Educational Tours

Tour #1: Musqueam Historical Tour

This tour will take you through the land the Musqueam People have occupied for 4,000 years. Your guide will introduce you to the contemporary landscape of the Musqueam Indian Reservation #2, explain the changes over time, and show you Archaeology sites that date back 1,500 – 4,500 years BP. Musqueam was also once home to Chinese Market Gardens and your guide will tell you about the relationship between the Chinese and Musqueam through time. You will also have an opportunity to learn about public art installations created by Musqueam Community members.

Tour #2: Musqueam Ecological Tour

Your guide will take you on a tour of Musqueam Creek, Vancouver’s Last Wild Salmon Stream. Enjoy a guided tour through historic Musqueam Creek - the estuary - where your guide will talk about a new flood gate project. The tour group will learn about how the salinity of the water in this area is important to the juvenile salmon as they prepare for the ocean. The Musqueam people have used the stream ecosystem for spiritual, physical, and mental well-being. You will learn a little about the plant life, why it is different from plants growing upstream and how our (Musqueam) people use some of the plants for medicine. Your guide will also link the stream back to traditional teaching through story and practice - pointing out significant archaeology and sharing information about historical events. It is important to note that Musqueam Creek was also the first stream visited by a European explorer. As Simon Fraser’s canoe paddled up the north arm of the Fraser River and into the mouth of Musqueam Creek on July 2, 1808, the ancestors of today’s salmon were there, witnessing his arrival form the currents beneath his canoe.

Tour #3: Cultural Education Centre & Museum Gallery Tour

The tour includes an in-depth tour of our new state-of-the-art Cultural Education Resource Centre. and the Museum Gallery space where many of our cultural heritage treasures are held. The gallery space is presenting its first exhibition, Baskets to Barter, June 21, 2013, followed by Te Ara: Maori Pathways of Leadership, opening August 2013. As well, this new facility houses authentic public art installations created by local Musqueam carvers, weavers, painters, and more.