Musqueam Village Site at Locarno Beach

Musqueam Elder Larry Grant, who teaches the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language at UBC, says that having Musqueam recognition on campus in a public space means a lot to his people. The entire Point Grey campus sits on unceded Musqueam land, and an agreement was made to add Musqueam signage, which you can see being put in place now.

According to oral history, Musqueam have lived in Greater Vancouver, their traditional territory, for thousands of years. Larry Grant, who is 81, remembers that this campus area was actually a forest a century ago. It was clear-cut in 1912 for the university, and he adds that all of Metro Vancouver was forest back then, making it the largest clear-cut in the southwest corner of the province today.

There weren't permanent Musqueam settlements right here on campus, but there were villages all around the perimeter. One was at Locarno Beach, to the northwest, which he calls a huge village site. Trails criss-crossed the forest from the river to the inlet, and it was a place where they gathered medicines, some foods, and materials for houses and canoes. The forest was also used for ceremonial and spiritual retreat, a place for people to find peace, much like camping today to reflect on life. Young people learned here too, about edible plants and the discipline needed to live in the forest.

Back in the late 1700s, this campus area was a strategic military spot. The warrior chief Capilano lived in a fortified site on the beach with other warrior families, mostly Musqueam. They fought battles from here and even welcomed the first Spanish and English explorers like George Vancouver. There were lookouts high up and a signal system on the beach to watch for strangers coming from the Salish Sea or Puget Sound. In 2011, UBC named a new house in Totem Park residence, q’ələχən, after this fortified site.

The campus was also home to elk, deer, and black bears. Larry Grant remembers the last time deer were hunted here when he was a teenager, and the community had a feast. Cedar for canoes and longhouses came from here, and cedar bark was used for hats and clothing. They also harvested kelp along the beach for food, and Larry and his friends sold it to merchants when he was young. Herring eggs were also gathered, a rich delicacy, around the point area.