Canada’s Aboriginal people are intricately involved in the planning and hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. And in doing so, they are breaking new ground for Indigenous people around the world. “The Olympics are only the beginning,” says Tewanee Joseph, executive director and CEO of the Four Host First Nations.

The signs are everywhere: stunning Aboriginal artwork in the Olympic sport venues, an Aboriginal Pavilion planned for downtown Vancouver, Aboriginal musicians and dancers performing at Olympics-related events, and First Nations graphics on water bottles, sweatshirts and other Olympic merchandise. And, most striking of all, Aboriginal designs on the unique gold, silver and bronze medals that will hang around the necks of the world’s best athletes.

Aside from museums and tours, here are some other ways visitors wanting to connect with First Nations culture in Vancouver can explore the following.

Stanley Park Totem Poles

If Chief Thunderbird’s story seems a throwback to less politically correct times, these totem poles are a reminder that an old-style attraction can evolve into a respectful representation of First Nations culture. Situated by Brockton Oval (just follow the steady stream of tour buses to the site), interpretive panels explain to visitors the unique stories of each totem pole and the significance of the area to the local First Nations community.
www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/Stanley

Museum Floor at the Listel Hotel

“The Museum Floor guestrooms are often the first to fill,” warns Lise Magee, director of public relations for the boutique-y Listel Hotel on Robson Street. “Many people come to B.C. looking for a First Nations experience and these rooms seem to fit the bill.” Expect the warmth of cedar and hemlock furnishings, the muted color palette of a Pacific Northwest forest and, thanks to the hotel’s partnership with the Museum of Anthropology, original Northwest Coast pottery, prints and carvings by talented First Nations artisans.
www.thelistelhotel.com

First Nations signage and information cairns

Watch for these new signs and cairns being erected on the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler. “Every peak has inspired us, every place has a name, everywhere is laden with mythology” explains Ian Campbell, a hereditary chief of the Squamish First Nation and one of the driving forces behind this unique initiative intended to raise awareness of the local First Nations culture.