13 people visited the Secwepemc Museum and toured the Heritage Park May 3^rd.  Tour guide Daniel gave some history of First Nations, and particularly government policy and residential school history, then we browsed the Museum which incorporates the oral history and legends of the Secwepemc people, along with historical photographs, illustrations and artifacts.

The heritage walk took us through the former orchard (known as Brother Joseph’s orchard), along side marshlands and gardens of traditional food gathering, where interpretive signage acknowledges some of the local history of Tk’emlups, the 1994 agreement between Duck’s Unlimited and the Kamloops Indian Band and other interesting information. The walk leads the way to the archaeological remains of a 2,000 year old Secwepemc winter village site. Here we entered one of the reconstructed winter pit-houses where Daniel told of the way of life.

The Ethnobotanical Gardens, which will feature informative markers about the traditional use of plants and their value, are in the process of being replanted, and re-construction on some of the pit-houses is underway.

Daniel, our guide, shares some local history.

View across the marsh towards Sun Rivers. The marshes were alive with red-winged blackbirds.

Ducks Unlimited and Kamloops indian Band work together.

Rhubarb already in seed on May 4th.

In the pit house.

Daniel, our guide, tells us about life in the winter pit house.

More about life in the times of living in the pit house.

The view when leaving the pit house.

Dave leaves the pit house.