Flint knapping workshop shares Tk’emlúps traditions with police officers

KAMLOOPS – A group of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps Rural RCMP Detachment officers participated in a workshop on Friday (Oct. 13) to learn the art of arrowhead making. The initiative was intended to foster understanding and appreciation for indigenous traditions and cultures.

The idea came after Indigenous Police Service Constable David Bigcharles attended one of the Tk’emlúps First Nations Band’s cultural camps. He said the workshop could be a way to get officers to understand things that they might come across in their daily duties.

“Opportunities like these ones provide a better understanding of the culture instead of just reading about it and seeing pictures, they also build on personal and working relationships together,” he explained.

During the session, Ed Jensen, who lead the workshop, talked about the importance and relevance of obsidian stone and the protective properties it’s believed to have.

“I look forward to continuing the relationship with the RCMP through these lessons and bridging the gaps between the physical and cultural connection,” he said.

A second workshop is planned, when officer will learn about fish-spear building.