Sto:lo ancient village draws visitors throughout the year

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The story of Xa:ytem is quite exceptional. The 9,000-year-old Sto:lo village, buried for centuries, was rediscovered in 1990 by archaeologist Gordon Mohs. It was his discovery that essentially rescued Xa:ytem, which means "sudden transformation," from the grips of a proposed housing development.

If you haven't yet visited Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre, you may be interested in some of the centre's upcoming events. On Dec. 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Xa:ytem will host a family day with special guest storyteller Simon James. On Dec. 9 from 5p.m. to 9 p.m., High Spirits and Savoury Bites will take place, featuring gourmet foods, wine and cheese.

Although the centre's story alone is remarkable, seeing all that Xa:ytem (pronounced Hay-tum) has to offer can easily transform a historical account into a tangible experience.

Located just east of Mission on the north bank of the Fraser River, the centre welcomes thousands of visitors each year to discover for themselves how the Sto:lo people lived 9,000 years ago. Annually, more than 13,000 students from kindergarten to post-secondary, and 4,000 other visitors explore the cultural experience at Xa:ytem. Open year-round, the centre offers workshops in basketry, drum making and cedar weaving.

According to assistant manager Betty Peters, the response to the tours and programs offered at Xa:ytem has been very positive.

"There aren't a lot of educational sites like this," she said. "We have interactive programs, both cultural and archaeological. We also have outreach programs."

The centre is staffed with cultural interpreters whose knowledge of the subject matter is impressive.

Roy Charlie is one such interpreter, who learned much of what he knows of his ancestry from his grandparents, who raised him in traditional Sto:lo culture.

What Charlie learned through his grandparents' storytelling he imparts to thousands of visitors each year, while guiding them through the longhouse and the two underground pithouses, called skumels.

"People would have lived in pithouses in the colder, northern regions," explained Charlie, noting that because the skumels are built underground they are temperature-controlled during all seasons.

Charlie noted that several youth in a leadership program who were journeying down the Fraser River recently stopped in and stayed overnight in one of the skumels.

"They wanted to experience the way we lived," said Charlie, adding, "We do all the hands-on stuff here. We're making it practical not just historical."

From salmon preservation to the endless uses for cedar, Charlie and the cultural interpreters at the centre can answer pretty much any question, bringing visitors as close as possible to seeing the way things were centuries ago.

Another unique feature of Xa:ytem is a huge rock, which sits at the crest of the hill and can be seen from Highway 7.

A site of spiritual power, the rock is known as one of the Fraser Valley's famous "stone people."

The centre is one of the venues in this year's Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival, to be held from Nov. 19 to 21 at various locations in the valley.

For more information on the workshops and tours at Xa:ytem call 604-820-9725 or visit www.xaytem.ca.