The oral histories of Indigenous peoples have long been a record of where and how they lived, the wisdom embedded securely in those messages passed down by mouth generation after generation. The recent finding of the 11,000-year-old Indigenous settlement near Sturgeon Lake First Nation, about five km north of Prince Albert, Sask., along the North Saskatchewan River, is further validation of the accuracy and significance of these oral histories.
Indigenous peoples have always known about their ancestors and the sophistication of their ancient knowledge base. It is no wonder this discovery is such a symbol of pride for all First Nations people.
In 2023, researcher and avocational archaeologist Dave Rondeau came upon the site on the North Saskatchewan River, noticing erosion and visible artifacts. “The moment I saw the layers of history peeking through the soil, I felt the weight of generations staring back at me,” Rondeau said (as per College of Arts & Science, U of Saskatchewan February 2025).
This newly discovered site, known as Âsowanânihk (meaning “a place to cross” in Cree), was a permanent settlement, and evidence at the site reveals fire management methodology for one, as well as advanced hunting strategies of the now-extinct Bison antiquus weighing over 2000 kg. Cree oral histories held to the site being a hub of cultural and trade practices. The Cree have always asserted they were not a purely nomadic society, evidence of which was confirmed in the Hudson Bay Lowlands many years ago.
Stories of first contact made by Europeans are many and varied. Louis Bird, a Cree Elder born in 1934 at Winisk, a settlement six km up the Winisk River from Hudson Bay, has recorded countless hours of Cree oral histories. Louis reminds us that oral stories were a means of passing information from generation to generation, stories having different names depending upon the story’s purpose.
Reference to the use of fire by the Cree was written in the records of early European visitors, but misunderstood. In October 1610, Henry Hudson and crew wintered in the southerly area of James Bay. Abacuk Pricket, the Navigator aboard the ship Discovery wrote detailed accounts of the experience, excerpts which are available online.
He wrote of the difficult winter the men spent, eating anything they could find: “even the frog was not spared”. He wrote of a single Indigenous man coming to the grounded ship as the ice was breaking up. The man came back with animal skins for the men and accepted a hatchet in return. An expected further encounter didn’t happen, and Pricket wrote “the people set the woods on fire”.
The Omushkego (Swampy Cree) used controlled burns in the spring to clear away underbrush for the development of meadows for grazing game and to allow for an easier hunt. Burning near settlements, as evidenced at the Âsowanânihk site, was used to allow for the many diverse plant species used for both food and medicine to thrive, Bird explains.
The European stories have significant differences from those of the Omushkego people, reminding us that we all remember or notice different details because of our differing perspectives. Pricket’s writing of the Omushkego setting the woods on fire when Hudson’s men drew near, was interpreted as aggression, as a means of denying contact, rather than the Omushkego managing the forests. This example as provided in Bird’s book goes back to the question of who is telling the story and for what purpose. The newly unearthed evidence at Âsowanânihk confirms the practice.
The Âsowanânihk Council is leading the research project of this historic site, working collaboratively with researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Calgary. The council, made up of elders, knowledge keepers, youth, educators and archaeologists, will study the site and are calling for its urgent and immediate protection from “logging and industrial activity”. All Canadians should be aware of this significant finding and participate in ensuring its protection. The settlement, one of the oldest Indigenous sites on the continent is no less significant than the “Great Pyramids of Egypt (2700 BC), Stonehenge in England (3100 BC) and Göbekli Tepe in Turkey (9500 BC)” reported the University of Saskatchewan.
A cultural interpretive center will be developed including land-based learning programs for youth and to allow for tourism. “This discovery is a powerful reminder that our ancestors were here, building, thriving, and shaping the land long before history books acknowledged us,” Christine Longjohn, chief of Sturgeon Lake First Nation, said in a press release.
“For too long, our voices have been silenced, but this site speaks for us, proving that our roots run deep and unbroken. It carries the footsteps of our ancestors, their struggles, their triumphs, and their wisdom. Every stone, every artifact is a testament to their strength. We are not just reclaiming history—we are reclaiming our rightful place in it.”
wendistewart@live.ca
