For countless generations, Squamish people have hunted, fished, gathered resources, engaged in battle, and welcomed visitors from their canoes. Across the region that would become Vancouver, canoes were the vehicles that literally bound together life on the land and sea. Visitors to the exhibit will encounter examples of watercraft, related artifacts, and displays that celebrate the enduring traditions of the Squamish Nation.
Squamish chátwilh (canoe carvers) are renowned for carving seven types of canoes—from imposing war canoes to children’s practice canoes. Some are designed for navigating swiftly flowing rivers, some are crafted for optimal speed on the changeable waters of the Salish Sea, while others are built to withstand the heavy swell of the open Pacific.
A highlight of the exhibit is a Nexws Cha7chu (hunting canoe) carved by chátwilh Ray Natraoro as a wedding gift for his wife. Crafted from a single ancient red cedar, this impressive, 28-foot vessel has traveled throughout Burrard Inlet and across the Salish Sea.
“For us, the canoe is a means of transportation, but it is also a living being,” Natraoro explains. “I hope everyone who visits this exhibition experiences the presence and spirit of our canoes. I hope they see the craftsmanship and understand that the connection with our canoe building never died—it’s still here and growing stronger.”
Chátwilh: The Craft and Culture of the Squamish Canoe offers visitors a look back at ancient crafts and traditions as well as insight into how the Squamish Nation’s uniquely adapted watercraft continues to connect its people to each other and the wider world.
“When you stand inside the Vancouver Maritime Museum, you’re standing near Senákw—a Squamish village that now exists only in memory,” explains museum director Simon Robinson. “We are proud to play a role in bringing Squamish culture and traditions back to this site.”
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