Staff at Historic Dunvegan Provincial Park want to educate visitors on the history of the land the park now sits on. For the second year, they will be holding an event called the Dunvegan Beaver Annual Gathering and Storytelling.
Program Coordinator Stephanie McLachlan says the area now known as Dunvegan has been a gathering place for members of the Dunne-za First Nation for years and wants to make sure it stays that way.
“We’re just trying to get back into the swing of things trying to start getting an annual gathering together for storytelling, sharing, talking about history and just a time of togetherness and celebrating the Dunne-za people.”
McLachlan says they are trying to do that by hosting a full day of activities on August 24th including an opening ceremony with elders and storytelling, bannock baking, as well as drumming and dancing in the evening.
She hopes those who come will leave knowing something new straight from the people who experienced these things first hand.
“They have been visiting this area for thousands of years so it’s very important that we get to know what their history is and that we hear it from Dunne-za people, not from textbooks.”
The event is free to attend and will start at 1:30 p.m. with an opening ceremony at the visitor’s centre.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated it was the Dene Tha First Nation but it should say Dunne-za First Nation. Corrections have been made.