Tk'emlups designates ancient burial site on Thompson River 'sacred'

An eroding river bank near Kamloops uncovered an ancient burial ground, leading Tk'emlups to designate the site as sacred. An archaeological study found that not only were the human remains found to be of Indigenous, but they are believed to have been buried around the year 280 or 1670 Before Present, according to a Tk'emlups te Secwepemc news release issued today, July 25. "Here at Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc we will always uphold our inherent jurisdiction, TteS heritage, cultural laws, and Secwépemc values. We take our responsibility in the highest regard and appreciate the collaborative efforts by all," Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir said in the news release. On Sept. 2, 2023, a person walking in the clay along the river discovered human bones in the eroding banks. https://infotel.ca/newsitem/tkemlups-kamloops-keeping-public-clear-of-archaeological-site/it100393 They were soon found to be archaeological after initially investigations by Kamloops RCMP, a coroner and an anthropologist. Just where the remains were found isn't clear, but the July 25 news release narrows down the area more than when the discovery was announced last year. It was somewhere along the banks of the South Thompson River, as opposed to last year's news release that said it was along the Thompson River, after the confluence. The Heritage Conservation Act keeps prevents authorities from releasing the exact location of an archaeological site in order to prevent damage. "The City of Kamloops upholds the Letter of Understanding signed between us that respects the formalization of a cultural heritage protocol that we follow. We appreciate the work of our technical teams and Council values the process," Kamloops city councillor Nancy Bepple said in the release. No other information about the site was provided in the band's news release. It's not clear whether the remains of more than one person were discovered or whether there will be excavation work done to study it further. Casimir did not immediately respond to a phone call from iNFOnews.ca. The last known archaeological site discovered in the area was within Riverside Park, https://infotel.ca/newsitem/archaeology-at-renowned-kamloops-park-shows-its-long-history-and-cultural-importance/it82529 where items like stone tools and traditional game pieces made of bone were found at four separate sites during construction work. They were estimated to be about 3,500 years old. To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry mailto:llandry@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .