Indigenous Learning & Projects Grant for Visitor Services: Rossland Visitor Centre

Since 2022, Visitor Centre staff across BC have deepened their understanding of local Indigenous cultures, histories, and tourism experiences through Destination BC’s Indigenous Learning & Projects Grant for Visitor Services. Delivered in partnership with Indigenous Tourism BC, the grant supported 47 community Visitor Centres in collaborating with First Nations on meaningful projects that build stronger relationships and help share Indigenous stories with visitors—respectfully and authentically.

One of these stories comes from Rossland, where Visitor Centre staff worked closely with Sinixt members to honour their heritage and culture.

Project Goal

With a goal of improving representation of Sinixt heritage and culture in the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre (also known as the Rossland Visitor Centre), Visitor Centre staff leveraged the Indigenous Learning & Projects Grant for Visitor Services to secure funding that would make this vision a reality.

The team established an initial relationship with Sinixt members through multiple consultation sessions, which focused on research, language and design, and territory sign content. Among the Sinixt members consulted were Marilyn James, Autonomous Sinixt Matriarch and Elder; Taress Alexis, Autonomous Sinixt Matriarch and weaver; and Spirit Peoples, a Sinixt and Nespelem member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and a cedar carver and multimedia artist. 

Project Outcomes

During the first phase of the project, the Rossland Visitor Centre collaborated with Sinixt members and Spirit Peoples to develop a Territory Acknowledgement Sign. The cultural symbol, which depicts the conclusion of the traditional Sinixt oral story The Mountain Goat and the Origin of the Huckleberry at Kettle Falls, was unveiled at a well-attended event with the Autonomous Sinixt, the Rossland mayor, and other members of city council, community members, and Visitor Centre staff.

The second phase of the project involved four components:

• Installation of a didactic panel display on the theme of Sinixt and colonial contact. The original display was expanded to six panels to provide a more comprehensive view of the content.
• Development of informational pamphlets exploring Sinixt and colonial contact, including print and digital versions.
• Development of a Required Sinixt Cultural Base Knowledge Document to train new staff and update current staff comprehension of the Sinixt Nation.
• Language revitalization work, such as adding more sn-səlxcin (Sinixt language) words and their meanings to content presented at the Rossland Visitor Centre. Learnings from this component were applied to other projects, including a new permanent exhibit at the centre titled Gifts of the Ancestors: Crafts & Knowledge of the Sinixt Way, which introduces sn-səlxcin words related to traditions with cedar.

Project Impact

Following the unveiling of the Territory Acknowledgement Sign, Rossland Visitor Centre staff have experienced regular engagement from visitors on its meaning along with positive feedback for its cultural importance and aesthetic beauty. Visitors have been heard practicing the word for Red Mountain (kmaʔrqn̓) and have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Sinixt in their homeland.

Visitor Centre staff are better able to recall the scope of Sinixt territory, with the internal Required Sinixt Cultural Base Knowledge Document and public-facing brochures supporting an improved understanding of the cultural, social, and political realities imposed on the Nation, both historically and currently.

Project Learnings

Using  funding through the Indigenous Learning & Projects Grant for Visitor Services, Rossland Visitor Centre staff pursued valuable learnings with Sinixt partners. Challenges did arise, mainly owing to the limited number of Sinixt individuals who can work directly in their cultural resurgence, compared to the amount of work to be done and the reconciliation initiatives still required. However, Nation members who were able to share their time offered important insights and knowledge that supported Rossland Visitor Centre staff in learning how to authentically and respectfully share Sinixt culture and history with people from around the world visiting the West Kootenays.

“This project really went well when we had the opportunity to work closely with Indigenous partners and in our own independent research. These components were the impetus for the growth in scope for this project, and both our organization and our Sinixt partners recognized the importance of presenting the work we collaborated on in a more thorough manner.” – Rossland Visitor Centre

Project Photos

📷From left to right, Autonomous Sinixt Elder Lou Stone, Autonomous Sinixt Matriarch and Elder Marilyn James, and Sinixt and Nespelem Artist, Spirit Peoples with his wife Viola Brown, Councillor of the Okanagan Indian Band, and their family