Visit to Musqueam for National Aboriginal Day

Olivia and I learning about traditional Musqueam place names.

I was super excited to visit Musqueam, and I wish we could have stayed longer, but Olivia got called into an interview.  It was the first time either of us had been on a reserve, and we didn’t know what to expect.  While tentatively lurking around the entrance of the new recreation centre, a man named Brad with nifty tattoos spotted us, and he could tell that we were out of our element.  He welcomed us, and kept saying, “Don’t be shy,” every time we bumped into each other thereafter.  He broke the ice for us a little and made us feel welcome.  I hope that I can personally thank him for that some day.  My overall experience was great.  People were happy, and I witnessed numerous warm and tender exchanges.  During the welcoming ceremony, smoked salmon filled the air, drums were sounding, and to my delight, other Asian brothers and sisters were enjoying the day there too.  One thing that I really liked was the reverence with which elders were treated.  Respect for elders seems to be lost in general nowadays.  Though I enjoyed my experience at Musqueam, there was a point at which I asked someone an ignorant question, and I felt somewhat silly afterwards.  I was looking to buy some silver rings, each of which were engraved with different animals.  I was asking the woman selling them about the different meanings, and how one knows which animal suits them.  She told me that families have a crest, or you could choose one yourself after doing some research.  After a brief silence, I asked, half out of curiosity, half because I wanted to disrupt the silence, “So which one do you like?”  She replied that it’s not about “liking,” but that her family has a crest.  I felt embarrassed because she had just told me that families have their own crests, so it seemed like I wasn’t listening to her.  The lesson I learned from this exchange was:

• Don’t talk or ask questions just to break the silence.  “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive” Proverbs 17:28.

Moving along, I ended up getting this hummingbird ring:

“The hummingbird represents healing which can be physical, spiritual, or relational. Often called ‘The messenger of Joy.'” Design by Richard Krentz.

After more wandering, being shy, and not knowing how to talk or who to talk to, Sarah Ling finally showed up and was kind enough show us around and introduce us to people.  I am so glad that we went on this visit and I’m regretful that after 24 years of living here (I spent 3 years in Montreal), I’ve never gotten to know the Musqueam community, nor even knew where the reserve was (and one of my best friends is Musqueam!).  I hope I can sneak in another visit before I head north.