Photo: Tse’k’wa Heritage Society
In July, Northern Development disbursed the final $75,000 of an approved $300,000 grant to Tse’k’wa Heritage Society upon the completion of their Cultural Centre project. With a forecasted total project budget of $687,180, the Society successfully made meaningful and quality improvements to their heritage site, which was designated a National Historic Site by Parks Canada in 2017. The designation was made in recognition of the outstanding national importance of the Tse’k’wa (“rock house” in Dane Zaa, also known as Charlie Lake Cave). In addition to the attention on the cave, Tse’k’wa Heritage Society is focused on bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together for cultural learning, sharing, and celebration.
“This project will result in a new Indigenous cultural experience in the Fort St. John area,” said Alyssa Currie, executive director, Tse’k’wa Heritage Society. “It will create opportunities to learn and celebrate with the Dane Zaa communities, local residents, school-aged children, the business community and travelers driving the Alaska Highway. Northern Development’s support has been an important catalyst for moving the Society forward in its goals.”
The multi-year project was approved for a $300,000 Cultural Infrastructure grant by the Northern Development Board in Spring 2021, and as described by Alyssa Currie, Executive Director, the initial investment from the Trust was leveraged to secure additional funding from the Canadian Cultural Revitalization Fund and BC Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program, along with corporate donors and in-kind contributions. All the financial and in-kind investments into the site were supported Tse’k’wa Heritage Society in their work to achieve their vision of the Tse’k’wa as a place where cultural understanding and relationships can be built between Treaty 8 First Nations, their neighbouring communities, and visitors from around the world.
To ensure that all visitors to the site could access and appreciate its offerings, Tse’k’wa Heritage Society applied learnings from an accessibility assessment from Spinal Cord Injury BC to ensure that all new infrastructure at the site was as accessible as possible. This includes two universally accessible outhouses, 230 metres of a low-mobility interpretive trail, three accessible benches, five large interpretive signs, five small interpretive signs, and an amphitheater with seating for 60 people.
Over the next two years, it is anticipated that the completed project will allow Tse’k’wa Heritage Society to host an additional 62 events, performances, and exhibits at the site, bringing more people together to learn and share.
Funding for this project was approved through the Trust’s Cultural Infrastructure grant program. The funding program is an avenue for Northern Development to support arts, culture, heritage, and creative innovation spaces. It improves the access to, and quality of professional arts and cultural facilities for residents and tourists. From Tse’k’wa’s project application to completion, it is apparent that their work was in alignment with the intent of the funding stream.
