Stone T’xwelatse, an ancestor of the Chilliwack (Ts’elxweyeqw) – one of the Stó:lō tribes, is a man who was born thousands of years ago and transformed into a four-foot-high granite statue as punishment for mistreating his wife.
Through his transformation he was to give lessons to the people on how to live together in a good way. For the Stó:lō, Stone T’xwelatse is a beloved ancestor; a stone man with a living soul.
Over one hundred years ago, Stone T’xwelatse was taken from Stó:lō territory. He was more recently discovered in Seattle in the collection of the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History. After a 14-year campaign, Stone T’xwelatse was repatriated back to the Stó:lō in 2006. As part of the exhibition, local photographer, David Campion will present a large-scale photographic installation depicting the human and geographic context of Stone T’xwelatse.
Man Turned to Stone: T’xwelatse - Catalogue
