Chilliwack Museum’s latest exhibit, Qoqo: High Water, is especially timely given the catastrophic flooding last fall across Sumas Prairie.
The exhibition opens Feb. 24 with an evening reception, taking visitors on a journey to the vast expanse that was once Sumas Lake, Semá:th Xó:tsa in Halq’emeylem, on what is now Sumas Prairie.
The flood-themed show considers the ebb and flow of local waterways, particularly in the ninth month of the Stó:lō calendar, Temqoqo: or High Water Time, when water levels of local rivers and streams rise with the snow melt water.
The lake, drained to create farmland in the 1920s, was vital to the Stólō way of life.
“Journey through the exhibition to discover the wildlife that once thrived in this area and historic weather events that shaped the landscape,” according to the Museum’s website. “Reflect on the environmental and cultural impacts of settlement, including the draining of Semá:th Xó:tsa.”
Qoqo: High Water, at Chilliwack Museum, curated by Kate Feltren, opens Feb. 24 at the museum, and runs until June 4. There were only a few tickets remaining as of Feb. 23 for 7 p.m. opening reception on Feb. 24.
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