Nuxalk Mask, song and dance

The Nuxalk After School Childcare Centre, Asmayuusta, reflects Nuxalk cultural values through its extensive use of Western red cedar, a material central to Nuxalk architecture and education. Named after an ancestral learning style, the centre embodies the "3L’s"—Look, Listen, and Love—expressed in traditional Mask, Dance, and Song programs. Sourced sustainably from the Great Bear Rainforest under cultural harvesting permits, the cedar used in construction honors Nuxalk laws, with all parts of the tree incorporated into the building. Cedar’s acoustic properties, durability, and natural preservatives create an ideal learning environment for children. The building’s cedar cladding and trim connect to traditional longhouses, while four cedar poles anchor the structure. Designed in collaboration with the community, the centre is an important cultural hub that blends tradition and modernity in a warm, nurturing space.