Truth and Reconciliation

Join us on Monday, September 30 in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We invite you to experience and connect with immersive programming and storytelling of Skwxwú7mesh and Líl̓wat7úl at the SLCC, the living culture of the original people of the shared territory where Whistler resides.

FREE ADMISSION thanks to Proud Partner CIBC and programming supported by the Government of Canada, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and the Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Show your support for Orange Shirt Day on September 30. The Gallery and Gift Shop has a range of shirts and pins for the whole family. Shopping at the SLCC supports authentic Indigenous artwork and meaningful employment for Nation members.

In the Whistler Changemaker series, Go Whistler is connecting with local people, businesses and organizations who are putting sustainability at the forefront of what they do. In video #5, Mike Douglas connects with T’ec Georgina Dan, Lil̓wat7úl, Cultural Leader of the Spo7ez Performance team and a graduate and co-facilitator of the Indigenous Youth Ambassador Program at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC). She chatted with Mike about how important cultural sustainability is, what it involves, and how and why it can be a tool for reconciliation.

Leading up to National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Whistler Chamber of Commerce teamed up with the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre to deliver Orange Heart window decals across the Village and Valley. The package includes letters from SLCC Executive Director, Liza Walli, and Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton, and we are pleased to share them here.

For the Skwxwú7mesh Lilwat7úl Cultural Centre, this is why we exist. Our beams raised up by our Elders. Shared with our voices. We are here for a purpose, because our culture was silenced for so long.

Explore books for your learning journey at the SLCC Gallery and Gift Shop. Shopping at the SLCC supports meaningful employment for Ambassadors of the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation.

What is the significance of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation? Why was it created? What about Orange Shirt Day? What can I do to support this day? This page is a helpful guide for Whistler businesses, community members and visitors.

Join SLCC Cultural Ambassadors T’ec Georgina Dan and Tsawaysia Dominique Nahanee as they share common words to help start your language journey. Speaking the language of ancestors, parents and future generations, these Ucwalmícwts (Lílw̓at) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (Squamish) words are being shared in hopes that one day, the same greetings and names will be common place in the Sea to Sky.

T’ec Georgina Dan shares in I Am an Ancestor, where she is on her path towards Truth and Reconciliation, and the importance of storytelling in revitalizing culture and language.

Lhpatq Maxine Bruce of the Lil’wat Nations shares How Being One With the Land Can Bring Us Together 

SLCC Executive Heather Paul shares I Am an “Ally” and I am Part of the Problem

A perfect companion to your day: the words and stories of Chepximiya Siyam Chief Janice George in The Spirit Moves Like a Storm and Kúkwpi7 (Chief) Gélpcal in So Many Questions, So Few Answers from the TEDxWhistler 2020 Series.

Spend 18 minutes learning about the history, language, and culture of the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation. Featuring SLCC Curator, Mixalhítsa7, Alison Pascal

What are you doing right now? Reading this blog at home on your couch? At work? In a lunchroom or cafe? On a chairlift? In a park? Are you sitting on a bench along one of Whistler’s serene trails? Perhaps you’re in the ístken pithouse, tucked away at the corner of Lorimer Road and Blackcomb Way, inhaling the cleansing cedar smell, and embracing the silence. Whatever you are doing right now, if you are in Whistler you’re doing it on the shared unceded territory of the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation.

Go at your own pace. Spend the day in quiet reflection while discovering the many public outdoor Indigenous art pieces found all around the Whistler Village and Valley.

The Every Child Matters banner on Ted Nebbling Bridge, was commissioned by the SLCC and the Resort Municipality of Whistler, honouring the survivors and victims of the Indian Residential School system. The moving artwork is a collaborative piece created by by Skw̲xw̲ú7mesh (Squamish Nation) artist and SLCC Indigenous Youth Ambassador, Courtney Williams, and Lílw̓at (Lil’wat Nation) artist and SLCC Cultural Ambassador, Jordana Abraham. These talented and powerful young women took some time to share with the world the meaning behind their designs.

A list of other helpful resources to guide you through September 30th and throughout your journey towards Truth and Reconciliation.