The burial site popularly referred to as Burrard Cemetery lies in the western part of Burrard Inlet 3, the principal reserve of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a Coast Salish indigenous community on the north shore of Burrard Inlet in what is now North Vancouver, British Columbia. The Nation traditionally calls itself səlilwətaɬ — “People of the Inlet.”

This cemetery is a community burial ground for Tsleil-Waututh members. According to planning documents from the Nation, it is a small fenced site of about 0.38 acres, with “rows” of plots and space for future burials; it also functions culturally as a place where descendants “reconnect with our ancestors” and carry out ceremonies.

The Tsleil-Waututh Nation cemetery is not just a burial place; it is a living community space. It is where Nation members reconnect with their ancestors, carry out ceremony, and learn their own history in a way that is rooted in the land. It holds memory, responsibility, and continuity. It is also, very simply and very profoundly, the final resting place for Tsleil-Waututh people.

History:

The founding date of the cemetery as we know it today, is unclear. Before European contact, Coast Salish burial customs could involve tree interments, where bodies were wrapped in cedar bark as part of spiritual practices. The earliest reference we have to the cemetery at Burrard Inlet 3 is the oral histories of the death and burial of Waut-salk II.

Chief Waut-salk II (circa AD 1770–1840) was leader of the Tsleil-Waututh people. He was killed in battle with “Northern Raiders” from “an overplus of arrow wounds” at Indian River and laid to rest on Boulder Island. Around AD 1874, his son and Tsleil-Waututh leader James Sla-holt collected the remains of Waut-salk II and other bones there and brought them to the cemetery at Tsleil-Waututh (Burrard Inlet 3) for reburial¹. The oral traditions suggest there was already a burial ground, but the earlier origins are unknown.

Future:

The future of this cemetery is something that has to be carefully planned. A recent study shows there are currently 136 burial plots in use. The cemetery is laid out in roughly ten to eleven rows, with space for about forty plots in each row. The fenced area itself is about 0.38 acres. Using standard North American cemetery planning estimates of 800 to 1,250 plots per acre, that means the existing space could hold somewhere between 300 and 475 burial plots in total. With 136 already occupied, that leaves capacity for approximately another 165 to 340 burials within the current boundaries.

Demographic modeling adds another layer to this story. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation anticipates about 84 deaths in the next 20 years, 314 in the next 50 years, and nearly 1,000 in the next century. Based on those projections, the cemetery as it currently exists is expected to be able to serve the community for roughly another 35 to 50 years. That timeline can change depending on death rates, on whether families choose burial or cremation, on whether members choose to be buried elsewhere, and on how community practices evolve over time.

Repatriation of Ancestors:

Repatriation is another important factor that reshapes how we think about space in this cemetery. In 2023 and 2024, construction began on a Mortuary House within the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Cemetery². This building is specifically intended to support the return of Tsleil-Waututh ancestors to their home territory. It creates a dedicated place for ancestors to return home, be cared for, and honoured before reburial. This is a powerful statement of sovereignty and cultural continuity. It acknowledges that the cemetery is not only about future burials, but also about bringing ancestors home after generations of displacement caused by colonial development, archaeology, and museum collection practices.

Conclusion:

So this cemetery holds multiple timelines at once. It is a place for today’s families. It is a place for future generations. And now, through the Mortuary House, it is also a place of return. A place where ancestors who were taken from their lands can finally come back to rest among their own people. That transforms the cemetery from being only a burial ground into something larger: a site of healing, reclamation, and cultural restoration.

This is exactly the kind of space that reminds us that cemeteries are not silent. They are active witnesses to history, to resilience, and to the ongoing work of remembering who belongs to the land, and why that still matters.

References:
Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Tsleil-Waututh Nation Land Use Plan: Educational Booklet. 2019. Page 56.

1. /https://twnsacredtrust.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Morin-Expert-Report-PUBLIC-VERSION-sm.pdf ↩︎
2. https://twnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-24-TWN-Annual-Report_DIGITAL-Public-Version_Final_smaller.pdf
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