| X̲á:ytem | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hatzic, British Columbia, Canada |
| Type | National Historic Site of Canada |
| Website | www.xaytem.museum.bc.ca/ |
| X̲á:ytem | |
|---|---|
| National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Municipality | Hatzic, Mission |
| Current use | museum |
X̲á:ytem is an archaeological site and museum run under the auspices of the Sto:lo at Hatzic, British Columbia, Canada, a suburb of Mission. X̲á:ytem is approximately 80 kilometres east of the city of Vancouver on Hwy 7 and via the bridge at Mission about 15 kilometres from the border with Washington State. The site is a National Historic Site of Canada.
The location of X̲á:ytem was in the years after alienation of native lands by colonization became over time a pasture adjacent to the highway, featuring a large moss-covered boulder. When the property was sold to a developer, and initial work begun on grading the site, concerns about the site's archaeological value prompted an examination by Gordon Mohs. The find was dramatic for its immense age, placing it among the oldest habitation sites in North America. Following the discovery arrangements were made for the transfer of the land to the Sto:lo for museum/archaeological purposes and the erstwhile owner compensated for the lost opportunity, which was to have been an extensive subdivision of the kind overlooking the pasture of X̲á:ytem from the brow of the hill above, which is the edge of the community of Hatzic.