Duncan, the City of Totems is the ancestral home of the Cowichan tribes. The Cowichan Native village, located in Duncan, features cultural displays and demonstrations of totem carving, weaving, silver smithing, beadworking as well as Native dancing and a delicious salmon barbecue. Pick up a pamphlet at the Info Centre, showing the location and history of each of the city's many totem poles, following the yellow footsteps. Many excellent Native art galleries and shops are located here including one that represents more than 100 B.C. artists. Heritage information and artificats can also be found in Nanaimo's District Museum as well as carvings in Petroglyph Park, estimated to be 10,000 years old.
Interpretive displays describe the locations and give details about the petroglyphs.
The Museum at Campbell River - Inside the First Nations gallery, large showcases feature the Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu chah nulth and Coast Salish cultures, including masks, basketry, woodworking, fishing and ceremonial objects. An adjoining room offers a light and sound presentation sequentially spotlighting an array of masks as the story of the Treasures of Siwidi is told. The Alberni Valley Museum has an impressive collection of baskets made from shore grasses and cedar bark, as well as other artifacts, some dating back 4,000 years, that were discovered at an archeological dig nearby. Art galleries in Tofino and Ucluelet offer fine examples of Native art with both historic and modern subjects. Visit the traditional Big House in Courtenay where Native displays include a scale model of a Big House, with traditional artifacts such as carved cedar masks, baskets, and totem poles.