麻豆社区

HAINES JUNCTION - Possibly as long as 10,000 years ago, an aboriginal person, possibly a male hunter, was crossing a glacier along a trading path, when disaster struck. Somehow, he died, and his body became trapped in the ice field.

On Aug. 14, three school teachers, hunting for sheep in a remote corner of northwestern B.C., found the remains of the body. They also discovered some of his tools, what appears to be a walking stick, and some weapons, including a rare atlaltl. Their find is exciting both to archeologists and to the aboriginal people whose territory the body was found in.

鈥淭he elders have indicated that we should use this situation, what appears to be an ancient tragedy, to learn more about this person; when he lived, and how his clothes and tools were made and how he died,鈥� Bob Charlie, chief of the Champagne-Aishihik First Nation, told a news conference Tuesday.

Charlie was reading a statement prepared for the press conference, which took place at the first nation鈥檚 offices here.

鈥淭his person will have much to tell us, to help us understand our past, and the history of our homeland,鈥� said Charlie.

The first nation has named the person Kwaday Dan Sinchi, meaning Long Ago Person Found, in its Southern Tutchone language.

Al Mackie, an archeologist with the B.C. government, was hesitant to discuss the possible age of the findings with reporters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so hard to pin down, I don鈥檛 want to speculate. It won鈥檛 be older than 10,000 years old, I think that can be said with certainty鈥攏ot even with certainty, actually; it is even possible (that it is older, but it鈥檚 unlikely though.鈥�

Because they only finished recovering things from the site on Monday, scientists haven鈥檛 yet had a chance to examine the findings to date them. Nor are they certain what technology they will use to examine the artifacts and the remains.

Mackie thinks they鈥檒l likely use radio-carbon dating, a technology that requires only a small sample of an artifact to determine its age, by comparing the stable and unstable carbon in the sample.

He explained that by using this method, scientists can generally pin-point an artifact鈥檚 age within 100 years.

Radio-carbon dating may not be the only technology to be used, however.

Diane Strand, the first nation鈥檚 heritage resource officer, said she discussed DNA sampling with elders, and they gave permission for it to be used.

鈥淭hey were not opposed (to DNA sampling) at all. Not at all. One of the things we had discussed was the reburial of the remains, and we had asked the question 鈥榃hat do we do with this person鈥檚 remains?鈥�

鈥淎nd they had said, 鈥楾hey have to be buried, him or her. We have to give them the dignity that this person deserves. We don鈥檛 leave a person out there.鈥�

鈥淚 had said to them, 鈥楧o we do this right away?鈥� And they said, 鈥榃ell, we have to know who it is. You can鈥檛 just bury somebody without knowing who it is.鈥� 鈥�

Charlie said a group of his people are excited by the possibility they may even be able to trace the hunter鈥檚 descendents through DNA technology.

Whitehorse Star Reporter Nadine Pedersen