A new book authored by a Canadian archaeologist explores an ancient Indigenous art practice known as rock painting, uncovering unique histories and stories that span generations.
Brad Himour's book Forgotten Dreams: A New Look at Ancient Rock Art Sites explores the fascinating history of Indigenous rock paintings in Interior B.C and southern Alberta.
The book examines the cultural and spiritual significance of rock art and its unique symbolism. It contains excerpts from Secwépemc/Shuswap and Blackfoot peoples from B.C and Alberta, who use their own knowledge passed down through the generations, to help uncover the meaning behind the art and its historical context.
The book builds on research Himour has been conducting since 2006, featuring 18 rock art sites at locations like Columbia Lake, Kootenay Lake and Crowsnest Pass, and near Okotoks and Cochrane in southern Alberta. Himour said some of the images are old enough to predate the arrival of the horse in North America.
30 Elders participated in the research, to help preserve knowledge of Indigenous cultural practices for future generations.
"The Elders that participated in the book did so primarily for education," said Himour. "They would like to see this cultural knowledge passed on, and be part of the educational system and provide content on Indigenous peoples and cultures."
Rock art is more than just intriguing pictures. It's a cultural story that spans generations.
"They're not just rock art, they're cultural landscapes. They're part of a living cultural history that can be used to this day," Himour said.
For the Secwépemc people, rock art is often based on spiritual or ceremonial events. Himour found one particularly striking image east of Kootenay Lake near Washout Creek, that depicts a young woman on a vision quest. She wears a single upright feather and carries a drum.
Himour said the image is representative of vision quest activities, where an individual acquires a spirit animal or special knowledge that can help them.
For the Blackfoot in southern Alberta, rock art depicts events that are historically important to them. Himour found an image near Okotoks that represents a diplomatic mission.
"Our feeling is that this journey was likely made for trade or diplomatic purposes. The people probably left in the spring, arrived at their destination, then stayed over the winter. Then, when the weather was suitable for travel again, they made the trip home the following year," stated Piikani Elder Harley Bastien in the book, in reference to the art found at the Okotoks site.
For the Blackfoot, only a select few chosen people were allowed to paint.
Indigenous people historically used ochre to create their art, often mixed with water, bear grease, berry juice or fish eggs to provide colour and consistency. The Secwépemc were known for gathering ochre from the Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park.
Secwépemc Elder Marge Eugene said her great grandmother told her the ochre was gathered, heated and crushed into fine powder.
“You know how fine rouge (makeup) is? It’s that fine. And when you wanted it darker you cooked it. I still have a little bit that my father gathered from the Paint Pots," she stated in the book.
Eugene also mentioned that the paint mixture was blown on to the rock face using a hollow reed, to capture fine detail and ensure the image lasted longer.
Himour used DStretch in order to enhance the images on the rock for study. The software was originally developed by NASA for false colour imaging of distant planets, but it also happens to make red and orange rock art more visible to the naked eye.
Introducing the technology allowed the Elders to review the rock art remotely, without having to visit the sites directly.
"Most of the pictographs that the Elders speak to in the book are located in really remote locations that are really hard to get to. Often they're so faint on the rock face, that just a photograph of them, the Elders wouldn't have been able to interpret at all," said Himour.
Rock art was one of many Indigenous traditions impacted by discriminatory government policy, specifically when cultural practices were made illegal under the Indian Act and parents could no longer pass knowledge on to their children.
Himour said he hopes the book will help preserve the knowledge of this sacred art for future generations.
"I hope this small sample of pictograph sites will inspire youth to really continue the process of recording these sites and learning their cultural significance. Education was the most important aspect from the perspective of the Elders. They would like their knowledge passed on to future generations," he said.
