A guided ground tour in Mission on March 15 explores the oral history of the Xe:xals or Transformers.
When the world was very young and the people lived with no guidance, the Great Creator either became the Xe:xals, or appointed the Xe:xals as guardians of the Sto:lo, to show the people how to live. The Xe:xals, three male bears and one female bear, travelled the earth to “make things right” again. People who were productive and good to their communities were transformed into useful commodities, such as salmon, beaver, or cedar, so that people would never be without. Those who were selfish and did not preserve their culture or contribute to the community were turned into stone. When the Xe:xals arrived at Hatzic, they found three good chiefs and gave them the gift of written language. The chiefs promised to teach the people the language and share the gift. However, when the Great Creator returned in the guise of a man, the chiefs had kept the language to themselves. When Xe:xals began to turn the chiefs into a stone, the men panicked. One chief began to teach the people as fast as he could, another began to cry, and the last began to sing. The Xe:xals rock still stands, and is said to hold the chief’s song for eternity.
Today Xe:xals is a National Historic Site, with carbon dating suggesting it is at least 9,000 years old. Recent archaeological digs have unearthed a longhouse that is believed to be around 6,000 years old, making it the oldest found dwelling in B.C. and one of the oldest in Canada. The importance of such a find makes Mission an integral place for the Stó:lō, but also Canadian history.
The guided ground tour is limited to 30 people. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-ground-tour-xaytem-mission-bc-tickets-771908628487.
Fri, Mar 15, 2024 (max 30 people)
10:30 am to noon
35087 Lougheed Hwy, Mission
For more information, contact Tara Rozenek at tara.rozenek@ufv.ca
03/15/2024