Arrowheads found at St. Kateri could be sign of prehistoric Indigenous site

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board educators had some surprising news for board administrators and trustees at their regular monthly meeting held Wednesday evening.

“At the beginning of the school year a few students in Grade 7 found what were believed to be arrowheads at St. Kateri,” said Allison Fabbro, Grade 7 outdoor education teacher.

Fabbro was one of four H-SCDSB educators delivering a presentation on St. Kateri programming at Wednesday’s meeting.

“After some research I contacted Dr. Paulette Steeves who is an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at Algoma University,” Fabbro said.

The arrowheads were turned over to Steeves, who then visited and explored the St. Kateri site. 

In correspondence with St. Kateri educators, Steeves reported “this area has a high possibility of being an early prehistoric Indigenous site.”

“The lake and surrounding area would have been an attractive hunting, bird hunting or habitation site,” Steeves wrote.

Steeves told the board she would stay in contact regarding further research at the St. Kateri area on Goulais Avenue. 

That research will include digs and soil testing. 

“This would be a great experiential activity students could assist with,” Fabbro said.

“It is exciting,” said Lina DiPasquale, Vice-Principal of Equity, Diversity, and Indigenous Education speaking to the board Wednesday.

“The students were excited to share something they found. We don’t know what will come of it but we do know that they will learn a lot in the process. We hope that they get to be a part of the digging and the soil sampling,” DiPasquale said. 

The first arrowhead was found by a student at St. Kateri in September 2023 DiPasquale told reporters after Wednesday’s meeting.  

Another student then came forward and reported an earlier arrowhead discovery.

Both arrowheads were found near the St. Kateri site’s main building.   

Steeves is in possession of the arrowheads and will conduct research to determine their age.

There is no formal schedule in place for that work to be done, DiPasquale said.

Neither is it known when any digs and soil sampling at St. Kateri with Steeves and students will be done.

“She (Steeves) reached out to other experts so we’re waiting to hear back from them,” Di Pasquale said.

“If, for instance, it was determined that it (the arrowheads) belonged to the Batchewana First Nation community it would be returned to them. It’s about acknowledging the traditional land that we’re on,” H-SCDSB Superintendent Fil Lettieri told reporters.

Fabbro and DiPasquale were joined by Michelle Chapman, Grade 6 outdoor education teacher and Barry Boissoneau, cultural resource worker at Wednesday’s St. Kateri presentation.

An Indigenous teaching lodge will be built at St. Kateri for instruction of students by Indigenous elders in the spring, DiPasquale said.

The H-SCDSB announced in Nov. 2023 that nearly $1 million will be spent on renovation and expansion of the infrastructure at the St. Kateri Outdoor Learning Centre.

The St. Kateri presentation group at Wednesday’s meeting said that students exploring the outdoor site are provided with hiking backpacks, water bottles, whistles and GPS devices for their own safety after an 11-year-old student went missing at the site for more than 24 hours in May 2023.

The student was found safe after a massive search by police, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry staff and Sault Search and Rescue volunteers.

Enhanced signage has also been put in place along the St. Kateri site’s trail system for added student safety, H-SCDSB Superintendent Lettieri said.