The Glint of Light on Broken Glass Tracing Gitselasu History Through Archaeology BY TRAVIS FREELAND
Archaeologist and General Manager, Gitselasu Stewardship Society
Malsk (Sm’algayx) – To tell, to relate a story. Heelda malsk a lawaalm gyik’ooł – There is a lot of history about the olden times.
On a calm day in Kitselas Canyon, you can hear the creaking of hemlocks bending in the breeze. A red squirrel searches for hazelnuts, and an eagle flies overhead without a sound. The mossy ground is covered with mushrooms and ferns. It’s hard to imagine that for a long time, this was a place full of human activity. This narrow gorge on Ksyen (the Skeena River) was probably one of the most densely populated places in the region for several thousand years. The area was full of the activities of multiple year-round villages. These were the comings-and-goings of the Gitselasu, the tollkeepers of the canyon. Above: Fragments of volcanic glass discovered by Kitselas summer students. Photos in this article are courtesy of Travis Freeland. 15