We Are Still Here

— Beside the "Lookout" on Beacon Hill - m—qən —

There are messages in the landscape here, surviving traditional place names, and the soil itself preserves ancient stories waiting to be told.

This is the land of the Lekwungen People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. As you travel through the city, you will find seven carvings that mark places of cultural significance. To seek out these markers is to learn about the land, its original culture, and the spirit of its people.

The hill here is called MEE-qan which means "warmed by the sun." This seaward slope was a popular place for rest and play - a game similar to field hockey, called Coqwialls, was played here. At the bottom of the hill was a small, palisaded village that was occupied intermittently from 1,000 until approximately 300 years ago. The settlement was here for defence during times of war, and it was also important for reef net fishing. The starchy bulbs of the wildflower, Camas, were an important food source gathered in this area. The hill here is also known as Beacon Hill.

The numbers below [on the marker] indicate the locations of carvings by Songhees artist Butch Dick. These markers depict spindle whorls, a traditional tool for spinning wool.

Visit The Other Signs of Lekwungen Sites:
1. Songhees Park
2. The site of the South West Bastion of the Hudson's Bay Company Fort
3. Outside Victoria City Hall
4. Lower Causeway
5. Beside the "Lookout" on Beacon Hill (You are here)
6. Royal BC Museum
7. Laurel Point

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Show me all markers in:  Victoria, BC  |  Capital  |  07057  |  British Columbia  |  Canada

Beacon Hill Park
Beacon Hill
Giants Rooted Among Us
Twinning of Morioka, Japan and Victoria
World's Tallest Totem Pole
Finlayson Point
British Columbia Indians World Wars Memorial
Miss Marilyn Bell
"Tomorrow Run 91"
Le Legs De La Famille C

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