Recent studies examining jade artifacts discovered to the east of the Rocky Mountains illuminate extensive Indigenous trade routes that spanned across pre-colonial Western Canada.
For over 3,000 years, nephrite jade pieces were meticulously polished and shaped into tools such as blades, chisels, and axe heads.
For the central and coastal Salish tribes in the Pacific Northwest, these implements—crafted from an exceptionally durable stone appearing in emerald green, black, yellow, and white—were vital everyday tools used for carving wood essential to daily living.
However, some of these stone tools journeyed from their origin in British Columbia across the Rocky Mountains and have been discovered in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
The Archaeological Survey of Alberta, based in Edmonton, conducted a peer-reviewed study on these tools, recently published in North American Archaeologist, which included researchers from the University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Saskatchewan, and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Their findings indicate that these tools, referred to as stone celts, were highly sought-after prestige items in the Prairie regions.
These artifacts, produced in present-day British Columbia, were traded to Dene and Cree communities located east of the Rockies through extensive pre-contact trade networks that transcended cultural and linguistic divides.
The widespread presence of such items illustrates the existence of large social networks among Indigenous peoples throughout Western Canada, according to Todd Kristensen, regional archaeologist with the Archaeological Survey of Alberta and the study’s principal author.
“By the time it crossed the Rockies around 1,000 years ago, the jade was more about solidifying social connections and networks—serving as a gift rather than a functional tool,” he stated.
‘The mystery’
The research aimed to resolve questions that have persisted in the field of anthropology for many years. While the use of nephrite by pre-contact populations in B.C. is well documented, its presence east of the Rockies had not been thoroughly explored, Kristensen noted.
Given the absence of local nephrite sources or signs of local production in the Prairies, researchers sought to determine the origin of these artifacts and their means of arrival.
“In B.C., they utilized these tools for crafting cedar dugout canoes and various woodworking tasks,” Kristensen explained. “In Alberta and Saskatchewan, where some jade celts have been found, the situation is different.
“This has been part of the enigma. Why do we find these jade items in areas where it doesn’t seem people had a functional need for jade?”
The researchers examined 24 nephrite celts recorded east of the Rockies over the last 75 years. They confirmed their mineral composition and origin using portable X-ray fluorescence, gamma spectrometry, and specific gravity tests.
The findings established that each artifact originated from the Fraser River area in B.C.
The study revealed that, on average, the celts traveled nearly 850 kilometers from their source, with some journeying close to 1,500 kilometers.
This graphic from the Archaeological Survey of Alberta details all known locations where jade stone celts have been found east of the Rocky Mountains. (Archaeological Survey of Alberta)
The research suggests several potential pathways along which these items migrated across the continent.
It is proposed that Interior Salish artisans engaged in trade with neighboring Dene groups, who then transported the celts eastward, across the Rockies, to share them with Dene relatives and ancestral Cree communities.
The study also indicates that Dene groups traveling west from northern Alberta for trade gatherings on the Fraser River may have obtained the celts and brought them back, or that Salish groups venturing east into Alberta’s mountain river valleys could have directly traded with western Dene communities.
“We believe that Dene migration through the region led to a resurgence of relationships that facilitated the movement of jade east across the Rockies,” Kristensen remarked.
“Jade might serve as key evidence indicating a new economic relationship that distributed goods in a novel manner.”
‘Beautiful object’
Creating a single nephrite celt involved labor-intensive grinding and polishing. A smaller celt often took over 100 hours to complete, while larger versions could require up to 500 hours.
“Investing 100 hours into an object imbues it with significant meaning and value,” Kristensen noted.
Celts in the Pacific Northwest were repeatedly sharpened and reused as tools over generations. However, those excavated by archaeologists in parklands and boreal forests, where communities depended on birch bark and hide structures instead of heavy timber, were noticeably larger and exhibited minimal signs of wear.
This indicates that the stone celts had ceased to serve as functional tools as they were transported further away; rather, they became symbols of prestige.
Kristensen likens them to sentimental items that someone might keep on display in their home.
“It’s a beautiful item, but the true value lies in the relationship that facilitated its delivery,” he concluded.
Traditionally, pre-contact peoples are depicted as isolated hunter-gatherers, but this study presents a different narrative, Kristensen emphasized.
“We often think of people as merely adapting by acquiring enough tools and food resources to survive. However, relationships were equally crucial,” he stated.
“This jade study is helping us comprehend that aspect.”
Kisha Supernant, director of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology at the University of Alberta, remarked that the research challenges the perception of pre-contact Indigenous groups as isolated, instead highlighting the existence of human connections and long-distance travel across the western landscape.
Supernant commended the researchers for collaborating with Indigenous communities and linking their data to the broader context of pre-contact Indigenous cultures.
“That integrates the human element—and that is vital because archaeology fundamentally seeks to understand the people of the past,” she noted.
Kristensen highlighted that the study relied heavily on citizen science, as nearly all 24 artifacts were initially discovered by farmers tilling their fields rather than through formal archaeological digs.
Looking ahead, he stated that the research team aims to engage with Indigenous communities to align their findings with traditional oral histories.
