Xa:ytem
| X̲áːytem | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hatzic, Mission, British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 49°09′05″N 122°15′06″W / 49.15139°N 122.25167°WCoordinates: 49°09′05″N 122°15′06″W / 49.15139°N 122.25167°W |
| Current use | Active archaeological site and museum |
| Designated | 4 June 1992 |
X̲áːytem /ˈhaɪtəm/ or /ˈhɑː.ɪtəm/ is an indigenous archaeological site and the name of a related museum run under the auspices of the Stoːlo people at Hatzic, British Columbia, Canada. X̲áːytem is approximately 80 kilometres east of Vancouver on Highway 7. It is reached via the bridge at Mission, about 15 kilometres from the border with the US state of Washington. The site was designated in 1992 as a national historic site of Canada, for its spiritual value to the Stoːlo people, as well as being one of the oldest discovered habitation sites at approximately 5000 years old. It is also known as Hatzic Rock.
Indigenous peoples occupied this area along the northern bank of the Fraser River for thousands of years. The historic peoples who encountered European colonists were the Stoːlo.
A large moss-covered boulder, known as a transformer rock and of deep spiritual importance, has survived from ancient times. According to tradition, the transformer god XaːIs was traveling through the land and encountered a man who was mistreating his wife. To teach him a lesson, the god transformed him into stone.
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