By Katie Sperry
My name is Katie Sperry and I am an archaeologist for Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corporation. Deadman Falls is a significant cultural and spiritual site for Skeetchestn Indian Band. More than 55% of Skeetchestn’s traditional territory has burned as a result of the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire, and the 2021 Sparks Lake and Tremont Creek wildfires. Sadly, Deadman Falls is part of the area that burned in the Sparks Lake wildfire. My painting is in support of Indigenous stewardship of the land and language revitalization. YecwmÍnmen is the Secwépemc word for caretakers of the land. Through the support of YecwmÍnmen of Secwémpcùľecw (Secwépemc lands), I have hope that the land will be ‘stitched back together’ and non-Indigenous people will learn from YecwmÍnmen to live more sustainably with nature.
Bio
Katie Sperry is an archeologist for the Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corporation.