We are located on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən Territory, known today as the Songhees and Xʷsepsəm (Esquimalt) Nations. Camas was founded in 2007 to support the decolonization struggles of Indigenous peoples in the region known as British Columbia and beyond. Please take the time to read our Principles of Unity to learn more about us and our values.
We are located at 2620 Quadra Street, Victoria, B.C., on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən Territory. We are volunteer-run and collectively operated. Our operating hours are 10am to 6pm everyday, including holidays (except maybe Xmas and New Year’s).
The collective is named in honour of the camas plant, which is cultivated and harvested as a root vegetable by the local Lekwungen people.
With the advent of European colonialism, regional camas meadows were largely destroyed by cattle grazing, agricultural activity and urbanization. Recently, however, the Lekwungen have begun renewing their traditional harvest practices.
By naming our store after the camas flower, we are acknowledging the history of the territory on which our project is situated and the contemporary imperative for settlers to join the struggle against colonialism.
The collective envisions the camas flower flourishing on this land once again, as ecological renewal, local sustenance, and food security are central to creating a world free of capitalism and colonialism.
