Over 400 people gathered for the grand opening of the Tla’amin Nation’s new cultural centre.
Called Ɂəms ʔayɛ (Our House), it’s the first cultural house built in Tla’amin territory since the Great Fire of 1918, an event that saw a forest fire level the village of Tišosəm to the ground on March 31st, 1918.
The house aims to honour the Nation’s relationship with Klahoose, Homalco, and K’omoks First Nations, with the Tla’amin Nation saying it includes a traditional foods facility that would process salmon, deer, berries, and other traditional foods. The goal of the facility is to support food sovereignty and teaching.
The grand opening saw over 400 people attend, which included Tla’amin citizens, neighbouring Nations, and others across the qathet region.
Tla’amin Hegus John Hackett said in the ceremony they welcome their cultural treasures home, light the sacred fire, and open the house for future generations.
“Ɂəms ʔayɛ is not just a building—it is a living expression of our laws, language, and responsibility to one another,” said Hackett.
A total of $4.2 million was invested to the project by both the BC and federal governments, with Member of Parliament Wade Grant saying the federal government is honoured to have supported the project.
The Nation adds the event saw a cedar braid cutting, repatriation ceremony, and cultural protocol shared by neighbouring Nations.
The opening took place on National Indigenous People’s Day.
