Volunteers at Konukson Park are working hard to remove the dense mat of English ivy that has taken over much of the park. The picture on the right was taken on the front line of battle; the dramatic contrast between the foreground and background of the picture illustrates how much the volunteers are changing the plant community within the park.
But the volunteers are uncovering more than just bare soil and the remnants of native ecosystems. They are also uncovering a cultural history that has been hidden from sight by decades of English ivy growth.On the left, a number of rocks appear to have been deliberately placed and piled, suggesting that there may be First Nations gravesites in the park. As seen below, removing ivy has also revealed several small shell middens within the park. The park is close enough to the coast that it is likely First Nations brought freshly collected seafood into the
forests where they were more protected from the elements of an exposed coastline.Several cultural artifacts have also been found in the park. Norm Mogenson, a long time community volunteer (seen below), explains to the volunteer group what some of the bones found in the park were likely used for. Held in his left hand is a piece of bone that has been worked on either end and was likely used as a sheath to join the handle and cutting edge of an adz. Volunteers are respectful of this cultural history and have been careful not to disturb any of these cultural sites. Norm Mogenson has reported these findings to local archaeologists at the RBC Museum who in collaboration with First Nations members will be able to provide more detail about the cultural history of this area.
