¥
\

cpeanreicen RESIN ©

LOCAL COUPLE WRITE ABOUT ANCIENT CARVINGS

Petroglyphs are a record of

SAY “HISTORY,” and many people immediately think of
a far-off country such as Britain, with its haunted castles,
medieval manuscripts, and long literary tradition. But for

coastal B.C.
might think.

All along our shoreline and in
and amongst the coast islands, In-
dian rock carvings, or
‘‘petroglyphs,’’ are tangible
reminders of native life before the
Europeans first made contact.

The carvings, some of which
depict sea creatures, humans and
mythological symbols, have been
been brought to life in Gabriola:
Petroglyph Island, a book written
by North Vancouver locals Mary
and Ted Bentley.

‘*There’s a huge number of sites
up and down the Northwest
Coast,’’ said Mary Bentley, a pro-
fessional weaver who sometimes
incorporates petroglyphs into her
designs.

The Bentleys wrote their book
after finding a number of
petroglyphs under the moss on a
rocky area near Mary's parents’
home on Gabrio!a Island. The site,
which was owned by Weldwood of
Canada, was deeded to the Crown
by the company after the discovery
was made.

“I feel it was a special, sort of
spiritual place. It was related to the
Vision Quest,’’ Bentley said, refer-
ring to the theory that some
petroglyph sites were sacred places
in which native shamans were ini-

residents, history is not as far away as they

By PEGGY TRENDELL-WHITTAKER
News Reporter

tiated and trained.

Other theories hold that the car-
vings record legends or actual
events, while some say that
because shoreline petroglyphs
almost always face the sea, they
are messages to the Salmon People
encouraging them to spuwn in the
local streams and rivers.

Although it is usually impossible
to date the carvings, Jim Pike of
the provincial archeology depart-
ment made an ‘educated guess’’
that the oldest of the B.C.
petroglyphs were created approxi-
mately 3,000 years ago.

According io the Bentleys, re-
corded observations of Indians ac-
tually carving petroglyphs are rare,
and the practice gradually disap-
peared altogether following the
advent of white settlers along the
coast.

Unfortunately, the respect due
these historical art forms is not
always granted them,

At the Gabriola site, ‘‘vandalism
has been a_ serious problem,”’’
noted Bentley. People over the
past decade have scratched their
names in the carvings, highlighted

41 - Wednesday, July 19, 1989 - North Shore News

Purchase
best
buys

PAGE 44

NEWS photo Mike Waketleld

NORTH SHORE residents Mary and Ted Bentley show some of the rubbings taken from (he Gabriola Island
petroglyphs. The couple discovered many of the ancient carvings and have written a book about the sites.

the carvings with pain{ or other-
wise defaced the petroglyphs.

While Pike said that ‘‘there’s
not as much vandalism as you
might expect,’’ it ‘‘only takes 2
few’? people to ruin the carvings
for everyone else.

For that reason, anyone who

ALL
DISCONTINUED
PRODUCTS
FOR

IMMEDIAT

wants to take a rubbing must tele-
phone the Heritage Conservation
Branch (1-356-1049) for a written
permit.

But for those serious about see-
ing the carvings, an upcoming tour
offered through the UBC Centre
for Continuing Education is the

1550 “MARINE DRIVE: NORTH VEN
IN-"LIVING SPACE PLAZA ©...

perfect chance to see the
petroglyphs and learn more about
their history.

On Saturday, Sept. 23, Ed An-
drusiak of Galiano Island will meet

See Discover
Page 42

987- 2252