Local archeologist studying Indigenous rock art shares stories from elders in new book

Brad Himour spent 15 years collecting photos and stories behind Indigenous pictographs for his book, Forgotten Dreams: A New Look at Ancient Rock Art Sites.

He’s an archeologist who has spent a lot of time working with Indigenous peoples and says he’s always been interested in their storytelling prowess, verbally or through rock art.

“The goal with the book was really to work together collaboratively with Indigenous elders and have them speak to the cultural meaning and cultural significance of Indigenous rock art sites in their own words,” he said.

“The educational aspect was really why the elders were excited to participate; they would like their knowledge passed on to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth.”

Himour learned that in southern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia, there are more than 3,000 pictograph sites.

“A lot of those locations, people returned to every year,” he said.

“Really, that tie to the landscape and those places on the landscape, like a natural spring for water or for hot springs, places like that were all part of the cultural way of life for Indigenous people.”

Himour says while there are similarities in the messages recorded on the rocks, there are various ways of telling them by the many Indigenous cultures.

“There’s 200 Indigenous languages in Canada (and) there’s probably 200 Indigenous traditions about who can make the rock art site and what the protocol was and what the sites mean,” he said.

“So, we found there’s just an incredible diversity among Indigenous people in terms of their storytelling.”

Himour says many of the rock paintings were made by mixing a red or orange mineral called ochre that’s ground into a fine powder.

It’s then mixed with bear or deer grease and applied to a rock face.

It’s a combination that’s endured for thousands of years.

“In some ways, pictographs are threatened; they’re really starting to fade from the memory of the people as well as fading on the landscape,” he said.

“So, we thought it was important to record the knowledge of these elders that had incredible cultural knowledge and be able to provide something educational that could be passed on to future generations.”

Himour learned by talking to Indigenous elders that some pictographs are directions that include how long it will take to get somewhere, while others serve as a warning.

“There’s a rock art site near the Historic Cochrane Ranche site,” he said.

“It’s of a Blackfoot shield-bearing warrior, and one of the elders said, ‘That’s our way of saying we’re here; this is our territory,’ and so that was purposely left on the landscape so that anyone travelling through that territory knew that they were in Blackfoot Confederacy territory.”

Himour says he’s hopeful readers will gain a new appreciation for the rich Indigenous history in the area but also respect the artwork.

“All of these pictograph sites are protected either by provincial or federal legislation,” he said.

“So, we really ask people to go ahead and visit the sites and see them on the landscape; it’s an amazing experience, but just make sure to leave them as you found them.”

You can learn more about the book at www.forgottendreamspictographs.com.