About Us
Territorial Acknowledgement
The Sidney Museum and Archives is a settler-led organization located in Sidney/SETINES on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ – ‘The Emerging People’. The First Nations of BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁ,UTW̱ (Tsawout), W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), W̱SÍḴEM (Tseycum), and MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat) comprise the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
The W̱SÁNEĆ peoples have lived on and stewarded the lands of the Saanich Peninsula, the San Juan and Gulf Islands, and surrounding areas since time immemorial. Colonization of these lands and the policies and practices of colonial governments have dramatically impacted the lives of W̱SÁNEĆ peoples in damaging ways while benefiting those of settlers.
Territorial acknowledgement is only a small part of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. We encourage you to learn with us as we deepen our understanding of the systemic legacies of colonialism and deconstruct our own colonial practices and patterns of thought. We invite you to challenge us if you feel we could be doing better.
Some of the words in this statement are in the SENĆOŦEN language of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. As W̱SÁNEĆ peoples reclaim their ancestral language, we commit to affirm the use of this land’s SENĆOŦEN place-names.
Please visit the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council’s Resource for Settlers to learn more and access further learning resources.
The Sidney Museum
The Sidney Museum was established in 1971 with a mandate to collect, preserve and display significant historical artifacts and archival materials from the area. It has proudly served the communities of Sidney and North Saanich ever since.
To date, the permanent museum collection contains over 8,000 artifacts, many of which are regularly exhibited in the Sidney Museum’s permanent exhibition galleries. The aim is to ensure these local treasures are, and remain, available to the public.
In addition to its permanent exhibits, the Sidney Museum also features travelling exhibits from other institutions across Canada in a variety of subjects from health in space to Indigenous languages in BC. Visit in January-March for the renowned LEGO® brick exhibit.