c̓əsnaʔəm

c̓əsnaʔəm, one of our Musqueam villages, existed on the stal̕əw̓ (now called the Fraser River) long before Vancouver was founded. For over 4000 years, generations of our ancestors lived at c̓əsnaʔəm. Around 2000 years ago, it grew to become one of our largest villages and was connected by water ways and trails to other villages throughout our territory, such as sən̓aʔqʷ (Vanier Park). Over the last 125 years, archaeologists and collectors mined c̓əsnaʔəm for artifacts and human remains: our ancestors and their belongings. Today, c̓əsnaʔəm has been paved over and built upon, yet it remains part of our territory, culture, and history.

The history of this place is told by the Musqueam First Nation

(Please note, there is no physical plaque at this site)

In 2018, the City of Vancouver returned a portion of this land to xʷməθkʷəy̓əm. Read here.

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm traditional language is called hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. Please learn more about the Musqueam Language and Culture department and their work with language learners and educational resources here.

Visit the Museum of Vancouver‘s exhibit: c̓əsnaʔəm: city before the city

Check out the resources at the UBC Library Guide, including videos

Please spend time learning about xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Musqueam territory and places names  and use this comprehensive teaching tool, the Musqueam Teaching Kit, created for the public.

There are many places of importance to xʷməθkʷəy̓əm within what we call the City of Vancouver, and as part of Places That Matter via xʷməθkʷəy̓əm community nominations and voting, we are sharing five sites and their stories as told by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm. There are no physical plaques yet, but we hope these stories provide a deeper understanding of the significance of these places.

c̓əsnaʔəm

sən̓aʔqʷ  

spapəy̓əq

sɬχil̕əx  

χʷay̓χʷəy̓