X̱wáýx̱way facts for kids

X̱wáýx̱way (pronounced "Hway-hway") was an important First Nations village. It was located in what is now Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. You can find the spot near where Lumberman's Arch is today. Many Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-waututh people lived here. The village's name comes from a mask ceremony. So, x̱wáýx̱way means "masked dance performance." After European settlers arrived, the people living in X̱wáýx̱way had to move to other villages nearby.

History

An Ancient Village

People lived in X̱wáýx̱way for more than 3,000 years. It was one of many villages along the shores of Burrard Inlet, where Vancouver is now. The land had many resources like food and materials. Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-waututh peoples used these resources. X̱wáýx̱way was a very important village. It had many large homes, and each one was home to a big extended family.

Life in the Big House

By the late 1800s, X̱wáýx̱way was the largest village in what is now Stanley Park. The village had a huge longhouse, which was like a very long house. It was about 60 meters (nearly 200 feet) long and 20 meters (about 65 feet) wide. This big house was built using large cedar posts and slabs of wood. About 11 families, or around 100 people, lived together in this one house.

In 1875, a large potlatch was held at this house. A potlatch is a special ceremony where wealthy families share their belongings and traditions. City records from that time even mention this event. An officer suggested taking down the buildings because of a smallpox outbreak.

Changes and New Roads

In 1886, a transcontinental railroad opened, connecting Canada from east to west. This caused Vancouver to grow very quickly. What we now call Stanley Park was made a military area in 1859. The First Nations people living in Vancouver, including those in X̱wáýx̱way and nearby Senakw, were seen as stopping this growth. They were moved to special areas called reserves. This process was made easier by a law called the Indian Act in 1876.

In the 1880s, people surveying the land and building roads tore down X̱wáýx̱way. They were creating the Park Drive road that goes around Stanley Park. In 1934, an elder named August Jack Khatsahlano shared a memory from his childhood. He said, "We was inside this house when the surveyors come along and they chop the corner of our house when we was eating inside... We all get up and go outside see what was the matter." His sister, who spoke a little English, asked the man why he was doing it. The man replied, "We're surveying the road." His sister then asked, "Whose road?"

Burial Traditions

An expert on local cultures, Charles Hill-Tout, found several skeletons during an excavation near X̱wáýx̱way. In the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) traditions, people who had passed away were placed in special bentwood boxes. These boxes were then put high up in trees. Some important people or families were placed in cedar dugout canoes.

A New Name for the Park?

In 2010, Squamish Nation chief Ian Cambell suggested that Stanley Park should be renamed Xwayxway Park. This would honor the ancient village that once stood there.