WAR AND PEACE: SECHELT B.C (PT 2)
Episode 2.4
Through hazy smoke blowing in from forest fires in the interior, the team digs deeper into the past at Snake Bay. Rudy, Jen and Jacob head out on the water to view shíshálh pictographs and share a song with the ancestors. Back on dry land, the team makes their way to the tems swiya museum to learn more about the 4000 year old ancestors buried at kwenten mac’wali and the advanced forensic techniques used to reconstruct their facial features.
Indigenous people are so connected to our land that the stories that the archaeologists are uncovering are truly our stories and our family”
– Jacob Pratt
“The ancestors are telling us a story and I like to be involved with that story being told.”
– Darryl Jackson, Archaeological Field Technician, Shíshálh Nation
VR: Pictographs & The Double Headed Sea Serpent
Explore the inlets of beautiful BC with Jen and Jacob to see ancient shíshálh pictographs and learn more about the tsain-ko, or double headed sea serpent. A powerful protector who brings good luck, the tsain-ko has two sides, and one should always be wary.
VR: Sechelt Inlet
Join Jen and Jacob for a peaceful moment out on the water as they appreciate the beauty of shíshálh territory while the singers begin their song.
Forensic Reconstruction: Faces Of The Ancestors
The faces of 4000-year-old ancestors have been digitally reconstructed using state of the art forensic techniques. These three-dimensional, animated reconstructions based on archaeological findings are the first of their kind in North America.
A forensic artist first took 3D models of the skulls and then digitally added muscles, tissue and skin based on the most recent studies of contours over bone. The reconstructions were then adorned with jewelry found at the site, as well as clothing and hairstyles based on shíshálh oral tradition.
Tems Swiya
Tems swiya means ‘our world’ in sháshishálem. The tems swiya museum is central in the presentation, preservation and protection of shíshálh cultural heritage.
Camp Stalashen
Sháshishálem for orca, Camp Stalashen has a strong emphasis on teaching children shíshálh stories and songs, nurturing a strong sense of culture and identity. Rudy, Jen and Jacob wait on land as the children of Camp Stalashen paddle towards them with a traditional welcoming song.