“I’m very happy to see the people come up to Hatzic to see this rock and this place here where a long time ago our ancestors used to live.”
—- Stó:lo Elder James Louie speaking at XÁ:YTEM, September 1991
One of the things that makes XÁ:YTEM unique is the blending of science with Native oral tradition. At XÁ:YTEM students are afforded an opportunity not only to see archaeology in action but also to explore the science of archaeology for themselves.
Archaeological evidence from XÁ:YTEM is physical testimony of long term Stó:lo presence, cultural traditions and spirituality. It also demonstrates that ancestors of the Stó:lo were a socially developed sedentary society of people who fished for salmon, systematically harvested the forests, traded over great distances and practiced a life rich in ceremony.
Open year round!