A 4,000-year-old Aboriginal spiritual site has been rediscovered nearly 50 years after it was submerged in water.
The 400 tonne rock, called Mistasiniy (Cree) or Buffalo Child Stone, was blown up by the federal government in 1966.
After an arduous yearlong search, four scuba divers were able to find the remaining rocks at the bottom of Lake Diefenbaker.
Team project leader Steven Thair says he wanted to discover the rocks to aid in telling the story of the ancient site and its destruction.
“I think it’s one more step in the rediscovery of the spirituality of the Aboriginal people, that’s how I want my efforts to be seen,” he says.
Thair also speaks of the importance of the site and says some elders have already talked about building a spiritual site on the shore of the lake using some of the re-discovered rocks.
“What I am being told by the elders is this was a very important spiritual site and still is. Just because the rock was blown up and it is under water, it doesn’t mean that the site has lost any significance.”
Thair’s next step is to develop a documentary to detail the story of Buffalo Child Stone and the history of its destruction and rediscovery.
“It’s a sad story, but it’s a story that needs to be told and everyone’s perspective needs to be understood, whether or not you agree with it and hopefully we can move on and move forward.”
According to Cree history, the site was used by several First Nations bands over the course of thousands of years.