When Himour showed two Piikani elders enhanced images of faded pictographs found on the Okotoks Erratic – a massive boulder left behind by the melting glaciers near the town of Okotoks – the elders were immediately able to identify the meaning behind a series of pictographs that included humanoid figures and 17 circles.
“As soon as I brought up the enhanced image, they both leaned forward in their chairs and at the same time said it was a journey,” Himour said.
The elders determined that the pictograph artists, in a style known as the Plains Tradition, had recorded a 17-month long northward-bound journey as the circles, now bright and crisp, represented moons.
However, the symbols and meaning behind why these people embarked on this journey are not being shared, as Himour said the information is proprietary to the Piikani as a protected part of their culture.
As part of the Plains Tradition, Himour said pictographs were often used to record major events such as journeys, battles and the signing of treaties.
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