The səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) will now oversee management and stewardship of a Burnaby park as a step towards reconciliation.
Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the City of Burnaby signed an agreement Wednesday to co-manage saltaɬ (Barnet Marine Park), formalizing a partnership between the two to preserve and protect the natural beauty of the area, but also the cultural significance of the park.
“I think it’s huge in the way of putting our face back onto the land in a big gesture,” said Tsleil-Waututh elected councillor Charlene Aleck.
The co-management agreement will create opportunities for Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Burnaby municipal staff to work together to develop recreational use of the park for the public and the nation.
City of Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley said municipal staff will manage the park daily and make sure it’s looked after and will work with the nation on making decisions around the park and how it will be used.
Barnet Marine Park is a culturally, environmentally and historically significant area in Tsleil-Waututh traditional territory, the nation said.
During the agreement signing ceremony, Aleck shared a few stories she heard on ties to the land.
“[My mom] swam back and forth from what we know now as our reserve to saltaɬ over here, and her little cousin would paddle in the canoe behind her. Many stories like that where they’d stop and eat fish and I remember them saying it was so clear you could see almost to the bottom of the inlet,” Aleck said.
“Having that rich memory of who we are and what we’ve done here, and having it portrayed in this way, gives us such good feelings,” she added.
On top of the agreement, the City of Burnaby relocated a pair of wolf eco-sculptures from the municipal hall to Barnet Marine Park facing the water.
The eco sculptures were designed by Tsleil-Waututh Nation elders with flowers surrounding the two wolves. Tsleil-Waututh Nation youth and Burnaby city councillors joined Hurley in planting the flowers together earlier this year.
“They are meant to symbolize our shared commitment to work and grow together towards a future based on understanding, mutual respect and collaboration,” Hurley said.
“This is an important accomplishment, but it’s just the beginning, and I look forward to continuing down the pathway, arm in arm together to reconciliation, as we know that’s our goal, but it’s going to take a lot of work to get there,” he added.
Aleck said the co-management agreement is a positive step forward, bringing Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s culture and history to the park, but also opening the door for future generations to see representation.
The councillor hopes now with the co-management agreement with Burnaby, it will be a starting point for other municipalities to follow suit.
“I feel like it’s a door that was never open for us in my childhood, but now for this generation and looking forward, it’s kicked open more opportunity, more self-belonging and more acknowledgement,” Aleck said.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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