On National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, members of Bonaparte (St’uxwtéws) First Nation — including Elders, Kukpí7 Frank Antoine, and members of council — along with representatives from the Ashcroft Terminal and community members unveiled a monument at the terminal site in Ashcroft.
The monument honours St’uxwtéws ancestors who are buried at the site. In November 2020 ancestral remains were uncovered at the terminal, and in June 2021 a contingent of community members, Elders, and terminal personnel reburied them.
A plaque at the monument reads, in Secwepemtsín and English, “Ancestors of the Secwépemculecw are buried here. May they rest in peace in our sacred land. Although the physical remains are buried in the ground here, their spirits are resting forever in the Spirit World.”
The monument is located near the entrance to the Ashcroft Terminal site, and is publicly accessible to all.
Elders Marilyn Antoine and Dave Porter, along with Kukpí7 Antoine and Justin Prairie Chicken, spoke of the importance of the monument and of the respectful collaboration between St’uxwtéws and the terminal. Attendees were invited to use ochre to leave a mark on a boulder near the monument, with the orange of the paint representing respectful dialogue that does not end.
Kukpí7 Antoine said that the memorial is significant as it represents building relationships.
“In life we go through the ups and downs of relationships. At the end of the day this shows the respect for each other, and gives us that connection that we’re on the same page. That means more than anything to me.
“Being a leader, your goal when you come into office is to build those relationships, and when you leave you hope you’ve built them bigger and stronger and pass that along to the next leaders.”
He said that the planning process for the memorial took four years, with numerous meetings with Elders and to get the wording on the memorial right.
“This is our third ceremony. First there was a horseback ride [for the 2021 reburial], then we invited Ashcroft Terminal [staff] to come on a canoe journey for truth and reconciliation, and now we get to do this one.”
Antoine added that he hoped a ceremony could be held at the site annually. “It’s really important that we carry this on and that we hopefully do this every year. Kind of like Remembrance Day; we remember our past heroes, as I guess you could call them. They carried on our traditions then and we carry them on today.”
Chris Shubert, CEO and Chief Commercial Officer at Ashcroft Terminal, said in an email to the Journal that it was "a pleasure to welcome Bonaparte First Nation to our terminal in celebration of our new monument and National Indigenous Peoples Day. It was an honour to have the Elders and community here to celebrate such a meaningful occasion for both Bonaparte First Nation and Ashcroft Terminal.
“Today’s ceremony is about more than just this site or a monument unveiling. It’s about the journey that brought us here, honouring the ancestors who walked this land before us, the mutual respect and understanding that we remain committed to, and the excitement for a bright future between Bonaparte First Nation and Ashcroft Terminal.”
Having a permanent memorial that is accessible at all times to the public is generational, said Antoine, noting that his mother and his children have witnessed it.
“It’s really important that we carry it on. I’d like to see the schools get a little more involved, because this is that the kids need to see. Our children need to see how we move forward together in our communities and how we build the community back up.
“I was born and raised in this area, and time goes by so quickly. You look back and wonder ‘What did I leave for my children?’ I learned from my grandfather and my father, and now my children are the next generation. I’m looking at the past, moving to the present, and looking to the future.”
