Whistler ukat Muyuntki uka chiqanaka

For a few hours we were in Whistler, the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. It is a very beautiful small town with a real pedestrian zone. Of course, we visited the Medal Plaza, which is now a park in the city.

Then some culture. We were lucky because yesterday was Indigenous Peoples' Day. And so there was a lot going on at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. The two tribes have come together to better advocate for their issues. In general, in Canada, you get the feeling that the First Nation is taken seriously (unlike in the US). The new museum and cultural center is beautifully built, with various exhibition rooms, but also plenty of space for the two tribes to use the center for dance, art, meetings, etc. You can tell that these are living cultures. Also, many exhibits are only a few years old, such as masks, clothing, canoes, etc. We saw traditional dances, heard old songs, and there was also a guided tour.

The tribes also strive today to instill in their children a good relationship with nature. One of the crafts that has been practiced for centuries is the weaving of baskets and hats from the inner bark of cedars. It is waterproof. When you go into the forest and choose a tree from which you can peel off the bark, there is a rule: if you can reach around the tree and touch your fingers, you can take a hand's breadth. If the tree is thicker, you can take two hand's breadths. This way, the tree does not die and continues to grow.

Traditional mantels are made from the wool of mountain goats and are worn by chiefs and elders on special occasions and passed down from generation to generation.

After these interesting insights, we continued on our way to the next motel. And then you just pass by waterfalls, lakes, forests, mountains. No national park, just along the road. Absolutely beautiful!