Lyackson migration

Abandoned barn near the ocean — The UVic Ethnographic Mapping Lab is working with Lyackson to document the diverse history of Indigenous use and occupancy in and around Valdes Island.

The Lyackson Migration Project is a collaborative project to document the history of the migration of members of the Lyackson First Nation from their traditional villages on Valdes Island during the 20th century and life histories of families who have lived on the Island. Lyackson elders and community members have generously shared their family histories, stories, memories and knowledge about living on Valdes Island, and the circumstances around their peoples moves off the Island in the 20^th century. We have mapped out many of these stories out, alongside places of significance shared with previous researchers and community projects. This project can never be truly comprehensive, and needs to be seen as telling only partial story. It is not intended to be seen as a land use and occupancy study and is presented without prejudice to aboriginal rights, title and governance.

Lyackson (Leeyqsun) Migration Project Digital Map

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Many of the places on this map have embeded audio clips from Elders who have shared their histories. Click on the pictures in the place marks to activate these audio clips.

The circumstances around the migration of Lyackson members from Valdes Island is known by the community, but not well documented. Recording these oral histories and creating a digital atlas of important places provides support for Lyackson First Nation’s goals in sharing their history and moving forward with future plans. The project provides context about the larger issues and constraints behind a unique community like Lyackson’s current circumstances in respect of their lands.

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