Tse’k’wa and Fort St. John Literary Society collaborate for Family Literacy Week

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — On the last day of January, the Tse’k’wa Heritage Society will welcome schoolchildren and their families to the “Rock House” for an educational event.

According to the Heritage Society’s executive director, Alyssa Currie, the event on January 31st will be in collaboration with the Fort St. John Literary Society, honoring Family Literacy Week.

The relationship between the two organizations stems back to 2023.

At the time, the Tse’k’wa was looking for opportunities to share “cultural literacy” so local residents could embrace the history of the Dane-zaa people in the region, says Currie.

“Winter is a great time for storytelling,” said Currie. “[It’s a great time for] connecting with people. We’re excited about people coming down to the cave.”

“Most of our events take place during the summer, so people are familiar with coming out to the site during the warmer months but may not have had an opportunity to come out during the winter.”

She hopes that the event, which aligns with a non-instructional day in schools, will attract families and students who want to learn through self-guided tours of the cave. 

“[It] will be a really great chance for families to come outside and get unplugged,” says Currie.

Staff members from Tse’k’wa will be on hand around a campfire, as will volunteers from Pacific Cambriam Energy, who will be handing out hot chocolate for attendees. 

Last year, the site located in Charlie Lake saw abundant activity.  Highlights included the Archeological Field School in partnership with the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC).

Simon Fraser University (SFU) also created a digital archive of excavations from the 1970s to the 1990s through the efforts of retired archeologist Dr. Jon Driver.

Driver worked on the site and coordinated funding through the Social Studies Humanities Research Council of Canada Grant.

Owned by West Moberly, Prophet River, and Doig River First Nations, Tse’k’wa is one of the few wholly-owned Indigenous sites in Canada.

The event, which coincides with other events during Family Literacy Week, will take place on January 31st from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. A full list of events is available on the Literary Society’s Facebook page.

Further information about the Tse’k’wa Heritage Society and the cave is available through the society’s website.