People gathered at Simon Fraser University's Burnaby campus on Aug. 30 for a special ceremony marking the return of ancient aboriginal remains from an archaeological site near Bella Bella. The human remains are an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 years old and come from Namu, an island in the traditional territory of the Heiltsuk First Nation.
A group of archaeologists led by Roy Carlson, founder of SFU's archaeology department, excavated the remains from Namu in the '60s and '70s with approval from the Heiltsuk First Nation. The remains were used for various studies during the 33 years they were at SFU, including one study comparing the DNA to that of present day Bella Bella residents.
The remains were transported back to Namu for a reburial scheduled on Sept. 2.
