CULTURE – Area on river where bones were found is ‘sacred site’ says TteS

An area along the Thompson River where bones were discovered last Saturday is “a sacred site,” says Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc.

In a news release today, Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir said, “We have a responsibility to ensure that our cultural and traditional practices are being respected. Our people have been here since time immemorial and travelled extensively throughout Secwepemcúl’ecw.”

Coun. Bill Sarai, who chairs the City’s reconciliation committee, said the City “is honoured and humbled to have a supportive role” in protecting cultural heritage.

He said City staff contacted TteS as soon as the bones were found by a resident who was walking along the Thompson River on Saturday evening. The bones were seen imbedded in a clay bank near the edge of the river.

Though the bones haven’t been confirmed as human, RCMP said earlier that “preliminary findings” point in that direction.

The area in which the bones were found has been closed to the public and media.