Header image: Musqueam carving being done on Sea Island, which I had the privilege to help chip a bit off of as part of my internship with YVR Airport Environment department. Musqueam cultural education was integrated into YVR employee training consistently. (Marina Miller, 2019)
This semester has me in a major reading slump. I read over 60 books in 2025, but my course work has left me with little energy to read for fun at the end of the day.
Despite this, I read an excellent book about the life of Musqueam Elder Larry Grant this week. Thank you to my classmate Scott for recommending it. Scott is a talented horticulturalist who works at UBC, and is plugged into our natural world in a way I’m admiring more every day.
There are so many dimensions to Reconciling that are informative, emotional, and relevant to me. Larry Grant’s life story is told through conversations with writer Scott Steedman, making it very approachable.
In Larry’s description of growing up in Vancouver in the postwar era, I am reminded of my own grandmother. Hilkka was born to Finnish immigrants and graduated high school not far from Larry in the exact same year. Although, their lives were vastly different due to their ethnicities.
His experience in a rapidly transforming city teaches us how recently colonization happened. Larry remembers his grandparents well, who were born “before English was more than a whisper” in the area. He demonstrates how the cultural and physical landscape has changed in our cityscape, such as in Chinatown.
One of the main themes is Larry’s experience being both Chinese and Musqueam, and what this means both for his legal status and his own personal identity and perception of the world. He rattles off complex legal terminology, learned by spending “half a life in court, proving [he] exists.” It is a powerful story delivered with straightforwardness and a calm sense of humour.
As an urban planner in training, this book is also informative for my professional practice. Some sections dive into the complexities of Indigenous-led land development, and how they are trying to set up the next generation to thrive.
One case that Larry teaches us about is C̓əsnaʔəm, a Musqueam midden site. I did a piece about the fight for it’s protection back in 2020. On a recent journey to work in Richmond, I looked out over the river and saw the new TransLink bus facility they are building next to the SkyTrain bridge, and it got me thinking about the future of nearby C̓əsnaʔəm. I hope Musqueam is able to secure funding to do what they want on the site; as Larry mentioned, they are considering building some sort of educational centre there.
“The urban landscape works very hard to keep us disconnected from the deeper knowledge of the territory and its Indigenous inhabitants.”
I had the pleasure of meeting Larry when I was doing an internship at the airport, and he came to help us learn some of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. I remember raising my hand and asking the elders, “how many fluent speakers of the language are there in your community?” One of them simply answered, “You’re looking at it.” That’s a moment I’ll never forget.
It is important for me to continue learning throughout my life. The way we approach reconciliation will evolve over time, and as a Canadian and a future planner, it is essential that I stay informed and critical. Even with my prior understanding, this book taught me heaps about law, history, geography, economics, language, family, and culture. I would recommend it to everyone at home and abroad.
marina miller 
Thanks for the review Marina, glad you enjoyed the book. It could have been twice as long, Larry and I keep talking and he only says interesting things about Vancouver! Best, Scott Steedman
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