Photo credit: Ken Lertzman
Photo credit: Ken Lertzman - Members of the Xwe-etay/Lasqueti Island Archaeology Project (XLAP), including SFU researchers Dana Lepofsky and Sean Markey, Coast Salish Nations, and Xwe-etay (Lasqueti) residents have been working to dispel myths about Indigenous heritage on the island, protect Indigenous heritage, and address fears surrounding the practice of archaeology through community-engaged archaeology. In a recent article in The Conversation , XLAP members shared the power of community-engaged archaeology to advance reconciliation and bring communities together over shared connections to land and sea. One of the myths the team deconstructed was that Indigenous communities never permanently lived on the Gulf Island. -Not everyone sees the evidence of past permanent civilization; therefore, they don't know - but they were hungry to learn,- says Lepofsky, a professor in SFU-s Department of Archaeology and Xwe-etay (Lasqueti) resident. -People want to know about the places they love, especially in rural places. Only 22 kms long, Xwe-etay (Lasqueti) allowed the team to get to know the island archaeologically in a unique way. This combined with the traditional and local knowledge from the Coast Salish Nations and residents guided the team in piecing together a picture of how the land and resources were used both past and present.
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