tems swiya Museum facts for kids

The tems swiya Museum' is a special place that celebrates the culture and history of the First Nations people. It is owned and run by the shíshálh Nation and is located in a town called Sechelt (which is known as ch'atlich in the shíshálh language) in British Columbia, Canada.

The museum's name, "tems swiya," means "Our World" in she shashishalhem, which is the language of the shíshálh people. Inside the museum, you can find many interesting things. These include beautiful baskets made from cedar wood, amazing art, old photographs, and recordings of stories and songs. There are also ancient tools made of stone and a very old sculpture called The Grieving Mother. The museum is part of a larger area that includes cultural and administrative buildings. This area used to be the site of a school called St. Augustine's Indian Residential School, which closed in 1975.

The Grieving Mother: A Special Stone

The Grieving Mother, also known as Our Grieving Mother, is considered the most important item at the tems swiya Museum. A famous expert named Wilson Duff once said it was the "outstanding prehistoric sculpture in British Columbia." This special stone is about 3,500 years old. It was made to remember a chief's wife who tragically lost her life in the water after her only son passed away.

Discovery and Journey of the Stone

The stone was found in 1921. In 1926, Chief Dan Paull sold it to the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) for $25, so it could be kept safe. At the MOV, it was known as the Sechelt Image. The shíshálh people asked for the stone to be returned in 1976. However, at that time, they did not have a suitable place to keep it. The MOV offered to make a copy for them instead.

The Stone's Return Home

When the tems swiya Museum opened in 1994, the shíshálh Nation began talking again about getting their special stone back. These talks started up again in 2010. In October 2010, the stone was finally returned to the shíshálh people. Leaders went to the museum to prepare the stone for its journey home with special prayers and rituals. It was carefully wrapped in a blanket woven by Salish artists and placed in a wooden crate lined with cedar. The return of The Grieving Mother to the shíshálh land was a very happy event, celebrated with a special ceremony and a big feast.

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