Creating Just Futures: Reflections on a visit to the Tsuu T'ina Cultural Museum

Reflections on a Visit to the Tsuu T'ina Cultural Museum

Recently, our Anti-Racism and Decolonization group visited the Tsuu T'ina Cultural Museum, an experience that stirred many emotions within me. As we stepped into the space, I felt an immediate connection to the land and Tsuu T'ina people. We had a wonderful guide that seemed to both capture and share stories of resilience, tradition, and a profound sense of belonging. But with each step and story told, I was also reminded of how disconnected I am from this land—a land that holds history, pain, and teachings far beyond my own understanding.

The visit began with inspiration. Seeing the lineage of chiefs, hearing the stories of their leadership, and witnessing the preservation of traditions filled me with awe. The museum alone is a testament to the enduring strength of the Tsuu T'ina people, who have fought to keep their culture alive despite the on-going forces of colonization. In those moments, I felt a deep respect for the fight to preserve identity, to hold onto the stories and traditions that define a people.

But as our time went on, that inspiration slowly became an overwhelming sadness. The more I connected with the rich history and culture of the Tsuu T'ina Nation, the more I realized how much of my own understanding of self and ancestry is rooted in colonization. My culture, my traditions, even the food I grew up with as a third generation Canadian/Jamaican—all of it has been shaped, altered, and in many cases, erased by the forces of colonization. What does it mean to know yourself when your history is a puzzle with so many pieces lost to displacement, violence and trauma?

After our visit we gathered to reflect and unpack. As a group, we dove into these feelings, discussing a few things: the parallels between the Indigenous and the immigrant experience, the generational pain of displacement, the struggle to hold onto culture in the face of assimilation, and how the deeper you connect with your ancestry, the stronger your sense of belonging becomes. 

One theme that stood out during our conversation was the role of reflection in building connection. It’s through reflection that we can begin to understand the depth of our disconnection, perhaps to Indigenous Peoples or land—and in that understanding, we often find the seeds of solidarity. When we take the time to reflect, we move beyond surface-level performative interactions and start to see the shared experiences in our struggles. Reflection leads to connection, and connection leads to solidarity and reconciliation.

I invite you to reflect on your own connections—to the land, to your culture, your ancestry, and to the people around you. Acknowledge first that this in practice is difficult, as we live in a world that often encourages disconnection. It requires deep intention to learn, unlearn and relearn. A process that could look like seeking out the stories that have been silenced, engaging the people around you in meaningful ways, and building a deeper understanding of the systems in which we exist. 

Written by Denyelle Fraser