LANGLEY - When people ask about Kwantlen First Nation history and contemporary activities, the reply will soon be "there's an app for that."
The Seyem Qwantlen Business Group (SQBG) has partnered with edutainment tech company QuestUpon to create a variety of historical 'Quests' to learn about the Kwantlen First Nation and its traditional territory.
People can use their smart phones to take guided tours of Kwantlen areas.
"This is a wonderful and significant project to build lasting partnerships and to share our rich legacy and history as Kwantlen people in a new way," said Tumia Knott, SQBG president and a Kwantlen councillor.
The project also involves Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Anthropology students have already started curating the material to be used, and the project will be underway by summer. The release date of the Kwantlen Quests will be announced at a later date.
"The Quests to be created will have participants visiting various sites of significance to the Kwantlen people while learning about their rich history and culture in a fun, interactive way; geocaching, travelling back in time, answering trivia, seeing things in 3D augmented reality, and more!" said Miles Marziani, CEO and founder of QuestUpon and PlayMobility.
Seyem is the Kwantlen First Nation's business arm and is involved in economic and land development.
The most publicly visible initiatives so far are the lelem Arts and Culture Cafe in Fort Langley offering a modern twist on First Nations cuisine, and the Sxwilmele Gift Shop at the Fort Langley National Historic Site.
It also does construction, security, IT, and oversight of rentals of Kwantlen First Nation sites, such as for film and TV use.
For more information on the Seyem Qwantlen Business Group, visit Seyemqwantlen.ca.