Living Legends

Living Legends shares stories from Indigenous Peoples in BC about the land and its stewardship, supernatural places and beings, ceremony and song–all of which are part of the great living legend that is the connection and aliveness of all things. 

Share  Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Living Legends
Living Legends are not just people.

They are the rivers, salmon, trees, songs, ceremonies, practices, and ways of knowing that have sustained Indigenous cultures for all time.

LANDS AND STEWARDSHIP, CEREMONY AND SONG

Living Legends is a video series that offers firsthand digital storytelling featuring Indigenous weavers and storytellers, dancers and language speakers, business people and community leaders who bring culture back and share it with others. Watch stories of the land and its stewardship, supernatural places and beings, plants and animals, ceremony and song–all of which are part of the greatest living legend–the connection and aliveness of all things.

SUSTAINABILITY, KNOWLEDGE, AND INNOVATION

Living Legends are stories from Elders and other Knowledge Keepers, adults who relearn culture and share their enthusiasm about new opportunities to apply Indigenous Knowledge, and youth who accept responsibility for carrying Indigenous culture and identity into the future with pride. The series also shares stories about sustainable ways of living together–Indigenous innovations in food security, architecture, and medicine. Indigenous Peoples are the original innovators and inventors and are skilled in adapting to changing environments, technologies, and circumstances.

CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND LEADERSHIP

Living Legends tells stories of activism and self-determination, land-based healing and knowledge, and culture and language. This collection of firsthand stories from the ones who came before, the living generation, and future generations of knowledge and landkeepers share knowledge and direction that is timeless wisdom for a good life for all.

Hear these stories and know that Indigenous culture is thriving and enriching life for all in BC.

Living Legends | Explore Our Stories

LIVING LEGENDS: BECAUSE OUR LAND IS BEAUTIFUL

Indigenous languages are complex systems designed to preserve the knowledge of and connection to the land. The Syilx People of the Okanagan Valley are not just for the land; they are of the land. They belong to it and honour the waters and mountains that have given all generations life.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: CEDAR IS LIFE

Cedar is the tree of life, and it is used by Indigenous Peoples for protection, ceremony, and in daily life. Making a small, simple item such as a bracelet reminds us of the limitless physical and spiritual gifts of the land.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: STONE, SMOKE & CLAY

Before the appearance of stainless steel cookware and convection ovens and after the introduction of white flour and sugar, Indigenous Peoples expressed and shared their cultures through food.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, BALANCE

Indigenous stewardship practices are informed by the collective observations and interactions of countless generations living in balance and reciprocity with nature.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: THE TEACHINGS OF THE SALMON

Not only does the salmon provide food, but it also offers wisdom to those who approach it with respect. The legendary salmon swims against the flow to complete its all-important mission; its endurance in hardship to achieve the higher goal is medicine it shares with the people.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: HONOURING OUR ANCESTORS

A traditional powwow dancer for thirty years, Mike Retasket honours the ancestors through movement. Each dip and hop on the grasslands is his way of saying thank you to the ones who came before; each feather he wears is a designation of responsibility to those who are yet to come.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: THE CIRCLE IS THE SHAPE

Round homes, based on a shape repeated in nature, are just one example of Indigenous innovation in architecture. Contemporary home builders now recognize the benefits of circular structures long-known to the Nlaka’pamux and other Indigenous Peoples.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: EXPERIENCING CULTURE THROUGH FOOD

The experience of gathering together to enjoy a meal is a celebration of success and survival. When we explore another culture’s food, we learn about available ingredients, seasonal practices, and local preparation techniques.

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: ONLY GOOD THINGS

Tanner Francois relearns old ways and shares his personal cultural journey with guests at Quaaout Lodge, located in Chase (east of Kamloops). Warm yourself by the fire, feel the

Learn More

LIVING LEGENDS: THE RIVER IS THE PEOPLE

Monty Stevens sees the Kispiox River change people. He has spent his life on the great Skeena and Kispiox Rivers and invites you to drift in beauty on waters that are home to a dynamic people, great grizzlies, and soaring eagles.

Learn More