Archaeology field school near Fort St. John reflects 12,500 years of Indigenous history

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An archaeological field school at a national historic site near Fort St. John, B.C., is offering a look into 12,500 years of First Nations history, finding pieces of ancient stone tools and animal bones.

Tse’k’wa is owned by Doig River, Prophet River, and West Moberly First Nations, whose Dane-zaa ancestors inhabited the site for generations.

“It’s an ancient site, an ancient archeological site. It really proves to us, to me, that we’ve been here,” said West Moberly Elder Laura Webb.

“The Dane-zaa people have been here for a lot of years, 12,500 years and probably longer. The artifacts that are found here are at least that old.”

A woman in a black long-sleeve shirt and vest stands outside with a wooden structure behind her. — West Moberly First Nations Elder Laura Webb sits in Kwą̂-ẕâa watsáádzéʔ or the ‘old camp,’ an ancestral gathering site now being used as space for cultural practices and teachings. (Marc D’Amours/CBC)

Tse’k’wa is one of over 57,000 known archaeological sites in the province, a record of human settlement in North America dating back to the last ice age. For the nations who run Tse’k’wa, the site is an opportunity to share their history, culture and language with anyone who’s willing to learn.

Visiting the space is open to the public, while work at the field school is done by University of Northern British Columbia students.

“It’s a gathering place. It’s a place where we want to teach our culture,” said Webb. “We get the opportunity to show people how we used to live and how much in harmony we lived with nature.”

A man uses a suspended screen device to sift through dirt. — Prophet River First Nation member Rueben Jackson sifts through soil, looking for any possible artifacts, such as flakes from stone tools or pieces of animal bones. He says it’s a meaningful experience to be part of the field school, having grown up hearing stories and mythology about Tse’k’wa. (Marc D’Amours/CBC)

Thousands of years ago, long-extinct giant bison roamed the Peace valley, as the area transformed from grassland to boreal forest after the receding of a glacial lake.

The area is also theorized to be a place of ritual, with two ravens found buried a thousand years apart. Ravens are spiritually significant across many Indigenous cultures.

Researchers have already found extensive evidence of stone tools, animal bones from an ancient grassland and even fragments of obsidian, which was rare and prized for its ability to hold a sharp edge.

A stone bead was also found at Tse’k’wa and is estimated to be 10,500 years old. It remains the oldest example of human adornment found north of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, according to researchers who started excavations at the site in the 1980s.

A pair of hands clasp a small chunk of stone with sharp edges. — University of Northern British Columbia department of anthropology professor Farid Rahemtulla holds a microblade core. It’s a piece of stone from which tiny, sharp microblades are chipped from. (Marc D’Amours/CBC)

Garry Oker, an elder with Doig River First Nation, said the artifacts align directly with the stories they were told as kids.

“Growing up, we hear about our people living amongst the giant animals and the changes of time and history, and their stories about ravens and animal people,” he said.

“And now we’ve really found truth in that. To see how that connects to our story.”

Oker is the president of the Tse’k’wa Heritage Society, which was founded by the three nations in 2012 to preserve the site as an interpretive centre with cultural teachings and community gatherings.

Tse’k’wa means “rock house” in Dane-zaa Záágéʔ, or Beaver language, and refers to the cave located at the site. Visitors can follow a trail down to the cave that’s lined with signs explaining the oral history of the site and how it is reflected in the archaeological record.

A man in a T-shirt and cowboy-style hat stands outside, with an archaeological dig happening behind him. — Doig First Nation Elder Garry Oker stands in front of a group of students digging at this year’s field school at Tse’k’wa. He says the archaeological work is important, connecting Dane-zaa people with their stories and mythology. (Marc D’Amours/CBC)

Alyssa Currie, the executive director of the Tse’k’wa Heritage Society, says 500 generations of Dane-zaa ancestors have made use of the site, with cultural practices from the past still being performed today.

“It’s a place where the Dane-zaa people have reclaimed their cultural heritage and are sharing their stories with the general public,” she said.

“Knowing that so many of these archeological artifacts can be tied to Dane-zaa stories that are still preserved in our community, is really exceptional.”