Cultural sites suffered flood damage, says Williams Lake First Nation

The Williams Lake First Nation says two and possibly three Indigenous cultural heritage sites sustained extensive damage when a torrent of water breached a landslide that had blocked the Chilcotin River in British Columbia’s central Interior.

The nation says two of the sites were located along the banks of the Chilcotin River near the Farwell Canyon Bridge and the third site was downstream at the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers.

A landslide south of Williams Lake that dammed the Chilcotin River last week broke free on Monday and sent torrents of water, downed trees and debris downstream to the Fraser River, which flows through the Lower Mainland to Georgia Strait.

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The Williams Lake First Nation says in a statement the sites were three of four main Chilcotin River Secwepemc villages, which archeological records have traced back over 4,000 years.

The nation says an aerial survey of the area shortly after the landslide breach also indicates damage to burial areas and pit house sites.

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B.C.’s Emergency Management Ministry says in a social media post the flows on the Chilcotin River have now returned to pre-landslide levels and crews are monitoring the area for risk of additional landslides and bank erosion.