Ancient pictographs held on to as digital photographs

For the past 32 years Elder Harley Bastien of the Piikani Nation has been retracing the footsteps of his ancestors throughout southwestern Alberta, discovering traces of his ancestral past including tipi rings, pictographs, cairns, stone effigies, old kill sites and vision quest sites. After documenting his findings with photographs and recording their locations with GPS, he brings his discoveries back home, continuing his research locally, showing other Elders his findings.

Given his explorations, background and knowledge of the area, Bastien was called on to share his expertise when Parks Canada representatives began using a digital photograph technique that could reproduce clear images of ancient rock paintings invisible to the naked eye.

“I had locally built up a reputation as a person with that type of knowledge,” said Bastien. The pictographs, dating back thousands and thousands of years, were naturally disappearing and some had been vandalized and defaced.

Bastien’s first reaction was to hear more about the project. “Once I understood what the project was about I was just raring to go. It was a hiker’s dream.” In his quest for his ancestral past he had visited several of the rock paintings.

Parks Canada sought First Nations input in southwestern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia regarding what the figures meant, their cultural significance, and what should be done with them. Should they try to save them or draw any additional attention to the ancient pictographs?

The Piikani people and Elders unanimously agreed that the pictures should be used for educational purposes.
“They should be used to keep the story of our people alive, especially for the young people,” said Bastien.

As for the pictographs themselves, it was decided that they should return to nature.

“Nothing lasts forever,” said Bastien. “Nature is claiming back what was painted on the rocks; let nature take its course.”

 In Piikani territory, pictures were taken of the Okotoks rock, the Cochrane area rock paintings and those at Porcupine Hills. Others were photographed in the Crowsnest Lake area, the Kootenay Valley and Grotto Canyon.

The two-year project involved visiting the sites, setting up interviews with Parks managers and Piikani Elders to review the photographs, their stories and meaning.
“The pictographs are few and rare,” said Bastien, “a very important way of recording significant events. Not anyone could go out and rock paint. Only certain individuals had the right to do that.”

The photographs of the ancient pictographs will be distributed among the Elders who have participated in the project. Parks Canada intends to use them for educational purposes in their interpretive centres, and they will be available upon request from schools or individuals.

“Outdoors is where I belong and where I spend all my spare time. In nature, there is always something new to discover out there and I can’t wait to go back. It is a driving passion, whether it’s nature, wildlife, animals or my culture,” said Bastien.  “It is very fulfilling to be in the footprints of my ancestors, to be where they were, looking over.”