Dene Artifacts on Display in Dillon

Dene Artifacts on Display in Dillon

Tuesday, August 31, 2004 at 13:20

 

 

The band office of the Buffalo River Dene Nation is now home to a number of recently discovered historical artifacts.

 

Band member Vernon Sylvestre found the first time about four years ago while he was out picking mushrooms.

 

A collector of historical artifacts, Sylvestre says he was astonished to see an arrowhead poking out of the soil.

 

Further investigation led him to a large assortment of ceramic pots and bowls, leaf-shaped spearheads and even a traditional pipe.

 

A university professor believes the artifacts could be as much as eight thousand years of age and believes they are a mix of Cree and Dene origin.

 

Sylvestre says more have been discovered since that time and local elders are showing a particularly strong interest in them.

 

Sylvestre says some scientists have managed to repiece together one of the bowls to about eighty percent of its original shape and some lab work is still being done.

 

An interesting twist to the discovery is that scientists believe some of the artifacts must have been carried to Dillon from the Northwest Territories or Lake Athabasca region due to their rock content.

 

Sylvestre adds the artifacts are becoming harder to discover these days, as the earth is reclaiming much of the topsoil that was burned off by forest fires.