BC FIRST NATIONS ROCK ART

There are two different types of ancient rock art present in British Columbia, Canada: pictographs and petroglyphs. In this article, we will explore the difference between pictographs and petroglyphs. As well as, major historical Rock Art sightings in BC.

SUMMARY FIRST NATIONS ROCK ART MAJOR ROCK ART SITES IN BC Pictographs + Petroglyphs Red Ochre Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park Sproat Lake Shuswap Lake Petroglyph Provincial Park Gabriola Island

FIRST NATIONS ROCK ART

There are two different types of ancient rock art present in British Columbia, Canada: pictographs and petroglyphs. Pictographs are rock paintings, usually made by applying a dyed finger paint. The paint for these pictographs was most commonly made using a mineral known as red ochre, giving the paint its red hues. When combined with animal fat or oil, this paint was given properties that allowed it to bind with the rock face. Petroglyphs are rock carvings, created through the use of primitive stone carving tools. Pictographs are much more common in BC than petroglyphs. However, they both are considered to be the oldest form of art in Canada. These rock artworks are considered sacred historical sites by BC First Nations, as they are used as a form of storytelling from generation to generation. The subjects of these works were often ancestors, mythology and hunting. Pictographs are especially susceptible to damage by people touching them, as the acids and oil from our skin will compromise the paint. Therefore they are often protected inside Provincial or Heritage Parks as well as under the Parks Act. However, many pictographs have been replicated on cloth by the local First Nations, in order to preserve the cultural works from being permanently damaged or vandalized. In comparison, rock art is also a global phenomenon practiced throughout human existence worldwide. For more information refer to culturally diverse existing forms of Rock Art.

Pictographs Petroglyphs

MAJOR ROCK ART SITES IN BC

Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park: This park outside Lytton, BC contains a wealth of rock paintings created by the ancestors of the Lytton First Nation. While most of the ancestral art in the park is estimated to have been created in the 1800s. Some are thousands of years old. The Canadian Government, in cooperation with the Lytton First Nation, established the valley as a heritage park in 1995 in order to protect its cultural and natural significance. There are 13 rock art sites in the Stein Valley, including a painted petroglyph. Some of them are more easily accessed by trails, While others are known only by individuals of the local Lytton First Nation. These locations are known as "power spots" and important for traditional ceremonies. Many of these paintings reflect the spirits involved in coming-of-age rituals for young men and women of the aboriginal people. Refer to Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park: A living Museum of Culture and Nation History for more pictograph information. Sproat Lake: This lake is home to a famous petroglyph known as "K'ak'awin." Not very much is known about the petroglyphs, but it is believed to have been carved by the distant ancestors of Hupacasath First Nation. Shuswap Lake: Many pictographs have been found painted onto the rock faces surrounding Shuswap Lake in south-central BC, created by the ancestors of the Shuswap First Nations. Like most pictographs in BC, these too were created with the use of red ochre paint. Petroglyph Provincial Park: Located in the south end of Nanaimo, BC. This park is home to hundreds of petroglyph carvings. Gabriola Island: It is one of the Islands in the Strait of Georgia, BC. Famous for its petroglyphs, that are scattered all over the island. Unfortunately, due to weathering, contact and vandalism these are little to none existing today. But most of the petroglyphs' origin to Gabriola Island were reproduced in numerous ways by the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society. Check out Museum of Anthropology(MOA), for more information on First Nation People and Culture.

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