Sturgeon Lake Finding of 11,000-Year-Old Pre-Contact Indigenous Village

tansi ninôtemik,

In a recent and exciting update, archaeologists confirmed the existence of an 11,000-year-old pre-contact Indigenous village near Sturgeon Lake.[1] This site is one of the oldest known Indigenous sites on the continent.[2] This discovery validates what Indigenous people have always known; Indigenous peoples have lived on and cared for these lands for far longer than is commonly understood.

The site is approximately five kilometres North of Prince Albert and was first discovered by researcher Dave Rondeau when he found notable riverbank erosion revealing artifacts.[3] In his words, Rondeau expressed, “The moment I saw the layers of history peeking through the soil, I felt the weight of generations staring back at me.”[4]

While this is an exciting discovery, it does hold significant implications for Indigenous land rights. Unfortunately, Indigenous communities find themselves constantly fighting for acknowledgement of their right to the protection of their resources and Nations. The sad reality is that the government still demands “proof” of Indigenous communities’ existence, even though cultural knowledge and orally preserved histories have confirmed this for generations. Specifically, this discovery brings forward critiques regarding the Bering Strait Theory, a theory claiming that First Nations people migrated to North America by way of a “land bridge” from Siberia.[5]

The Bering Strait Theory is problematic as, at its core, it invalidates the existence of Indigenous communities as not having existed before settlers from Europe migrated to North America. This fails to place value on the multi-generational histories of Indigenous communities and their stories being passed down through traditional means such as oral storytelling. It relies necessarily on what is considered “proof” in the colonial sense. 

So, this is a step forward in preserving and acknowledging Indigenous histories, but we must also turn the conversation to the topic of Indigenous sovereignty. The existence of these artifacts and the confirmation of the past only proves what we already know – Indigenous people have lived on and cared for these lands since time immemorial. 

ekosi, 

The ReconciliACTION Team

Citations

[1] Sturgeon Lake First Nation, Media Release, “11,000-Year-Old Indigenous Village Uncovered Near Sturgeon Lake” (3 February 2025).

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid. 

[5] National Park Service, “Other Migration Theories - Bering Land Bridge National Preserve”, online: <nps.gov.htm> [perma.cc/WJ6P-PZNA].

[Image] Tina Pelletier, “Findings from Âsowanânihk”, online: <mbcradio.com> [perma.cc/YSV2-DX6F].