The Sound of 7

Shining a spotlight on the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) was built to share the culture of the Squamish Nation and the Lil’wat Nation. Our cultural centre is located in Whistler, BC, where our territories meet. We have become the place to come and learn about the Indigenous people and our history in Whistler, and we were excited to host the Our Living Languages exhibition from February 15 to May 23, 2022. After a two-year break throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibit was well received by Sea to Sky locals and international visitors alike. We opened the exhibit with an intimate gathering of locals and language speakers from both the Squamish and Lil’wat nations. It was inspiring to hear stories about their personal journeys from learning the languages to teaching them. We were fortunate to hear stories from guests who are also reviving their languages. While the exhibition was here, I noticed many different groups spending an increased amount of time visiting the exhibit. I even witnessed one child ask her family to stay longer and for her dad to sit with her while she watched the exhibition video.

One of our most frequently asked questions since the SLCC opened in 2008 is, “What does the 7 sound like?” and this exhibit helped us to answer that question for our guests. Having all of the interactives in the exhibit has been a huge benefit to our guests who are interested in learning about Indigenous languages in BC. It’s extremely impactful to hear the differences between the languages and learn of the work being done to keep them alive. The Royal BC Museum staff have done a great job of making their travelling exhibits very easy to process, from booking, installing and keeping up the exhibit. The exhibit is set up in a way that’s accessible for smaller cultural centres and community facilities that may have little experience hosting a travelling exhibit and looks so warm and inviting. The SLCC was so happy to host the Our Living Languages exhibition.