Squamish and Lil’wat Cultural Centre Gallery & Gift Store: Authentic Indigenous Gifts from Whistler to the World

Shop for handcrafted Squamish, Lil’wat, and Northwest Coast art, jewellery and keepsakes online or in person at Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre Gallery & Gift Shop. Ensure your purchase is Authentic Indigenous and directly benefits Squamish, Lil’wat, and other First Nations artists. Learn about First Nations art and culture, local stories and legends, artist biographies, and product care information from knowledgeable Cultural Ambassadors.

The Original Gifts: The Land and Each Other
Before memory, and after Thunderbird caused the volcano to erupt at Black Tusk, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Líl̓wat7úl were told that they must share the gifts of the land in the area now known as Whistler. They were told that as they came into the valley and could see Black Tusk, that would be the beginning of their shared territory, from which their families could harvest flora and fauna during the warmer months for food and medicines.

Squamish and Lil’wat Cultural Centre: Sharing Our Gifts With the World
Gifts from the land that is present-day Whistler were graciously received by the Squamish and Lil’wat Peoples–gifts that they continue to care for and share with each other and visitors from around the world at Squamish Lil’ wat Cultural Centre, the only Authentic Indigenous experience and gallery in Whistler.

Make Gifts Meaningful: Honour Indigenous Artists, Families, Communities, and Cultures

A distinguishing commitment to and ongoing respectful relationships with Squamish, Lil’wat, and other First Nations artists, combined with the level of staff knowledge, make Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre your best choice for purchasing First Nations art and merchandise that directly supports Indigenous artists, their families, and communities.

Shop online or visit the SLCC Gallery & Gift Shop and choose from a selection of handcrafted works of art, home accents, clothing and accessories, jewellery, pottery, baskets, books, and audio recordings.

More Than Just Giving: Respect, Gratitude, Reciprocity

For the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Líl̓wat7úl and other Indigenous Peoples, gifts are more than tokens and keepsakes; gifting is even more than just giving. Giving and receiving are not separate things but opportunities to show and receive gratitude and appreciation for the time, knowledge, and skills of the people and their ancestors, the bounty of the land, and its stewardship.

When you buy a gift or souvenir from the SLCC Gallery & Gift store, you are showing the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Líl̓wat7úl, their ancestors and lands, respect and gratitude for all that you have seen and learned. And when you give that gift to your loved one back home, you share the living cultures of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Líl̓wat7úl, and other First Nations in British Columbia, extending the reach of their knowledge and goodwill, and connecting your experience to everything and everyone you are grateful for, for the benefit of all.

Authentic Indigenous: Supporting Equity for First Nations Artists in British Columbia

More than 90% of the Cultural Ambassadors who welcome you to SLCC are from Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation and ambassadors at the gallery are knowledgeable about the artists and their works.

This is more than good customer service–it reflects their respectful relationships with the artists and their work to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the Indigenous products they sell.

The SLCC Gallery & Gift Shop is a proud participant in Authentic Indigenous–a program to authenticate First Nations artwork and products sold in galleries and stores in BC, designed to ensure artists are fairly compensated for their work.

This means ensuring that the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Líl̓wat7úl, and other First Nations artists represented by the gallery benefit from the sale of their work. It also means that Indigenous artists approve and receive fair compensation for using their designs on products made and/or distributed by non-Indigenous businesses.

Authentic Indigenous, an initiative launched by Indigenous Tourism BC in 2004, establishes three tiers of products:

• Products such as masks, carvings, paintings, and jewellery that are designed, produced, and distributed by Indigenous artists or businesses.
• Products designed, approved, and distributed by Indigenous artists, possibly produced by non-Indigenous businesses or people, such as prints or apparel featuring Indigenous design but produced by someone else.
• Products with artwork by an Indigenous artist who receives fair royalty from product sales by the non-Indigenous producer and/or distributor.

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre Gallery & Gift Shop is open free of admission Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM-5 PM. Online shopping and delivery are available. Thunderbird Cafe is also in the admission-free area, serving regular daily specials, including bannock tacos, venison chili, and salmon chowder.

Shop online at slcc.ca/shop