Explore Tse’K’wa’s 12,000-year history on June 21st

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — The Tse’K’wa Heritage Society will be hosting an event for National Indigenous Peoples Day on Wednesday, June 21st.

The event is open to everyone and will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tse’K’wa National Historic Site. Festivities include Dane-zaa drumming, a free barbecue lunch, and a chance to view the site’s latest upgrades.

Parking and a free shuttle service to the site will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Charlie Lake Pub, located at 12984 Jackfish Frontage Road. Parking at the site will only be available to Elders and those with additional accessibility needs.

Attendees will have the opportunity to access the historic Tse’K’wa cave through the site’s new interpretive trail and get a first glimpse at other recent outdoor infrastructure improvements, including the amphitheatre, archaeology dome, accessible outhouses, and kwa-zâawatsaádzéʔ—or old camp.

The society said that while infrastructure upgrades are still in progress, Tse’K’wa is opening for the day to share the latest improvements with the public.

Executive director of the society, Alyssa Currie, said the work that’s completed so far has been in preparation for a “visitor-ready experience.”

“Tse’k’wa has been a gathering place for many generations. On National Indigenous Peoples Day, we will celebrate these
past visitors and welcome new ones,” Currie said.

Society president Garry Oker encourages all interested residents to attend the event at the site, located at 12629 Butte Lane in Charlie Lake.

“It is great to have the opportunity to reclaim our national historic site. We welcome everyone to come and learn about 12,000
years of stories,” Oker said.

Tse’k’wa is one of only a few Indigenous-owned and managed National Historic Sites in Canada.

The Tse’K’wa Heritage Society resulted from a unique collaboration between Doig River, Prophet River, and West Moberly First Nations, who wanted to share their culture and history.