The Legend of ȽÁU, WELṈEW̱ tells the W̱SÁNEĆ creation story of survival during a great flood. The ancestors secured their canoe to a mountain peak with a great cedar rope, and when the waters receded, that place became known as ȽÁU, WELṈEW̱ — “Place of Refuge.” This story explains the origin of an important cultural landmark and its lasting role in W̱SÁNEĆ identity. The video shares this teaching so future generations and the wider community can continue to learn from it.

This film tells the story of how the W̱SÁNEĆ people came together to create their own school, guided by ancestral teachings and the flood story of ȽÁU, WELṈEW̱. Through elders’ voices, community celebration, and traditions expressed in language, art, and architecture, the school stands as a powerful symbol of decolonization and a source of cultural strength for current and future generations.

“I,ŚETEṈ E TŦE ĆESE ŚX̱ENÁṈs TEṈEW̱ – Walking in Two Worlds,” tells the story of the W̱SÁNEĆ community’s commitment to preserving the SENĆOŦEN language and cultural heritage through an education system rooted in traditional values. In the early 1970s, guided by elders and the mantra of “Indian Control of Indian Education,” the existing Day School was replaced with one of Canada’s first Indigenous-run school boards to protect children from assimilation and ensure their education was grounded in W̱SÁNEĆ language, culture, and values.