ASSINIBOIA - The St. Victor Petroglyphs escarpment, some 30 minutes south of Assiniboia in the picturesque Wood Mountain Uplands, is regarded by many as a world class heritage, cultural, and Rock Art site. It is considered sacred and highly cherished by many First Nations in Canada, and is - without doubt - one of Canada’s most prolific and best displays of ancient aboriginal carvings, rock art, and symbols.
These carvings and symbols are hundreds - if not thousands - of years old, dating back to an era that is commonly known as ‘Pre-Contact’, before European explorers ever set foot on North American soil. Home to some 400 carvings and symbols, this sacred site is extremely vulnerable to wind, rain, snow, cold, and ice.
These forms of erosion - but especially acid rain - have taken their toll on these valuable carvings over the centuries. Sadly, many carvings here have - in actual fact - disappeared into oblivion, never to be seen again. Increased ‘foot-traffic’ has also contributed significantly to their disappearance.
Dr. Tim Jones, author, university lecturer, and former long time Director of the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society from Saskatoon, boasts that the ancient St. Victor Petroglyph Rock Art site is so important to archaeology, that it is the “equivalent of the Mona Lisa in the Art World”. Pretty bold claim, for sure, but one that needs to be taken seriously.
“No one would ever take the Mona Lisa down off the wall and spread it crassly out on the ground to be walked on and destroyed,” said Jones. He continued, “This large, beautiful, sandstone escarpment is the perfect place for one - an artist perhaps - to make their mark.”
These important marks and carvings in the sandstone outcropping at St. Victor tell much of the story of North America’s First Nations people, said Jones, and “it therefore deserves to be protected.”
To do just that - preserve, protect, and promote this ancient, sacred site - is the mandate of the Friends of St. Victor Petroglyphs organization. David Munro is a director and local interpreter representing the Friends of St. Victor Petroglyphs.
Munro visited the Shurniak Art Gallery in Assiniboia to speak about the significance of the rock carvings, art, and symbols on the St. Victor site on February 4.
Munro was invited by Alison Lewis, president of the Assiniboia and District Arts Council.
Munro’s presentation was the first in a series of four “Speaking of Art” presentations to take place over the next six months at the gallery. These presentations are made possible by SaskArts, Sask. Lotteries, the Shurniak Art Gallery, and the Assiniboia Arts Council, through their support of the Artists in Communities Project Grant.
The final presentation by Lewis and Crystal Thorhaug concluded with a very interesting visual display of numerous Australian Aboriginal marks, symbolism, and a few hand crafted artifacts, including a boomerang and several didgeridoo(s).
At the ending of the “Speaking of Art” program Lewis explained that “looking back (over the centuries) ... artists communicated, supported, and recorded the (important) history of civilization - life before a common language, and certainly before cameras and the internet.”
