Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet)

Abstract

Almost every year of my life since the summer before grade three, I’ve gone on family vacation with my parents and twin sister, driving from Calgary, Alberta, to Vancouver Island. We take the ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo. My favourite places to go while we are there are Ucluelet and the surrounding national park, Pacific Rim. The road to Ucluelet is long, narrow and semi treacherous, as there are lots of twists and turns and only one highway, which can represent the struggles of colonialism, and how this land is part of the unceded territory on Vancouver Island, even though this road was built as a result of colonialism. Taking this class, as a settler, has caused me to be more curious about Ucluelet, and how its history and recent decolonial efforts will shape how communities tackle colonialism, especially in tourism-based towns.