Heritage

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The Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre (BCMCC) and Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) are working together to create a special exhibit - 'The River Mouth Speaks'.

Looking out over the mouth of the Saugeen River at sunset

The exhibit is based on the recent archaeology find last year (2010) on the north side of the Saugeen River mouth in Saugeen Shores, Bruce County.

The site was discovered when a new sewer installation project was undertaken in 2010 to provide sewers to homes on the north side of the river.

First Nations had known for some time that there had been indigenous peoples at the mouth of the river and wanted to ensure that the history, if possible, would be preserved.

The Town of Saugeen Shores engineering department, under Dave Burnside, worked with SON to suspend digging until an excavation of the area could be conducted under the direction of Archaeologist, Bill Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald says that the archaeology dig was "... an opportunity for the municipality and First Nation to work together to reveal 2,000 years of history.  The mouth of the River has a very long history."

On March 23, 2010m the town and First Nations signed an official agreement that would deal with how the project could affect Aboriginal interests, including archaeology concerns.  The agreement also included an archaeology protocol to deal with any areas where an Aboriginal cultural or burial site is encountered.

The town dug a small trench and at five feet artifacts began to be discovered.  "We started the field work on |May 17th," adds Fitzgerald.  "Between May 17 and September 17, archaeologists meticulously excavated the site working with tools as simple as wooden chopsticks. Every object found in archaeology is meticulously measured and recorded in detail."

According to Fitzgerald, the site revealed an incredible history.  The dirt that was removed was carefully screened uncovering articles from the 16th and 17th centurie.  Digging down one to one and a half meters below ground surface, each layer contained different items, some dating back to 890 A.D. and many others in excess of 2,000 years.  "There were ceramic shards that dated to 1,000 A.D. and several from the1700s."

Fitzgerald points out that this was a true collaborative effort between the municipality and the Objibway peoples.

The exhibit is anticipated to open on July 19th at the Bruce County Museum. 

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Thursday, July 14, 2011