Before the Finns
Tlatlaskudis
Before the Finns invites you to learn about the often untold stories of Malcolm Island. Residing in the unceded Kwakwaka’wakw Territory of the ‘Namgis, Kwakiutl, and Mamalilikala First Nations, Malcolm Island was first known as Tlatlaskudis. It means Seaweed Opposite Beaches in Kwak’wala, the language of the Kwakwaka’wakw people.
Though the story of this island is often mentioned in tourist magazines and academic papers with the Finnish immigration wave of 1901, its story spans far beyond. This exhibition highlights the island’s historical Indigenous heritage and history, which has survived over a century of colonization.
Before European settlers arrived Seaweed Opposite Beaches wasn’t an isolated or uninhabited place; it was a dynamic hub for seasonal villages, berry harvesting, halibut fishing, and tool making. An oral history from the Kwakiutl Nation speaks of burial trees near Pulteney Point. Clam middens, petroglyphs, and culturally modified trees are still on Malcolm Island, having outlasted the political landscape and settler changes.

A rich cultural tapestry

plan your visit
Every journey to Sointula begins and ends with a boat trip – it’s part of the adventure!
