Dane-Zaa Cultural treasures return to Tse’k’wa

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — With onlookers surrounding the amphitheatre at Tse’k’wa Heritage site, a repatriation ceremony was held on July 31st.  

Cultural objects, stemming from historical excavations begun in the 1970s, were returned to Tse’k’wa, a non-profit organized by Doig River First Nation (DRFN), Prophet River First Nation (PRFN), and West Moberly First Nations (WMFN) back in 2012.

Elders, Council members from each First Nation, and Indigenous education students were on hand to participate in the ceremony, which began with a performance by DRFN drummers.

For the heritage society’s president, Garry Oker, a member of DRFN, the repatriation is part of telling the story of Dane-Zaa descendants who inhabited the lands generations ago.

“I feel very honored to do this as a work and following the instructions of elders to say ‘Hey, you guys can do it,” said Oker. “ ‘You go ahead and do it; we’ll get behind you and support you to take the lead.’”

“It’s very fulfilling to do such an important thing. When we were younger, we always said, ‘Who are you? What are you going to do, and what is your purpose in life?’ Those are important concepts that we all need to understand with one another.”

The First People’s Cultural Council (FPCC), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and strengthening the vitality of Indigenous culture, language, and heritage, contributed to the repatriation ceremony’s funding.

Karen Aide, the FPCC’s manager of Culture and Heritage, called the repatriation an “important step” on the road toward reconciliation.

“For many First Nations, this work is only beginning in B.C. and will take generations, with long-term funding and changes to policies and legislation,” said Aide. “We are proud to continue to walk alongside B.C. First Nations throughout their repatriation journeys.”

The ceremony concluded with a tea dance, which attendees were encouraged to participate in, followed by lunch in the site’s new archaeological dome.

On display were actual artifacts, including stone tools, animal remains, and notes from the excavations done by SFU in 1979 and 1983.

John Driver, professor emeritus from the Burnaby institution, headed the excavations from 1983 onward and told energeticcity.ca it was “the right thing” for the pieces to return.

“Archaeological materials should be held in the community they came from,” said Driver. It’s the correct way to end my time on the site. The materials will be looked after by people who will care for them.”

The Tse’k’wa heritage site, which features a cave believed to date to the Ice Age, is one of Canada’s few Indigenous-owned and operated heritage sites.

The application for repository status– reflecting three years of cultural consultations, infrastructure improvements including trails to the cave and signage, and policy development – was officially approved by the BC Archaeology Branch This March, succeeding the digital repatriation in February.

Visit Tse’k’wa’s website for further information about the society and the cave.