|
Gordon Mohs with transformer stone (1991)
In the Fall of 1990, archeologist Gordon Mohs was driving along the Hatzic stretch of Lougheed Highway when something caught his eye. In the adjacent field, he saw a bulldozer levelling the ground for a new housing development next to a large stone. Gordon Mohs although not Indigenous himself, worked as an archeologist for the Stó:lō Tribal Council. He knew that the large rock in the field at Hatzic could very well be one of many Stó:lō transformer stones referenced in Stó:lō oral histories or Sxwōxwiyám. Under the threat of the impending development, Mohs felt obligated to halt construction and conduct an archeological dig at the site. Fortunately, the owner of the site, Albertan land-developer Harry Utzig, accepted Mohs and the Stó:lō Tribal Council’s request.
“I could have had it developed and sold by now, but it holds someone’s heritage and that strikes a chord… maybe by cooperating, we’ll make history here” – Harry Utzig (1991)
The following summer archeology students from the University of The Fraser Valley and the University of British Columbia descended onto the site. Under the council of the Stó:lō Nation these initial digs revealed an abundance of artifacts and tools that were thousands of years old. Furthermore, a Sqémél or pithouse was shown to have resided on the site. Inside of the pithouse were traditional Stó:lō paints used in ceremony, bones of salmon and deer, and further indicators of how the Stó:lō people had lived for millennia. Radiocarbon dating revealed that aspects of the site had dated back as far as nine thousand years old.
Shortly after the site’s rediscovery, a society was formed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous volunteers alike to secure the long-term preservation of the site. The Friends of The Hatzic Rock Society (FOHRS) was formed in August of 1991. Immediately the FOHRS began campaigning and fundraising to raise awareness and fund a potential transaction of the land from its developer.
Gordon Mohs decision to pull over that day had begun a process of unprecedented cooperation and collaboration between the Stó:lō people and non-Indigenous residents of the Fraser Valley, who collectively recognized the historical, spiritual and cultural significance of the site. In the years since the site’s rediscovery, Hatzic Rock, now Xá:ytem National Historic Site of Canada, has served as a valuable resource and educational centre for visitors to learn about the rich culture and history of the Stó:lō peoples.