Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc says it is working with the City of Kamloops to protect an ancestral site along the Thompson River after the discovery of bones over the Labour Day Weekend.

In a joint statement with the City, Tk’emlúps Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir says the area where the bones were found is closed to the public.

“Cultural heritage is an important value for Tk’emlúps and we have a responsibility to ensure that our cultural and traditional practices are being respected,” she said. “Our people have been here since time immemorial and travelled extensively throughout Secwepemcúl’ecw.”

Calling the City of Kamloops “a great partner and friend,” Casimir says City staff were quick to reach out to Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc to uphold their mutual commitment to “respectful cultural heritage management.”

“The City of Kamloops is honoured and humbled to have a supportive role in protecting and preserving the traditional cultural heritage in this great valley,” Councilor Bill Sarai, the Chair of the City’s  Reconciliation Select Committee, said.

“We uphold the Letter of Understanding signed between the City and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc that respects the formalization of a cultural heritage protocol

RCMP said in a statement that the bones were found embedded in the clay bank near the water’s edge by a person who was walking along the river around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2.

“Based on the preliminary findings, the bones are believed to be human and archeological in nature, at this time,” RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Crystal Evelyn said, noting the bones were believed to be “human and archeological” in nature.

Casimir and Sarai are both urging people who come across potential remains and artifacts to report it to the nearest RCMP detachment as well as to Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc