creative ways to tell these stories. The museum is a place that supports these initiatives and it is also a place to share them - at events like this.”
For anyone interested in receiving a copy of the DVD, you can contact the Squamish Historical Society at:
Alice Guss (Tsawaysia Spukwus), Danni-anne Paul, Dominique Spukwus, and Deanna Paul.
