Lecture: The Xwe’etay/Lasqueti Archaeology Project

The explores Indigenous heritage, archaeology, community relationships, and place-based stewardship on Xwe'etay (Lasqueti Island), contributing new perspectives on heritage conservation and reconciliation.

We are living in a time where fear and mistrust easily influence our perceptions, actions and politics. Recently, in British Columbia, these emotions have permeated settler-Indigenous relations, unsettling recent progress on steps to address historic wrongs and work toward more collaborative futures. In this presentation, we discuss how— from the position of a First Nations Elder, a community-based planner and an archaeologist—we addressed these dynamics head on in the context of the Xwe’etay/Lasqueti Archaeology project.

We used the inspiration of the archaeological past to initiate conversations about the basis of this fear, people’s understandings of Indigenous heritage, to counter misinformation, and to educate about Indigenous heritage. We demonstrate how community-engaged archaeology and planning can be the start of respectful dialogue among First Nations, settler populations, archaeologists, and regional government actors to advance land use planning and Indigenous heritage conservation.

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Royal BC Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, Canada

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