Xá:ytem is an important Salish spiritual site, home to a significant Transformer Rock, one of the ‘Stone People’ found throughout coastal British Columbia. Sacred to the First Nations people of the area, this rock is a physical manifestation of Salish spirituality. The Stó:lo tell of the legend of three respected Stó:lō leaders were transformed into this stone by Xexá:ls – the Transformers – as a penalty for not sharing the knowledge of written language given to them by the ‘Great Spirit’. Xá:ytem contains the shxweli (‘life force’, ‘spirit’) of these three transformed people, and exemplifies the importance of Stό:lō oral tradition and teachings.Today, at Xá:ytem, you walk into the past to wonder and learn about life long ago and experience the living culture of today. In the last few years, over 200,000 school children and thousands of visitors from around the world have shared in the cultural and spiritual traditions of the Stό:lō people and heard the legends which have been carried over the generations. Through the traditional style Salish cedar longhouse, two pit houses (underground cedar-timbered circular dwellings), archaeology sifting shelter, hands-on activity stations and labs, Xá:ytem showcases thousands of years of cultural continuity. The site is open year round, Monday through Saturday, and the site guides are eagerly looking forward to welcoming visitors who wish to visit an authentic, easily accessible Aboriginal cultural experience.

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