Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/964953
tourismvancouver.com 19 TVAN/AL HARVEY, PAUL JOSEPH (SANTA J. ONO), TVAN/SKWACHAYS LODGE/CRAIG MINIELLY/AURA PHOTOGRAPHICS (SKWACHÀYS LODGE), MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER T housands of years ago First Nations' ancestral lands were flush with cranberries, rivers were thick with salmon and cedar totem poles bearing families' crests framed long- houses. With 203 First Nations bands living in B.C., these connections to the land run deep. Here are some iconic ways to discover First Nations culture. Discover First Nations heritage Explore the legends and living traditions of the coastal peoples Santa J. Ono LOCAL INTEL GET FESTIVE: Join in festivities at locations around the region for National Aboriginal Day, June 21. Witness authentic First Nations theatre, dance, music and spoken word at the Talking Stick Festival in January. SEE The totem poles in Stanley Park are examples of visual language and an alluring entry point to First Nations culture. Go deeper: visit the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art, named for one of Canada's most acclaimed artists. Here, see Reid's 8.5-metre bronze Mythic Messengers. From February 2018 through January 2019, the Museum of Vancouver is hosting Haida Now, an exhibition featuring more than 450 historical artworks and artifacts in the uniquely creative tradition of the indigenous people of Haida Gwaii off B.C.'s northwest coast. The Museum of Anthropology at UBC offers an immersive look at Northwest Coast First Nations the moment you enter the Great Hall. See pieces from Coast Salish, Gitxsan, Nisga'a, Haida and Kwakwaka'wakw peoples. EAT Salmon n' Bannock Bistro honours First Nations foods like bannock bread with cedar jelly and delectable Indian candy made from wild salmon. EXPERIENCE For a history lesson on the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, paddle Indian Arm in a 25-foot canoe with Takaya Tours. Or take a Talking Trees Tour in Stanley Park with Aboriginal & Eco Tours. SHOP Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery in Gastown sells museum-quality pieces such as Isabel Rorick's spruce root Frog Basket. In North Vancouver visit Khot-La-Cha Art Gallery & Gift Shop to find contemporary eagle-motif bags by Corrine Hunt (she co-designed the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games medals). EXPLORE MORE: Visit Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler to see the 40-foot-long Salish hunting canoe, named Nexws Chachu7. STAY Bed down at Skwachàys Lodge, an aboriginal boutique hotel featuring the Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery and a sweat lodge. Its 18 suites each tell a cultural story, such as the Moon Suite, which explores the relationship between the Moon and Raven – a trickster god. The University of British Columbia president and vice- chancellor reveals his favourite spots on the 993-acre campus. • NITOBE MEMORIAL GARDEN: This is a traditional tea and stroll garden, considered to be among the top five Japanese gardens outside Japan. • MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY: This Arthur Erickson-designed museum houses an extensive collection of indigenous artworks, including the iconic sculpture The Raven and the First Men by Bill Reid, which used to be featured on the Canadian $20 bill. Check out UBC's other museums, like the Beaty Biodiversity Museum with its blue whale skeleton. • CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: One of my personal favourites, it was designed by architect Bing Thom in the shape of a cello.