Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada |
Compiled by Tom Andrews
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Yellowknife NT Canada X1A 2L9
CONTENTS
North of Lac De Gras Jean Bussey; 2000-893
Peel River Melanie Fafard, Permit 2000-894
Gahcho Kué and Snap Lake Callum Thomson, Permit 2000-895
Western Victoria Island James Savelle and Arthur S.Dyke, Permit 2000-897
Kitigaaryuit Elisa Hart, Permit 2000-898
Ochre River Brian Ronaghan, Permit 2000-899
Fort Simpson Tom Andrews, Permit 2000-900
Cameron Hills Andrew Mason, Permit 2000-901
Old Fort Rae Marc Stevenson, Permit 2000-902
Canadian Forest Oil Ltd. Well Site Thomas Head, Permit 2000-904
Veritas Reconnaissance Elisa Hart, Permit 2000-905
Tuktut Nogait National Park Stephen Savauge, Parks Canada Permit # 00-00005
Archaeological Investigations Conducted North of Lac De Gras
Jean Bussey
Jean Bussey of Points West Heritage Consulting Ltd. directed archaeological
investigations for BHP Diamonds Inc. in its claim block north of Lac de Gras.
Gabriella Prager and Bonnie Campbell, also of Points West, and Nancy Casaway
of the community of Lutsel ke assisted. The field work consisted of an
archaeological inventory as well as tours for representatives of the Dogrib
First Nation. Edward Camille and Francis Williah, both elders, and their interpreter,
Michelle Rabesca, were involved. Numerous recorded archaeological sites were
revisited during the tours.
During the archaeological inventory, twelve new archaeological sites were discovered,
bringing the total number of known sites in the BHP claim block to 162. Stone
tools or the fragments (flakes) removed during the manufacture of stone tools
characterize the twelve new sites. The majority of the specimens are white or
grey quartz. One site was found on a lake southwest of the EKATI Diamond Mine,
and two were discovered on an esker to the east. The other nine sites are associated
with the Ursula West esker north of the mine where the majority of the field
inventory was conducted in response to a proposed road and gravel source. Eight
of these nine sites are located on the esker and one is on a small knoll overlooking
Ursula Lake. Three of these sites are within or near planned developments associated
with a proposed gravel source and if selected, additional archaeological investigation
would be required.
Due to the initiation of construction for the Misery mine southeast of Ekati,
five previously recorded sites located in the vicinity were visited to reassess
their status. Two of these sites are near proposed development. LdNs-2 consisted
of a small surface scatter that was subjected to complete collection in 1995.
Because intact deposits were within the proposed right-of-way of a waterline,
some additional excavation was undertaken at LdNs-16 this summer. LdNs-16 had
been sample excavated in 1997 and the artifacts recovered this year are comparable
to those found during the earlier excavation. The newly collected artifacts
will be analyzed during the winter.
![]() Excavation and screening at LdNs-16 located on the Lac du Savauge esker |
![]() View northwest of Edward Camille, Michelle Rabesca and Francis Williah (left to right) at LdNs-18 on the Lac du Savauge esker |
Peel River Ethnoarchaeology
Project
Melanie Fafard
In July 2000, the Gwichin Social and Cultural Institute (GSCI) in partnership
with the Teetlit Gwichin Council and the University of Alberta initiated
an ethno-archaeological project aimed at finding archaeological sites in the
Peel River drainage of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. This watershed traditionally
played an important role in the life of the Teetlit Gwichin, with
fish camps established along the Peel River during the summer and the river
providing access to a vast inland area, including the Peel River Plateau, where
people hunted in the winter.
The field crew consisted of an elder, young adults and youth from Fort McPherson,
GSCI staff, Dr. Ray Le Blanc and Mélanie Fafard from the University of
Alberta. The field work included: (1) a helicopter survey in the eastern part
of the Richardson Mountains; (2) a twelve-day river survey of the Peel River
between Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territories and the Caribou River in
the Yukon Territory and; (3) a test excavation at a site located in Fort McPherson,
beside the Anglican church where, according to the oral history, the Teetlit
Gwichin used to camp during their annual visit to the Fort in the spring.
Using the information provided by Teetlit Gwichin Elders about places
that are named in the Peel River area and the stories associated with them,
we examined close to 25 of these locales and recorded 13 new sites ranging in
age from the pre-contact period to the present. These included places where
only stone tools were collected, a winter camp (Vadzaih ván tshik) that
has been used by the Teetlit Gwichin since the pre-contact period
up to this day, sites where remains of cabins were identified or where material
remains were found in the eroding bank and one site with a moss house (ninkahn).
Finally, in all the test pits excavated in Fort McPherson, cultural remains
were identified. Those mostly included European trade goods, although a bone
awls and three stone artifacts were also found.
Bone awl found in Fort McPherson (Photo by Rosalie Scott) |
![]() A wooden shovel found during the survey. |
Callum Thomson, archaeologist with Jacques Whitford Environment Limited, was
joined by Lawrence Catholique, Lutsel Ke Dene First Nation, and Lawrence
Goulet and Alfred Baillargeon, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, for two brief
archaeological surveys on behalf of De Beers Canada Exploration Inc. in 2000.
The first survey in August focused on a number of sites recorded in 1999 on
the 120 km winter access route from MacKay Lake to the De Beers mineral exploration
property at Gahcho Kué (Kennady Lake), via Reid, Munn, Margaret and Murdock
lakes. Where sites had been found on the access route and at proposed road construction
camps in 1999, alternate routes and camp locations that would avoid these sites
were found, assessed and mapped. During this process, and in surveys of high
potential areas adjacent to the route that had not been surveyed in 1999, an
additional 48 sites were found to add to the 50 found in 1999, mostly from the
pre-contact period. At Gacho Kué, preliminary surveys in the Doyle Lake
exploration area and 12 km winter access route south of the De Beers camp resulted
in the finding of two new sites, and another site was found on an esker while
we were obtaining GPS coordinates for the 45 sites found around Gahcho Kué
in 1999. The survey finished with a preliminary helicopter flyover of a 100
km route that De Beers was considering for use as an alternate means of accessing
Gahcho Kué, starting at the Lupin Ice Road south of Warburton Bay on
MacKay Lake and proceeding south to the former Winspear development at Snap
Lake and east via Lac Capot Blanc to Munn Lake to join the original De Beers
route. Several hundred areas and locations of archaeological potential were
noted on and adjacent to the route during the flyover. Quick visits to four
of these locations confirmed the aerial predictions: seventeen sites were found.
In September, a return visit was made to undertake a more detailed survey of
portages on the alternate route via Snap Lake, and an additional 48 sites were
found on and adjacent to the route and at nearby eskers that have some potential
for use as borrow areas. Four new sites were found on a proposed approach route
to a road construction camp on the original route south of Back Lake. Six new
sites were located during a more extensive survey around the Doyle Lake exploration
area south of the De Beers Gahcho Kué camp. Snow on the last night of
the survey put a sudden end to the work. During these surveys, we saw a wolverine
and a fox, a female moose well north of the tree line, several sets of grizzly
bear tracks, a bear den and an active wolf den. Small numbers of caribou were
also seen, although the country is laced with a network of deep caribou trails.
During the course of the two surveys in 2000, 126 new sites were found. Most
of the precontact period sites were located on elevated knolls and terraces,
or on and beside eskers, close to water, where a good view could be obtained
of caribou approaching or crossing nearby lake narrows. Most of the sites contained
a scatter of a few to as many as several hundred white quartz sometimes
grey or pink cores, tools, flakes and chunks from the process of quarrying,
reducing, manufacturing or modifying stone tools, and some contained tent rings
and hearths. A few quartz boulders and bedrock veins were found where raw material
for tool making had been quarried. One site produced two stone adze blades and
a stemmed point, possibly from an occupation several thousand years ago, but
most of the pre-contact sites probably date within the past 2,500 years. The
few artifacts that were collected for analysis will be returned to the Prince
of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, where a decision will be made on their ultimate
disposition. Sites most likely from the more recent traditional use period contain
tent rings, hearths, boulder markers, axe-cut trees, firewood, wooden floats
from a net, and two fragmentary wooden bows, suggestive of caribou hunting,
fishing and possibly trapping during the past two centuries or so. The large
number and density of sites found over the past two years (average of 1 site/1.5
km on and within 500 m of the 220 km of access route portages investigated)
indicates that surveys of winter access routes are a necessary form of impact
assessment, and a productive source of knowledge. De Beers is committed to heritage
conservation and will, wherever possible, modify access route alignments, camp
locations, and exploration plans to avoid disturbance of this evidence of several
thousand years of occupation of this region. Where avoidance is not possible,
sites will be fully documented and appropriate mitigation recommendations will
be submitted to the regulator for approval.
The Snap Lake winter access route begins south of Warburton Bay on MacKay Lake, where the Lupin Ice Road crosses an esker. During our surveys we found 8 sites within 10-500 m of the Lupin portage and borrow pit. No previous surveys had been conducted. |
NS-15 overlooks a perfect caribou crossing at the south end of Reid Lake. Quartz tools and flakes were found scattered on the bedrock and gravel terrace. |
Archaeological Investigations
on Western Victoria Island, N.W.T.,
July-August 2000
James Savelle and Arthur S.Dyke
Archaeological investigations, in conjunction with geological investigations,
were carried out between July 17th and August 17th, 2000, on western Victoria
Island, N.W.T. These investigations represent the second field season of a proposed
long-term project that focusses on an assessment of the relationship between
initial and subsequent Paleoeskimo and Thule and historic Inuit occupations
on southwestern Victoria Island and changing paleoenvironmental conditions.
While previous studies have documented Paleoeskimo (ca. 4000-1000 B.P.) and
Thule and historic Inuit sites in this area, a systematic attempt to investigate
varying intensities of prehistoric occupations, and relate these to changing
environmental conditions, has not previously been attempted.
Field surveys were undertaken in four areas on Prince Albert
Sound: Woodward Point, Page Point, Linaluk Island region, and along the south
central part of the sound. The nature and amount of data collected at each site
varied according to field priorities at the time of examination. Thus, some
sites were examined and recorded in considerable detail, while others were simply
noted as to location, and the number and types of features estimated. No excavations
were undertaken, and items recovered from the various sites were restricted
to charcoal, bone, wood and other materials suitable for dating purposes.
A total of 115 sites, comprising 628 Paleoeskimo and 350 Thule/historic dwelling
features, and several hundred caches, fox traps and other features, were recorded.
Several of these sites had been previously reported by Robert McGhee. While
the occupation of the study area spans essentially the entire temporal range
of human occupation known for this region of the Arctic, our preliminary results
suggest that there are definite occupation pulses, similar to those
described elsewhere in the Canadian Arctic. Specifically, following relatively
high Early-Mid Pre-Dorset population levels, occupation intensities decreased
substantially until Mid-Late Dorset times, at which point they increased slightly,
but not attaining the Pre-Dorset levels. Early Thule occupations were generally
sparse, but increase substantially toward the late prehistoric/historic transition
period.
Dorset longhouse near Woodward Point, originally |
Arthur S. Dyke pointing to hearth area of a Paleoeskimo feature |
Kitigaaryuit National Historic
Site
Elisa Hart
Parks Canada provided funding to the Inuvialuit Social Development Program (ISDP)
to complete the mapping of cultural remains at Kitigaaryuit National Historic
Site. Kitigaaryuit was the central gathering place of the Kitigaaryumiut, who
gathered there in winter for celebrations related to the disappearance and eventual
return of the sun. They also gathered in summer for a collective beluga whale
hunt. Among the remains at the site are a village, a Hudson's Bay Company Post,
and an Anglican mission. There are also extensive graveyards, in which about
230 traditional log graves are visible on the surface.
ISDP has conducted research related to Kitigaaryuit since 1995. This has involved
oral history and archival research along with an archaeological inventory and
mapping. It has also included vegetation surveys, and preliminary assessments
of the impacts of tourism, and of coastal processes threatening the site. The
crew of 2000 consisted of Elisa Hart (ISDP), David Taylor, who operated the
differential GPS, and Don Gardner of Old Ways. Don was invited to continue his
research on Kitigaaryumiut skin boats through an analysis of boat parts found
at the site. Don's research has shown that the Kitigaaryumiut had a unique and
little understood boat building tradition. Their innovative designs attest to
their knowledge of creating boats that were strong, but much lighter than found
in other parts of the Arctic.
During the 2000 project we found that major impacts are occurring from erosion
and the thawing of permafrost. ISDP proposes to undertake more extensive research
on coastal processes in the summer of 2001. Oral historical research will also
continue so that we can learn more about the uses of the cultural remains at
the site, and of life at Kitigaaryuit.
A retrogressive thaw failure at Kitigaaryuit. The back wall of this amphitheatre shaped feature is ice and silt. |
An example of a traditional grave made of driftwood. There are about 230 of these visible atKitigaaryuit, and likely many that are completely grown over with vegetation. |
Mackenzie Valley Winter
Road Ochre River Bridge Project
for GNWT Department of Transportation
Brian Ronaghan
GNWT Department of Transportation plans upgrading a portion of the existing
Mackenzie Valley winter road by building a new bridge at the Ochre River crossing
north of Wrigley. This project will improve winter access and will assist in
controlling erosion after spring-melt. In June 2000, Brian Ronaghan of Golder
Associates examined construction zones for historical resource concerns associated
with this development. The project also included participation by an elder of
the Pehdzeh Ki Dene Community, Edward Hardisty, who accompanied the archaeologist
and representatives of Transportation during the field inspection to advise
about any concerns there might be for sites and areas that the community would
consider important.
Although several archaeological and traditional use sites had been recorded
in studies that took place before the road was built, all of these occur outside
areas proposed for bridge construction. The project involved inspection of the
proposed development zones, some of which had been cleared by hand in the winter,
and testing of areas that might contain buried artifacts. Mr. Hardisty confirmed
that no cabins or other sensitive areas would be affected, and no new archaeological
or traditional sites were found during the inspection. It was recommended that
the Department of Transportation be granted approval to build the new approach
and bridge crossing at the Ochre River.
View from the air of the north side of the new Ochre River approach and bridge. The recently hand cut approach occurs in the photo centre. |
View from the air of the south side of the new Ochre River approach and bridge. The new approach occurs in the forest on the right side of the photo. |
Fort Simpson Heritage
Park
Tom Andrews
At the request of the Fort Simpson Historical Society, Tom Andrews and Sherry
Lovely of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre undertook a brief archaeological
inspection of the Fort Simpson Heritage Park. About an acre in size, the park
was recently established by the Fort Simpson Historical Society to commemorate
and preserve the McPherson House, a log cabin built in 1936, and one of the
oldest surviving buildings in the community. With a commanding view of the confluence
of the Mackenzie and Liard rivers, the park has proved popular with residents
and visitors. The park development plan includes moving the Roman Catholic Rectory,
built in 1911, back to its original site within the park boundary, requiring
a new building foundation to be excavated and constructed. However, the area
has long been suspected as being the site of Fort of Forks, a North
West Company fur trading post constructed near the confluence of the Mackenzie
and Liard rivers in 1803. Concerned that their plans for the site might impact
the remains of the fur trading post, the Society requested that the Prince of
Wales Northern Heritage Centre conduct a brief archaeological inspection of
the park area.
The objective of the archaeological inspection was to assess whether or not
archaeological deposits exist at the park, to determine their nature, and to
advise the Society whether or not further archaeological research might be necessary.
Over a period of three days, and with the able and kind assistance of Steve
Rowan, a founding member of the Fort Simpson Historical Society, Andrews and
Lovely used a power soil auger to test for archaeological deposits in the area
of the Rectory foundation. The testing program uncovered a stratified archaeological
site, with a depth of at least 2.5 metres. The upper portion of the soil column
contained objects dating to the post-contact period and was badly disturbed.
However below this 25cm-thick layer were undisturbed, stratified cultural deposits,
where a hearth, and a stone flake were noted. The Fort Simpson Historical Society
hopes to undertake further archaeological research at the site in the coming
years.
Fort Simpson Heritage Park and the McPherson House. |
Meeting with the Fort Simpson Historical Society and other community members. |
Cameron Hills
Andrew Mason
Paramount Resources Limited (Paramount) is proposing to expand their existing
oil and gas development within their significant discovery licence (SDL) area
in the Cameron Hills area in the Northwest Territories (NT). Depending on the
success of the wells, a series of new developments may be constructed within
the NT. In addition, a pipeline would be constructed to the south, into Alberta,
to tie-in to a proposed pipeline from Paramounts Bistcho Plant to a point
just south of the Alberta/NT border. Another option, a pipeline that ran south-east
from the battery to a point located along the highway north of Indian Cabins,
Alberta was also assessed. This expansion of the present Paramount oil and gas
development is referred to as the Cameron Hills Project (the Project) and was
originally proposed for the winter of 2000/2001. The development is on hold
pending regulatory approval.
Andrew Mason of Golder Associates Ltd. (Golder) carried out a heritage resources impact assessment (HRIA) as part of the Environmental Screening for the proposed development. The HRIA fulfills the requirements of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act as required by the Oil and Gas Directorate of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the National Energy Board.
The HRIA was completed by Golder between July 31 and September 17, 2000 under Northwest Territories Archaeologists Permit #2000-901. The Alberta portion of the study was completed under Alberta Archaeological Research Permit #2000-123.
The entire development area was flown by helicopter numerous times in the company of Elders and other representatives from local First Nations communities to document traditional ecological knowledge the Elders may have concerning the study area and to identify areas of moderate or high archaeological potential. Areas noted by Elders or areas of assessed moderate to high archaeological potential were subjected to more detailed field inspections. A number of low potential areas were also examined and shovel tested to confirm the assessed archaeological potential.
Much of the study area was found to have low archaeological potential given its generally wet and low-lying conditions (Photograph 1). Crossings on the Cameron River and other elevated, well-drained areas exhibited the greatest archaeological potential, but shovel tests and the examination of existing exposures did not reveal archaeological materials (Photograph 2).
No heritage resources were identified during the HRIA and as a result, no further archaeological work was recommended for the Paramount Cameron Hills development as presently proposed.
Shovel Test in Muskeg Typical of Much of the Project Area. |
Cut Bank Exposure on Bank of the Cameron River. |
Archaeological Investigations
of Old Fort Raes Old Fort, August 2000
Marc Stevenson
In 1892, during his stay at Old Fort Rae on the North Arm of Great Slave Lake,
the explorer/adventurer Frank Russell (1898:69) observed that: Two hundred
yards from the big house (i.e., the Hudsons Bay Company main post building)
on the shore of a little cove called Sandy Bay, a few crumbling ruins of clay
and stone chimneys mark the site of an old fort, abandoned so long
ago that nothing is known by the present inhabitants concerning it. With
this information in hand, these ruins were re-discovered in June, 2000, by Clem
Paul of the North Slave Metis Alliance. Partial removal of the moss from this
feature and an adjacent, but smaller, rock mound soon confirmed that we had
found the remains of an old fort, and most probably the one identified
by Russell. Plans were then made to conduct a preliminary archaeological assessment
of these remains in August 2000.
Students of Great Slave Lake history generally accept the arrival of the Hudsons
Bay Company in 1852 as the date when Metis first settled at Old Fort Rae. However,
there are a number of lines of evidence to suggest that Old Fort Rae, or Mountain
Island as it was known prior to the establishment of the Hudsons Bay Company
(HBC) post, was occupied by Metis as much as half a century or more earlier.
This evidence led to the consideration of four possible explanations for old
fort remains:
1. a pre-1780 occupation of Metis formerly associated with the Company of the
Sioux,
2. a late-1780s/early 1790s occupation of Metis associated with the heyday of
Northwest Company (NWC) trading activity on the North Arm,
3. an early 1800s occupation of Metis associated with XY Company, or
4. a later NWC occupation of Metis dating to the late 1810s.
In addition to the two-room dwelling (Feature A) that was the focus of investigations
in August 2000, an additional half dozen features were recorded including the
remains of another well defined dwelling with fireplace and adjacent interior
cellar. Excavation of approximately 10 square meters in Feature A recovered
ca. 50 artifacts and 3kg of broken and burnt caribou, fish and unidentifiable
bone. While the preliminary nature of the archaeological investigations undertaken
and the relatively small size of the artifact sample obtained precludes rejection
of any of the four hypotheses at this time, the occurrence of trade silver,
wire wound barrel as opposed to tubular drawn beads, and hand-wrought nails
as opposed to machine cut nails tends to support an earlier (pre-1800) rather
than later (post-1800) occupation.
In light of the archaeological and historic evidence, the most reasonable conclusion,
that can be drawn about Old Fort Raes old fort at this point
in time is that, it is either 1) a pre-1780 occupation of early Metis formerly
associated with the Company of the Sioux, or 2) a late-1780s/early 1790s occupation
of Metis associated with the heyday of NWC trading activity on the North Arm.
Although the evidence tends to favour the former interpretation, only subsequent
archaeological and historical investigations will confirm which hypothesis,
if either, is correct. Nevertheless, what is certain is that subsequent investigations
of Old Fort Raes old fort will necessitate a serious rewrite
of the history of the early fur trade on the North Arm and of Metis use and
occupation of Great Slave Lake.
Metis youth participating in archaeological dig at Old Fort Rae, August, 2000. |
View of wattle and daub fireplace in Feature A At Old Fort Rae (KdPl-1). |
Canadian Forest Oil Ltd.
Well Site and Access Road Impact Assessment
Thomas Head
On behalf of Canadian Forest Oil Ltd., Thomas Head of Bison Historical Services
Ltd. undertook an Historical Resources Impact Assessment of a proposed well
site and access road about 20 km northwest of Fort Liard, NT. This project was
facilitated by the Acho Dene Koe First Nation. Field assistance and information
on traditional land use was provided by Mr. Dolphus Codille and Mr. John Klondike
Jr., both from the Acho Dene Koe First Nation.
The access road is sited to avoid poorly drained areas while the well site is
associated with some of the most poorly drained terrain associated with this
project. Shovel testing was undertaken as a principal site discovery technique
since natural exposures were lacking. Thirty-two negative shovel tests were
dug during the heritage resource impact assessment. Traditional land use studies
included a discussion with Mr. Dolphus Codille and Mr. John Klondike Jr. from
the Acho Dene Koe First Nation. Following completion of the wide ranging discussion,
a helicopter overflight of the area provided a visual link between the verbal
information and the study area. No traditional land use sites were identified
on, or immediately adjacent to, the proposed well site and access road.
Johnny Klondike Jr. and Dolphus Codille at the ferry |
View showing well drained terrain associated with the
eastern portion |
Veritas Reconnaissance
Elisa Hart
Elisa Hart of the Inuvialuit Land Administration accompanied a seismic reconnaissance
crew working for Veritas DGC Land of Calgary, to locate known heritage sites
on or near proposed developments related to two seismic programs. One program
is for Burlington Resources Canada Energy Ltd. and the other is for AEC West
Ltd. Veritas and their clients propose to maintain a 100 m buffer between known
sites and developments such as seismic lines, access routes and mobile sleigh
camps. Precise GPS readings were taken for each site found and those in close
proximity to developments were staked.
Michael Dodge of Eagle Navigation Systems has staked a rock feature. |
Keith Moore (Veritas) and Simon Adam (ILA) stand beside a staked rock feature. |
Tuktut Nogait
Stephen Savauge
The second year of a three-year cultural resource inventory began in Tuktut
Nogait National Park in July, 2000. Tuktut Nogait is one of Canadas newest
parks, located near the community of Paulatuuq (Paulatuk). The project was launched
to find and record archaeological resources in the park, to assess their condition,
and to offer some interpretations about the previous inhabitants and visitors
to the area.
The 27 days of fieldwork concentrated on the north half of the park. Only surface sites were studied, and no artifacts were collected. From three different base camps, the four crewmembers radiated out to various parts of the land, walking in groups of two. Each person surveyed more than 250 km of ground, mainly along watercourses and the edges of lakes. The walking survey was complemented by a brief aerial survey.
Over 120 previously unrecorded sites were found and documented this year. This brings the total of known sites to over 250. Seventy-five of those were recorded last year, under the direction of Gary Adams (Parks Canada, Winnipeg), and 58 were recorded by Dr. Marc Stevenson in the early 1990s. Over 30 of his sites were also revisited in 1999 and 2000 to assess their condition.
The information collected so far suggests the land was occupied periodically, if not constantly, from Classic Thule times, and perhaps earlier. The land continues to be used today by local Inuvialuit residents and by visitors. Most sites were temporary camps, representing a stay of perhaps a few nights, and some were larger camps that may have been occupied seasonally over many generations. Other types of sites include isolated markers, caribou drive lanes, food caches, isolated artifact finds, hunting blinds, kayak rests, hearths, graves, and unidentified features. Few artifacts have been observed, as most of the sites are well buried and in good condition. A small percentage of the 40 artifacts seen this year may provide clues about the previous occupants of the area.
Cathy Cockney (Cultural Resource Management Officer, Parks
Canada, Inuvik) managed the project, with local assistance by Norman Kudlak
Jr. (from Paulatuuq). Archaeological direction was provided by Stephen Savauge
with assistance by Paul Downie (Parks Canada, Winnipeg). Myrna Pokiak (Parks
Canada, Inuvik) replaced Cathy for the last week of the project.
Norman Kudlak Jr. and Myrna Pokiak |
A small dwelling on a tributary of the Brock River. Cathy |
Jean Bussey, Points West Heritage Consulting
Ltd., Langely, BC
Melanie Fafard, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton,
AB
Callum Thomson, Jacques Whitford Environment Ltd., Calgary, AB
James M. Savelle, Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, PQ
Arthur S. Dyke, Terrain Sciences Division, Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa,
ON
Elisa Hart, Inuvialuit Lands Administration, Tuktoyaktuk, NT
Brian Ronaghan, Golder Associates Ltd., Calgary, AB
Tom Andrews, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, NT
Andrew Mason, Golder Associates Ltd., Burnaby, BC
Marc Stevenson, North Slave Metis Association, Yellowknife, NT
Thomas Head, Bison Historical Services Ltd., Calgary, AB
Stephen Savauge, Parks Canada, Winnipeg, MB