Launch of the Scowlitz Artifact Assemblage Project

The Scowlitz Site Online: Launch of the Scowlitz Artifact Assemblage Project Natasha Lyons, Andy Phillips, Dave Schaepe, Betty Charlie, Clifford Hall, Kate Hennessy, and John Welch* --~--~--------~------------~------------------~--- *This article was written in consultation with Michael Blake, Doug Brown, Figure 1. The Scowlitz site is located on the flat, treed terrace and Dana Lepofsky as part ofa collaborative team effort. Their comments seen across the Harrison River. Clifford Hall sits in the foreground strengthened and clarified the presentation made here. (Photo by Doug Brown). The Scowlitz archaeological site (DhRl-15 and 16, also Scowlitz site back together for use by the community. The main known as Qithyil), which lies near the junction of the Harrison goal of the ' ScowlitzArtifactAssemblage Project' is to re-unite and Fraser Rivers, holds an important part of the Scowlitz First the Scowlitz artifact collections on the Reciprocal Research Nation's community history. Scowlitz community members, who Network (the 'RRN,' described below) which serves to link the have always known about this place, have begun to share their artifacts-currently held at SFU, UBC, and the St6:16 Research knowledge with archaeologists over the past couple of decades. and Resource Management Centre (SRRMC)-to the community The site; and surrounding area was the focus of intensive archaeo through a single website. Our project team includes Chief Andy logical excavations and survey between 1992 and 1999. These Phillips, Betty Charlie, and Clifford Hall (Scowlitz First Nation), activities were hosted by Scowlitz First Nation, in partnership Dana Lepofsky and John Welch (Department of Archaeology, with Simon Fraser University, the University of British Colum SFU), Natasha Lyons (Ursus Heritage Consulting), Kate Hen bia, and St6:16 Nation archaeologists. This article describes the nessy (School of Interactive Arts and Technology, SFU), Michael importance of the Scowlitz site and the archaeology of the region Blake (UBC Anthropology Department), Doug Brown (Brown to the Scowlitz First Nation and broader St6:16 community. It & Oakes Archaeology), and Dave Schaepe (SRRMC). also describes a project that seeks to bring the artifacts from the Excavations at the Scowlitz site were initiated in 1992 The Midden 43(2) 11 by St6:16 Grand Chief Clarence Pennier, cultural context. Valley. I would give my collection to them. who viewed the village remains and burial Clifford Hall, a long-time participant The artifacts belong to all St6:16 and to mounds as a record of the longstanding in the archaeology at Qithyil, says that all people who look at-them~ for them to relationship between Scowlitz First Nation the history of Scowlitz lands-and the learn from. They ought to be shown not and the wider landscape. Chief Pennier artifacts that help tell the story-need to kept away." had Gordon. Mobs and Sonny McHalsie be retold and shared so that the non-native contact Michael Blake at UBC and, to history of the area does not become the Bringing the Artifacts and Knowledge gether with the Scowlitz First Nation, they naturalized version of events. Commu Back Together planned the first collaborative archaeo nity members tell stories of outsiders The Reciprocal Research Network logical field school at the site. More UBC disrespecting their cultural past through (RRN) was developed by the Museum of field schools followed in 1993 and 1995; the desecration of burial mounds and Anthropology at the University of British then, in 1997, Dana Lepofsky joined the other built features on the landscape. The Columbia, the St6:16 Nation, and St6:16 ) project, bringing SFU field schools to the archaeology, Clifford says, should be used Tribal Council, in association with the site and greatly expanding the scope of to bring people together, not drive them St6:16 Research & Resource Management the project. The goals ofthese excavations apart. The knowledge derived from the ex Centre, the Musqueam Indian Band, and were to learn more about the lives of the cavations should be used to work against the U'Mista Cultural Society iri Alert Scowlitz ancestors. Six seasons of field historical wrongs and towards common Bay. It is a web-based tool that now work unearthed the remains of cedar plank understandings. Having the collections ac links seventeen museums in Canada, the houses that showed that people started liv cessible is key to this goal. Clifford notes: United States, and the United Kingdom. It ing on this river terrace about 3000 years "This stuffdoesn 't just belong to Scowlitz, provides access to over 247,000 objects-:- ago, and that their houses and households grew larger through time. Ancient plant remains showed that people stored large amounts of salal and elderberries for the winter and ate a broad range of other plant foods. A wide array ofprojectile points and abundant slate knives indicate a fqcus on hunting and fish processing. The site is also important because of the large col lection of perishable materials, including basketry, that have been recovered along the shorelines. About 1500 years ago, people stopped living full-time at the site and started to use it as a cemetery, and later, a seasonal fish camp. The ancient village, earthen burial mounds and other cemetery markers, as well as the stories passed down over the generations, marked the ownership of this site and surrounding territory by the ancestors of the Scowlitz people and, more broadly, the St6:16 com munity. Figure 2. Betty Charlie and Clifford Hall share their artifact collection, 2011 (Photo by Sharing the Story of Scowlitz History Doug Brown). and Heritage Our project team has been actively it belongs to St6:16 ... We should be unified many from Coast Salish and other North discussing the ways that the information [in our approach to St6:16 history]. We west Coast peoples. Local knowledge learned from the Scowlitz excavations can used to share everything and trade with and histories can be added to the RRN. be used by the community today. Scowlitz one another ... We should work together." This tool provides a way of connecting Chief Andy Phillips cites a number of Betty Charlie, who has also spent many communities and creates an outlet for the broad goals for his community related to years working on the excavation projects, sharing of knowledge. The website is also this project: conserving and protecting adds: "I've been thinking a lot about the designed to support collaborative research, Scowlitz heritage, including the land and artifacts we collect, that they belong to with project members participating from resource base; creating a shared place the person who made them. They belong a distance. where the artifacts, sites, photographs, to the original maker, not the finder. You We are using the RRN to bring to and other heritage resources can be listed, can feel them when you pick that artifact gether and provide access to the Scowlitz described, pictured, and shared; and con up. I'm hoping one of these years St6:16 collection, as a whole, for the Scowlitz necting youth with their history in a real will put together a museum in the Fraser community, other St6:16, and a wide- 12 The Midden 43(2) Figure 3. Excavations at Mound 1, the largest burial mound at the Scowlitz site, 1992 (Photo by Michael Blake). spread group of community-based and if they know where they came from; it will information, site photos, site records, academic researchers. Histories of the help them know where they' re going. My fieldnotes, etc.). This summer, we will Scowlitz artifact collection can be added in grandkids always ask about [the archaeol begin interviewing Scowlitz Elders and the form of photographs, maps, and audio ogy]. One of my grandsons is a teenager interested community members about their or video interviews. We are developing and he was looking at the pictures from knowledge and memories of the site, the and carrying out this project in a 'project across the river [where the site is located], archaeological excavations that were con space' created within the RRN, one of and he said he'd like to be an archaeolo ducted there, and the broader history and over 900 projects established by over 1000 gist and work there, study artifacts and heritage ofScowlitz First Nation. We will RRN members. Visit the RRN website: find out what they were used for. He was be photographing the personal artifacts of http:/ /www.rrncommunity.org. so interested in knowing how they date Scowljtz community members who would This project is aimed at addressing artifacts and bone. He's really got it in his like to share their collections. All of these community needs. Community members mind, and I think he could do it. We need records and photographs will eventually emphasize the importance of making to provide opportunities like that to our be available on the Reciprocal Research Scowlitz history accessible, particularly young people. I told him that many of the Network. We are also interested in learn to their youth. Chief Andy Phillips, for archaeology students started out here and ing more about the history of research at instance, is interested in re-introducing now they have their own companies." Scowlitz based on the experiences of field "our traditional teachings, customs, and school students and volunteers who were practices within the home, rather than from Project Activities & Community In such an integral part of the excavations outside, .including having Elders teach the volvement and recent history of this important site. customary protocols." Betty Charlie also Our project team has initiated a se For more information on the project, or recognizes the importance of Scowlitz ries of activities that will make Scowlitz for anyone interested in contributing their youth knowing their history. She says: "I artifact collections more accessible to the memories, experiences, or knowledge of think this project is good for the younger Scowlitz and archaeological communities.

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