Revitalized Exhibition at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

In June 2025, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler, British Columbia, unveiled its revitalized permanent exhibition. The refreshed gallery space celebrates the living cultures and histories of the Squamish Nation and the Lil’wat Nation while honouring the enduring partnership that has existed between them since time immemorial.

Know History was honoured to work closely with SLCC leadership and curator Alison Pascal to guide this revitalization project. Together, we developed an Interpretive Plan that ensured the new exhibition:

• Reflected a balance of content between the two Nations
• Highlighted the Squamish and Lil’wat languages—Skwxwú7mesh sníchim and Ucwalmícwts
• Featured oral history and testimony from Nation members
• Emphasized the close relationship of the Nations with the land and with one another
• Included updated understandings and conventions from 2008 to the present

Community collaboration was central to the process. Extensive engagement sessions were held with both Nations to ensure all design and interpretive elements reflected cultural knowledge, perspectives, and priorities. The new exhibition incorporates font, colour, and symbolism significant to each Nation, alongside imagery and narratives rooted in the surrounding territory.

Exhibition fabricator Three Dimensional Services produced and installed over 50 new elements, including interpretive panels, display cases, and digital features. The result is a dynamic, community-informed gallery that brings renewed energy to the SLCC’s mission of sharing and celebrating the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations’ stories.

The revitalized exhibition was welcomed in June 2025 with a community celebration that included traditional regalia, drumming, singing, and words of reflection from Squamish and Lil’wat leaders and Elders. The event highlighted the strength of the partnership between the two Nations and the importance of creating a space that continues to share their voices and stories with future generations.

Read more about our involvement in this important project here.

To learn more about the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, visit their website: https://slcc.ca/