4000 Year Old Aboriginal Spiritual Site Re-Discovered in Saskatchewan
- EFN Staff | September 03, 2014
A four thousand year old aboriginal spiritual site, blown up in 1966 by a federal government team, and then submerged for almost 50 years has been re-discovered.
Four
scuba divers reached the remnants of the blast after an arduous search. The
original site included a 400 tonne rock, often called mistasiniy (Cree = big
rock), which was blown up to end the mounting protest to the rock’s imminent
submersion behind the Gardiner Dam which occurred about 1968.
The
remnants, about 40 tonnes of them, were re-located in 70 feet of water in Lake
Diefenbaker, about 15 miles south of Elbow, Saskatchewan.
Both
Cree oral history and archaeological excavations made before the detonation say
that the site was used by large numbers and several tribes for thousands of
years. Oral history tellers say that eight groups of the Cree pitched teepees
for 7 miles along the South Saskatchewan River in the Spring.
One
legend of the rock’s presence is that a baby boy was accidentally left behind
on the prairies where it was discovered by a herd of buffalo. While some of the
buffalo wanted to kill the child because humans killed buffalo, the buffalo
leader said they should protect and raise the child. Years later, the boy
rejoined his human family and lived with his tribe. One day he was hunting with
some of his tribe, and witnessed the killing of his adoptive buffalo father.
The young man was torn between two worlds, so the Creator offered the young man
the opportunity to be become a huge stone buffalo, which he did. The site was
described by one Cree story-teller as a place of spiritual transformation.
Project leader Steven Thair says that a traditional ceremony was held on the shore and in the water over the site, and that an aboriginal cultural advisor was with the team. The search has been captured on high quality video. Thair said, “Now that we have touched the site and videographed the remnants, we will begin looking for sponsors to complete the documentary. This is an important story of an ancient gathering place, particularly for the Cree peoples. It is also an important story, of oppression, protest and politics in the 1960’s, and of current initiatives to revitalize aboriginal culture and spirituality.”