Project 57 Week 5: Skwxwú7mesh name for area around Burnaby Mountain

The names we know for the local mountains, rivers, lakes, etc. are typically the names given to them by settlers. Sometimes the names became Anglicized versions of the Indigenous language. These colonial names replaced the names Indigenous peoples knew and know these places by.  

Burnaby Mountain itself doesn’t have a name in Skwxwú7mesh, and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw member Khelsilem shared this is because names were “based off sightlines from the water” and that “not every landmark had a name if it wasn’t part of the regular canoeing travel routes.” While commonly referred to as the name for Burnaby Mountain and the surrounding area, Lhukw’lhukw’áyten historically refers to the area of Barnet Marine Park. 

 So what does it mean? Khelsilem breaks the word down in a blog post. Lhúkw’ is the verb for “peeled off” and a related verb is Lhukw’un which means “to peel (something)”. Lhúlhukw’ay is the word for arbutus tree. For anyone unfamiliar with them, the bark on arbutus trees is always peeling off. Lhukw’lhukw’áyten then means “place of arbutus trees” (Khelsilem’s blog) or “where the bark gets peeled in the spring.” (Bill Reid Centre). 

For more information, check the resources: 

• Bill Reid Centre, SFU, Lhkw’lhukw’áyten
• Khelsilem, Does “Burnaby Mountain” have a Skwxwú7mesh name? 

The next posts for Project 57 are going to introduce you to the Nations where SFU is located: xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), Səmyámə (Semiahmoo), and sc̓əwaθən (Tsawwassen).

The Decolonizing the Library Working Group invites everyone to learn alongside us with Project 57. This project is a response to the TRC Call to Action 57, which calls on "federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples." 

For more information visit Indigenous Initiatives.