My grandfather made the house we live in today. He bought a trailer for $1,500 and used it as a framework that he mostly tore apart while renovating. He got building materials from people who were throwing away supplies, and he took a cabinetmaking class. 

With the help of some really good friends, our house was built. Before the house was completed, my grandfather met my grandmother. They lived in that tiny trailer—five people in the bedroom, three in the living room—for quite some time. Together with their cats and dogs, they all lived in that small trailer while my grandma was pregnant. 

Today, there are similar stories, still—stories of kids living in the laundry room because there’s nowhere else for them to stay. On the reserve in Mount Currie, living with your family is part of the culture. All your aunties, uncles, and grandparents live under one roof, in the same house that gets passed down through generations. 

There remains a lack of housing in Mount Currie and in Pemberton, making it hard for both new residents and long-time locals to stay in town. I know a lot of people who couldn’t afford to stay here any longer.

There is a large portion of cleared land on the site of the old Pemberton Music Festival grounds, between Mount Currie and Pemberton, that is being sold. That land used to belong to the Lil’wat Band, but was signed over without the knowledge of the Lil’wat people. We could be using the land for recreational purposes, such as a skate park, where they won’t tell us to leave because we are Indigenous. Or it could be used for Indigenous-owned shops, where we could share our culture with everyone. 

We would also benefit from having our own nursing home. When they need support they can’t receive at home, most of our elders are sent to Hilltop House in Squamish. Imagine the stress and sadness they feel when they are taken away from their homes and community and put in a place far away from their families. We have trained people in the community that could help staff a nursing home, which would also create more jobs for our people.  

Creating more affordable housing for our community is incredibly important. We need to think of the next generations to come, especially if we want our community to stay together. 

This article was written by Kiona Tilalus, and was first published in the Pique newsmagazine issue 30.24 on June 16, 2023.

Photo by Simon Bedford from https://lilwat.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/FINAL-Lilwat-Nation-AR19.pdf