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Land, Indigenous peoples, settlers, and today’s communities.

Since time immemorial, Ancestors of the people called K’ómoks today consisting of the Pentlatch, Ieeksan (eye-ick-sun), Sasitla (sa-seet-la), Xa’xe (ha-hey) and Sathloot (sath-loot) people have been the caretakers of this land, which they called the “Land of Plenty.” This Land of Plenty stretched from what is known today as Kelsey Bay in the north, down to Hornby and Denman Island in the south, and included the watershed and estuary of the Puntledge River, also acknowledging that these boundaries and place names are colonial constructs.

The K’ómoks First Nation refer to the lands between the bays of Comox and the Beaufort mountain range as the path between, it was a travel and trade route to the Alberni corridor and a connection to the indigenous communities on the western side of the island.

Land agreements included the 1884 Settlement Act stripped these lands for its caretakers. At the Museum we acknowledge that we are a colonial created institution, and I would like to thank Charlene Everson, Emily Shopland and Violet Williams for guiding the museum in early discussion on what reconciliation could mean for our organization and how we could create actionable steps; in maintaining a positive dialogue with a forward focus, sharing contemporary K’omoks narratives, and incorporating First Nation languages where they felt it appropriate. Their time and guidance helped us gain insight and learn how to best support their voice in our museum’s walls. This is an ongoing process and we have so much more to learn.

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About the Cumberland Digital Museum Project


The Digital Museum project came about after renovating the Cumberland Museum & Archives bricks-and-mortar building in 2021. Within the confines of a physical space, so many stories were left shelved, stored in archival boxes and rolled up on brainstorming documents to be shared in another time and space. Therein was born the idea of creating a digital museum. Various types of digital exhibitions exist, and virtual museum tours fill our social media feeds, but what if we could create something just a little more?

Our purpose in creating the Digital Museum is to expand the diversity of understanding towards the complex relationships of people with overlapping histories and complementing and competing values. We want to share Cumberland’s diverse and complicated histories beyond the geographical boundaries of the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island to provincial, national and international audiences. Our goal is to provide virtual visitors with a multi-dimensional visitor experience, to engage and explore Cumberland’s history through storytelling, fact-finding exploration and from within our collections.

Over the next year, we will curate content and develop more interactive narratives for you to explore. We value your feedback, development ideas, and areas of interest to build on. Feel free to connect with us here.

Digital Museum Curation

Curators of history museums are interpreters, listening, learning and searching for answers to questions, planned and unplanned.  They are tasked with the responsibility to ensure voices of the past are heard, that multiple perspectives are presented and that the facts are sourced and cited. The Cumberland Museum & Archives Digital Museum team worked to lay the foundations for visitors to place Cumberland’s history within a wider context while creating connections to the individual people, events and experiences that shaped our communities past and present.

Team Members

Amy Vandal | Digital Curator

Amy has been working in museums for more than a decade. She is fascinated by artifacts and the connection to the past one can feel when learning about them. In her free time, she likes to take care of her collection of living creatures, a cat, chickens, bushes, flowers and vegetables.

Dawn Copeman | Research and Interpretation

Dawn is a researcher, writer, photographer, historian and artist interested in all things Cumberland. She contributes 30+ years of local knowledge to the digital team. Leisure activities include daily walks in the Cumberland forest with her dog, searching for slime molds and other forest oddities.

Luke Earle-Wright | Digital Curator

Luke grew up in the Cairngorms of Scotland. He studied History at University before moving to Vancouver Island. Beyond the walls of the museum, Luke has a passion for the wilderness, spending his time either in the horse saddle, climbing, or sailing.

Rosslyn Shipp | Executive Director

Rosslyn Shipp is dedicated to preserving the rich history of community. Her extensive experience in museum leadership reflects a steadfast commitment to organizational excellence and fostering a deeper understanding of local history and culture. Through her work, she thoughtfully explores the evolving role of museums in contemporary society, championing their place as dynamic spaces for education, connection, and reflection.

Sophia Zhao | Digital Curator

Since university, Sophia has actively curated digital exhibitions in visual art and human history. She is passionate about exploring the depths of creativity and seeking new perspectives to view art and our world. Beyond work, she spends most of her time with her dog and hiking with friends.

Community Partners

Supported by

Y.P. Heung Foundation  The Government of Canada

About The Cumberland Museum & Archives

tuwa akʷs χoχoɬ ʔa xʷ yiχmɛtɛt (ʔa) kʷʊms hɛhaw tʊms gɩǰɛ.

For thousands of years, Indigenous people occupied the shoreline of eastern Vancouver Island in a place they referred to as “The Land of Plenty”. This Land of Plenty stretched from what is known today as Kelsey Bay in the north, down to Hornby and Denman Island in the south, and included the watershed and estuary of the Puntledge River.

The Cumberland Museum and Archives is located within these lands, the Unceded traditional territory of the K’òmoks First Nation, consisting of the Pentlatch, Ieeksan (eye-ick-sun), Sasitla (sa-seet-la), and Sathloot (sath-loot) people. The Museum acknowledges the indigenous groups of these areas as knowledge keepers and guardians who have cared for the land and water of this unceded territory since time immemorial.

The Museum has committed to implementing the Truth & Reconciliation Committee’s Calls to Action for Museums and Archives as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Museum is working with the K’ómoks First Nation to ensure that any content, stories, and knowledge shared onsite or through the digital museum is generated by community members.

The late nineteenth century brought the arrival of settlers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, who placed overlapping values on the land of plenty. The Museum’s exhibits and collection explore important social, political, economic and environmental themes that reflect the Museum’s understanding and representation of Cumberland’s rich history. The Museum’s aims to celebrate the stories of the people who called Cumberland home. They are at the very core of the Museum and as integral as the objects and documents found within. These diverse voices provide an exciting, riveting, and sometimes challenging juxtaposition of perspectives within our activities, programming, and exhibitions.

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