Once the typical winter dwelling in northern B.C., this weekend will see the first unveiling of a pit house in the modern era in Prince George.
UNBC is the site of this project. It's the second one built in the broader region by local native elder Vince Prince who was also involved in the construction of a prior one near Fort St. James. The success of that structure gave UNBC officials and other partner groups the motivation to make the process into a hands-on summer course. A group of university students, UNBC personnel, high school students from Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, and Prince built the new pit house from scratch this July.
"It's such a physically demanding project, because we chose to do it without any winches or mechanized equipment except a chainsaw," he said. "It was just ropes, skids, rollers, and pure muscle. There was so much muscle power involved in it, day after day. The heat played a factor in terms of how worn down we got after the first 10 days or so."
"This course has generated a lot of interest by passersby who are immediately impressed with what they are witnessing," said Jennifer Pighin, who is both a teaching assistant with the course and a Lheidli T'enneh First Nation elected councillor. "People are very curious and excited to hear more about the Dakelh culture and the students are eager to share what they have learned throughout the course. The pit house has truly become a space of cultural exchange and another catalyst for the cultural revival of Dakelh knowledge. Everyone seems to want one of their own now."
Instructors and students will hold an official unveiling at the site on Saturday at 11 a.m. Representatives from local government, the First Nations community, and UNBC will be on-hand
including those who built the traditional structure.
The celebration will be in a potluck style, and the general public is invited.
