Kweh-Kwuch-Hum Archaeological Survey

The intern will assist the Chehalis First Nation by leading the archaeological component of the Kweh-Kwuch-Hum Spiritual Areas and Forest Management Policy Pilot Project. This larger project began in January 2007 when the Chehalis Indian Band entered into discussions with the BC Ministry of Forests and Range regarding the designation of Kweh-Kwuch-Hum (Mt. Woodside) as a “Spiritually Sensitive Area”. A primary goal of this project is to develop a process which supports the establishment of areas that can be demonstrated to be important traditionally, culturally and spiritually. Consequently, the project has the potential to affect social policy broadly in British Columbia. For this larger project, an archaeological inventory of the Kweh-Kwuch-Hum area is required to establish the nature and extent of aboriginal land-use and occupancy of the area. This information, combined with the First Nations’ testimonials of contemporary/traditional cultural and spiritual uses of the area will comprise the tangible evidence required for the Government of British Columbia to make a decision about the future of use of Kweh-Kwuch-Hum.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Dana Lepofsky

Student:

Patrick Ritchie

Partner:

Chehalis Indian Band

Discipline:

Archaeology

Sector:

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program: