The capital of British Columbia, Victoria, is in the Lekwungen Traditional Territory and honors First Nations heritage and legacies by offering enriching Indigenous culture tourism experiences. The immersive offerings are created and led by community members of the Songhees Nation (formerly known as the Lekwungen). Today, the Songhees Nation has approximately 600 members, some of whom offer seasonal tours from May to December to showcase and share their cultural heritage.
I joined a cultural canoe tour in Victoria’s Inner Harbor, one of the meaningful Indigenous cultural experiences provided by Songhees Tours. As we glided over the calm waters of the bay in the traditional canoe adorned with motifs, Cecelia Dick, a Songhees knowledge keeper and the cultural tourism manager for the Songhees Nation, shared the tribe’s oral histories to teach us about the tribe’s relationship with the land and their historical practices. Dick showed us significant historical sites where their ancestors harvested herbs, fished, dwelled in long houses, and learned the tale of how their Chief reincarnated as a wolf. In the distance, we spotted a gray whale, which sparked a fascinating discussion about the significance of wildlife sightings and the traditional names for the area’s endemic animals. We were honored when one of the tribal members decided to play his drum and sing, replicating the rhythm his ancestors once played.
Photos via Friends of Beacon Hill Park
Further immerse yourself in the culture, traditions, hospitality, and cuisine of the Songhees people on their land at the Songhees Wellness Centre. Learn more about the community by browsing the public art installation at the mariana that features historical photos with placards explaining some of the Songhees’ history in the area. Throughout Victoria, you’ll find the “Signs of Lekwungen,” a self-guided walk to seven places of cultural importance to the Lekwungen peoples marked by bronze castings of a cedar carving of an enlarged spindle whorl (a traditional tool used to spin wool) created by Songhees artist Butch Dick. You can find them at Songhees Point, Lower Causeway, Beacon Hill Park, outside City Hall, and the Royal BC Museum.
In Beacon Hill Park (known as Meeachan by the Songhees) stands the Story Pole, the tallest free-standing totem pole in the world. It was erected in 1956 and stands 127 feet and 7 inches tall. Mungo Martin, the Kwakiutl tribal chief and a renowned carver, and a team of artisans carved Kwakwaka’wakw figures, including the Sun Man, a bear, and a whale, into the massive pole.
