Major new site and discoveries found at 11,000 year-old Indigenous settlement

“I couldn’t write this story in regards to its perfection.”

The site, found by Rondeau in 2023, continues to expand as new findings extend the perimeter. (Image Credit: Submitted/Dave Rondeau)

Now, a new chapter to the story is beginning to unfold. A second site, near the Âsowanânihk Ancient Indigenous Site, has recently been identified.

Rondeau said they believe the site is a 9,000 year-old Dene occupation, that currently remains completely untouched. They are keeping the exact location of the site confidential, as to preserve the integrity of the site.

“We found it because of community members who spent time with me in the field were taught what to look for,” said Rondeau. “They’re the ones who identified the site.”

Additionally, researchers and archeologists are attempting to determine a perimeter of the Âsowanânihk site. Rondeau said they have worked their way back over 200 metres to the east, and another 150-200 metres to the north, and they’re still finding clear evidence of human occupation.

“The site is relatable to a people. We want to know who they were, who they were trading with, who the visitors were. We are gifted with a site which is the beginning of occupation for this territory, so we want to build an accurate evolution of the occupancy right from the beginning,” said Rondeau.

“There was continuous occupation of this site going back nearly 11,000 years. It is wild.”

Three diagnostic (often a projectile) point found at the Âsowanânihk site. (Image Credit: Submitted/Dave Rondeau)

But despite the enormous historical and cultural significance of the site, Rondeau said that keeping it preserved is not a certainty.

The site currently has a two-year moratorium from the Forest Services and Lands Branch to hold off logging activity. But Rondeau said he expects to receive trigger letters by the end of the year to initiate a territory despite.

Logging and clear cutting activity in the area would be disastrous to the archeological site, he said.

“We’re barely holding back logging activity now. I’ve had to protect this area from logging activity because if they’re allowed to come in here and clear cut this area, it’ll completely erase the history. That’s a complete dealbreaker,” said Rondeau.

The site has also been victim to occasional theft, as Rondeau has noticed some disturbances to the area. He said they have security cameras at the one and only entry-point, as well as a drone that can be deployed within minutes of suspicious activity.

“There are people who would like to come to our site and take souvenirs. I can’t fault them for it. But people don’t realize that it should be treated like a forensic site. You could remove something that could be crucial to the study.”

Since the discovery of the site, researchers from around the country, as well as hundreds of youth, have visited the site to learn more about this historic discovery.

Kiara Palmer, a member of Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation, and Archeology Major at the University of Saskatchewan, has become an important volunteer researcher at the site. As a student at university, she recognized the unique opportunity to work on a project with so many historic links to her own community.

“It’s close to home, for me. I’m very interested in being involved in local archeology projects, so we can learn more about our first people and the way they lived,” said Palmer.

At Âsowanânihk, Palmer helps guide youth engagement tours of the site, as well as helps to analyze artifacts found, such as human modified lithic tools. But Palmer said her most important role on the site is about connecting the past with the present.

Youth educational tour led by Dr. Glenn Stuart from the University of Saskatchewan. (Image Credit: Submitted/Dave Rondeau)

“The most important thing is making connections with youth, while witnessing them make their own connections with the land, with history, and with Indigenous ingenuity,” she said.

“This site Âsowanânihk (meaning ‘A Place to Cross’ in Cree) you see that people continually came to this place, which means it was important. There was connection here.”

Among the motives for Palmer’s research at the site includes examining remains of mega fauna and flora, referenced in oral histories of her ancestors. She said huge beavers and bison, and even sloths may have lived in certain parts of the continent – the study of which could answer questions on what adaptions animals made to survive global changes.

“Why were animals so huge back then? The plants grew longer and larger, there was less human settlements, so the animals were able to roam freely. What caused them to go extinct? There’s a lot to be learned at this site,” said Palmer.

While youth on tours to the site do not have access to the archeological site, they are taught to identify artifacts and scatter that’s been washed up along the riverbank. They are given flags to plant in the ground to mark flora or fauna remains.

Recently, an 11 year-old student from Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation, Piper Baldhead, found an intact projectile point. Baldhead will be credited with the finding in the archaeological records.

Palmer said the enthusiasm from visiting students is consistently strong.

“Their eyes light up, and start asking questions they otherwise wouldn’t have asked if they were reading a textbook. Youth are our future but they are also the here and now. So I think this site is important in helping guide them to be confident, competent, and curious,” said Palmer.

Going forward, Palmer said she hopes to create and implement educational studies on the site for both youth and the surrounding community. She said this site provides a significant learning opportunity that few of them would otherwise have.

“Youth are typically inside their school, learning from textbooks,” said Palmer. “When we involve them in these projects from the beginning, they realize they can be part of something. That they are important.”

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**Read more stories from EFN Media reporters here.

by NC Raine/EFN Media

Major new site and discoveries found at 11,000 year-old Indigenous settlement

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