Meet Eric Van Stone, the archaeologist who stopped digging and started carving

By Breanne Massey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Wren Each spring, as white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose and elk leave behind the antlers they’ve outgrown, artisan Eric Van Stone follows. Reading game trails the way others read maps, he follows the migration routes and searches the forest floor for naturally shed antlers — raw materials that will later be transformed into handcrafted knives, jewelry and other pieces that carry a story from wilderness to workshop. Syilx and Secwépemc artisan Van Stone focuses on tracking local migration routes of wildlife to pick up any antlers being shed and follow in their footsteps for inspiration. “Sometimes I walk all day, and don’t find anything,” Van Stone says with a chuckle. “Certain spots are better. Sometimes in the winter, you’re in deep snow,…

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