‘Rerighting’ history - c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city

Summary

c̓əsnaʔəm is an ancient Musqueam village and cemetery located in what has become contemporary Vancouver. Over the past 125 years, archaeologists, collectors, and treasure hunters have mined c̓əsnaʔəm for artefacts and ancestral remains for their collections. The land has also been given various names since colonialism, including Great Fraser Midden, Eburne Midden, DhRs-1, and Marpole Midden. Today, intersecting railway lines, roads, and bridges to Vancouver Airport obscure the heart of Musqueam’s traditional territory, yet c̓əsnaʔəm’s importance to the Musqueam community remains undiminished. In 2012 c̓əsnaʔəm became the subject of public controversy and debate when burials were exposed during construction. This led to a 200+ day community vigil at the site and eventual purchase of the property by Musqueam. Intense public debates took place about the rights of private property holders versus the rights of Indigenous communities and the very nature of public space. Who defines heritage? Who decides what is preserved? Whose heritage is celebrated? c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city is a series of three museum exhibitions pointing to the city and histories of development with a new lens. In this talk we discuss the role of community voice and public archaeology in this exhibitions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16541