Archeological finds in the boreal forest have exploded in the past 5 years. Hundreds of new sites have been located with evidence of vast populations of Indigenous people living deep into the boreal forest, not just on the fringes like what was previously hypothesized. This changes the way we think about the boreal. It was never an untouched landscape. People are deeply rooted in this land and the forest itself evolved with people as part of the ecology. These new findings paint a picture that should cause us to reflect on our relationship with nature, and how we interact with it. Kurtis is an Archeologist with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the boreal forest. He came on to discuss how Archeology is changing our future.
Your Forest Podcast by Matthew Kristoff
Digging Into The Past With Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt
Episode highlight
Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt, an archeologist with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the boreal forest shares how archeology has provided evidence of vast populations of indigenous people living deep in the boreal forest. These new findings paint a picture that should cause us to reflect on our relationship with nature, and our understanding of indigenous perspectives.
Resources
Kurtis’ blog: https://archaeologyblog.treetimeservices.ca/author/kblaikie/
Sponsors
West Fraser: https://www.westfraser.com/
GreenLink Forestry Inc.: http://greenlinkforestry.com/
Damaged Timber: https://www.damagedtimber.com/
Giveaway
Enter YourForest10 at checkout at the Damaged Timber store for a 10% discount!
Quotes
10.22 - 10.46: “Through better understanding the history of the land we’re on… I can help contribute to truth and reconciliation that way by helping to communicate to other people of settler backgrounds like me about the history of the land that we’re on. It’ll help us come to terms with... the land we live on and... the other people that live on this land with us.”
13.29 - 13.41: “Even though I knew that I was looking for artifacts left behind by people, people didn't really play a big role in my awareness of the forest and the way I was thinking about it.”
24.06 - 24.12: “Archeology is a western science so it’s reductionist and it’s about compartmentalizing.”
25.12 - 25.25: “From a regulatory perspective... it’s very difficult to manage a thing that you can't see... and that you can’t touch. It’s hard to manage the cultural landscape, the stories that are on the land.”
40.41 - 40.52: “The sense I have now is that there is nowhere out there that wasn’t used in the past and if we look hard enough in any area, we’re going to find evidence of that.”
51.11 - 51.22: “Wanting to make a difference and leave a mark and help things move in the right direction... I think that’s where a lot of us are coming to things right now.”
52.18 - 52.34: “If we look at the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous people, it’s pretty clear in there that we should not be making decisions on what happens to sites without talking to indigenous people who might have an interest in or a historical connection to those sites.”
1.02.05 - 1.02.18: “Understanding the past... helps us understand how we got to where we are now and that'll help us set up for the future... that’ll help us to figure out how we're going to move forward and in what direction.”
1.04.02 - 1.04.27: “I think it’s been easy for us to drop in and just focus on resource extraction... and just focus on… short-term gains and not see sustainability because we don’t have… 15000 years of family history connected to this land... We don’t see that big picture.”
Takeaways
Kurtis’ changing relationships with land (9.23)
Kurtis’ curiosity about the complexity of life over millennia and the different ways to live on this land were fundamental drivers in his foray into archeology. While visiting and working in Swan Hills, he approached the area from a colonial perspective that the forest had been untouched but now understands that it was a cultural landscape for indigenous people. He now acknowledges and shares with his kids the rich history of multiple generations in these lands.
The practice of consulting archeology (20.33)
Kurtis talks about how archeology, like other western sciences, is learning from traditional indigenous ecological knowledge and weaving stories from each excavated object to create a narrative of a life lived in the past. However, there are many intangible, culturally significant revelations that are elusive to excavation. Consultation is being sought on projects for “better integration of traditional land use, oral history and archeological work”, he observes.
This land is not what it seems (28.54)
Kurtis has learned from excavating different sites for pipeline projects, that most lands are more complex in their history than was previously understood. As archeology advances and more sites are identified, he is optimistic that more such results will be unearthed. He shares stories of discovering medicinal plants and herbs in remote lands and learning about the true nature of the Laurentide Glacier that covered Canada thousands of years ago.
No landscape untouched (37.27)
Kurtis explains that the more exploration and excavation that takes place across newer landscapes that we may not have assumed people lived or travelled in, the more history reveals itself. It informs our understanding of the lifestyles of people then and the depth of time. “Every time you’re out there and you're in a place no one’s been, you find something left by someone in the past”, he notes.
Achieving a balanced use of land (45.42)
Kurtis has noticed the integration of different demands from the land at higher levels in the overall planning, to balance modern needs with cultural values and ecosystem preservation, and scientific information potential with heritage and history. He believes that the use of land is up to the indigenous people, and with improved consultation and engagement, a more holistic interpretation of land use can be arrived at, without regulatory or industry hindrances.
Understanding the past to move into the future (55.05)
Kurtis is mindful that even though they are given permits by and report to the government of Alberta, “putting the archeology first isn’t the same thing as being really open and transparent to everybody involved”. He sees his greatest contribution in educating settlers like him who are disconnected from their own cultural heritage, about indigenous perspectives and history. Using physical artifacts is a good way to segue into truth and reconciliation conversations, he says.