Museum at Campbell River in Campbell River, Vancouver Island, Canada | Museum

Welcome to the Museum at Campbell River. The Museum at Campbell River, is located in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. This year our Museum at Campbell River turns 50! Come celebrate with us.

The Museum at Campbell River showcases the living history of the region with exhibits and programs presenting the rich cultures of First Nations groups and our unique coastal lifestyles. The Museum at Campbell River includes a small theatre, an archives research centre, native plant garden and excellent gift shop. Highlights include Logging, the Salmon Fishing Industry, the Ripple Rock Story and First Nations exhibits.

The mythology and iconography of the Native Peoples of Vancouver Island, BC, are the main subject of carving, painting and decoration. Supernatural sky creatures such as the Thunderbird, Raven and Eagle and beings from the forest such as the Tsonokwa and Bukwus are often seen depicted on Masks and Totem Poles. There are also sea beings living alongside the great Guardian of the undersea world, Komokwa, these too were depicted in mask form and used in dance ceremony.

These mythical beings gave life to the wooden objects they decorated from dance rattles to house posts. In a traditional context the beings represented on Kwakwaka'wakw art depict ancient encounters between a family ancestor and that surpernatural being. A thunderbird does not represent the entire race of thunderbirds, but, rather, a specific named individual with an ancient connection to the family that owned the right to display it.