Indigenous Place Names: təmtəmíxʷtən

In honour of BC’s beautiful forests and shorelines, I’m sharing an addition to our blog posts on Indigenous place names!

təmtəmíxʷtən — also known as Belcarra Regional Park — is a traditional village site of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. It’s located along the shoreline where Rocky Point Inlet joins with səlilwət/Burrard Inlet, across the water from Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park and Deep Cove. Whey-ah-Wichen is also a traditional village site, which I hope to highlight in a future post!

Whey-ah-Wichen and temtemíxʷtən host welcome poles carved by TsuKwatlon (Jonas Jones) that face each other from across the water, with each pole telling a significant səlilwətaɬ story. If you remember our post about the nearby Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park, you may recall that Say Nuth Khaw Yum means “Serpent’s Land”, referring to the story of sʔi:ɬqəy̓, the two-headed Serpent. Well, the temtemíxʷtən welcome pole is called “Serpent Slayer.” It tells the story of the səl̓ilwətaɬ warrior who slew the two-headed serpent, saved his people, and created a freshwater spring for the village of temtemíxʷtən! Read the full story (as well as the story of Whey-ah-Whichen’s welcome pole) here: Welcome Poles - Tsleil-Waututh Nation 

In 2021, təmtəmíxʷtən was renamed after the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) and Metro Vancouver signed an agreement to work together to protect and enhance the park, while also increasing public awareness about the TWN's cultural connection to the region. təmtəmíxʷtən means “the biggest place for all the people” in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, which better reflects the cultural context of the site’s past and its present identity. Check out the video below to learn how to pronounce it from Gabriel George of the TWN! 

təmtəmíxʷtən was the largest of TWN’s ancestral villages, mainly used as a winter village and food gathering site. It had been occupied from time immemorial until colonization, when diseases introduced by Europeans decimated the village. Learn more about the village’s past here. Today, the nation continues to have strong, ongoing cultural ties to the place, including stewardship initiatives in səlilwət, school & youth group trips, and community boating events! It is also extremely popular as a public park, and is often full of people walking, picnicking, fishing, paddleboarding, and playing in the summer.

I’ve grown up visiting this park on school field trips, and I always return to its network of short hiking trails as some of the first and last hikes of the year. The sweeping shoreline is home to a host of sea life, including small crabs, shellfish, barnacles, limpets, starfish, seaweed and several tidepools that kids delight in. I understand why this was a good village site — the plant and marine life of this place have been cherished for generations. These treasures deserve protection and care so they can recover, thrive, and remain healthy for generations to come. 

Together, the name change and welcome poles have helped many longtime park users learn about its history, and recognize the səlilwətaɬ precence and cultural connection. As TWN Chief Jen Thomas said in the renaming media release, it is a strong step towards “...putting the face of the Nation back on the territory.” You can listen to thoughts shared by Chief Jen Thomas, Gabriel George, and others on the day of the renaming ceremony here: https://youtu.be/0-zU37BNSyw 

If you’re looking for a place to enjoy this spring, I highly recommend visiting təmtəmíxʷtən! See the “Serpent Slayer” welcome pole, read about the site’s history, and enjoy the sweeping views of land and water. But take public transit or bike if you can — parking is limited, and the environment will thank you!

---

Author: Basil Giannopolous, Web & IT Admin

Image Credits: Map of səlilwət: “Coast Salish Place Names”, Bill Reid Centre and SNF New Media Lab via Bill Reid Centre: Coast Salish Place Names

Kayakers at təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra: “Belcarra”, Province of British Columbia via flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)