Our future home for Tla’amin belongings, language, and story.
ɬawšəs is not open yet. The fire is being rekindled first, in the plans, the partnerships, and the collections work that will let this place hold what it needs to hold. This page will grow as the museum does.
The plan for ɬawšəs
Tla’amin Nation has released Rekindling the Fire, a five-year plan to guide the development of ɬawšəs (thlow shesh), the Nation’s first ever museum. The plan sets out how Tla’amin will build and care for its collection, tell its story through exhibits, train the people who will run the museum, embed it in daily life, and work alongside Sister Nations and coastal museums as ɬawšəs takes shape.
ɬawšəs means left behind on purpose. It is drawn from the story of the Dog Children, in which a čičyɛ buries an ember in a clam shell so her granddaughter will have the gift of fire. Ever since Tla’amin masks, regalia, drums, and rattles were collected and burned in front of the Roman Catholic Church in the late 1800s, Tla’amin has been fighting to collect and preserve its material culture and heritage. ɬawšəs is the house where the Nation will keep what was left behind on purpose.
Rekindling the Fire is dedicated to the Tla’amin Elders and Ancestors who, through everything that was taken, protected the Nation’s belongings, teachings, and stories, and left them behind on purpose so they could be found again. It is dedicated, too, to the knowledge keepers and the team carrying ɬawšəs forward today, and to the children who will meet their ancestors in this house.
The plan builds on work already underway and guidance from the Tla’amin Culture Committee and was approved by motion of Executive Council on July 15, 2026.
This plan is dedicated to the Tla’amin Elders and Ancestors who, through everything that was taken, protected our belongings, our teachings, and our stories, and left them behind on purpose so that we could find them again. It is dedicated, too, to the knowledge keepers and the team carrying ɬawšəs forward today, and to the children who will meet their ancestors in this house.
5 Goals
Adopt a museum mandate and collections policies, secure display cases and archival supplies, procure collections software to catalogue the collection, and build proper climate-controlled storage.
Develop permanent and rotating exhibits, build a virtual exhibit to reach members living off-lands, and extend the story onto the land through outdoor and land-based exhibits.
Train staff in collections care, conservation, and curation, work toward recognition as an official museum and cultural heritage repository, and build a dedicated volunteer base.
Deliver education and programming with a focus on children and youth, centre wellness and ta-ow in the space, and welcome the community’s guidance through ongoing feedback.
Work with Xwémalhkwu (Homalco), Klahoose, and K’ómoks on shared heritage and storytelling, and sustain partnerships with coastal museums and post-secondary institutions.