The Tse'k'wa Heritage and Cultural Centre is among more than 50 projects across B.C. receiving tourism development funding, the province announced Friday.
The Ministry of Tourism announced $313,618 to support the Doig River First Nation and the development of interpretive trails and amphitheater, renovation of an existing structure into a heritage repository, and the creation of virtual reality exhibits.
Funding is coming from the second round of the 2021 Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program's Destination Development stream, the ministry said.
“We know tourism infrastructure is a priority for communities,” said Minister Melanie Mark in a news release. “Today, we are responding to this call to action from the sector that will further support its recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Parks Canada designated the Tse'k'wa cave site at Charlie Lake as a national historic site in 2019.
The cave is small but significant, exposed when a boulder broke away from sandstone rock and created a 12-meter-long gully in front of the cave. This created a trap for soil being washed down the hill and the gully has been filled with layers of soil and in turn artifacts for the last 10,500 years.
Among the hundreds of artifacts found were a 10,500-year-old stone bead — the oldest example of human adornment in North America — along with spear and arrow points, harpoon heads, and bones from humans and various animals including bison and raven.
The artifacts tell stories of travel patterns and ceremonial practices, and make the cave one of the most significant sites on the continent.
