Ornaments

Our people adorned themselves with many types of ornaments, or jewelry, as a sign of beauty, individuality, and belonging. The ornaments pictured here include beads, many types of pendants, a labret, and what may be a small carving of a sxwó:yxwey mask. The labret is an ornament—sometimes called a lip plug—worn through the lower lip. The sxwó:yxwey is an ancient and very important ceremony of our Stó:lō people, whose origins are thought to come from Sq’éwlets territory.