View west of a new site with winter road portage on low terrain in    centre of photo.

Points West Heritage Consulting Ltd. conducted archaeological investigations for De Beers Canada Mining Inc. at their Gahcho Kue Project in 2004.  The project is located at Kennady Lake, which is approximately 300 km east/northeast of Yellowknife and west of Walmsley Lake.  Jean Bussey directed the field investigations and was assisted by Gabriella Prager, also of Points West, and Henry Basil and Aaron Catholique of the Lutselk’e First Nation.  The archaeological work was conducted under a Class 2 NWT Archaeologists Permit and was primarily concerned with the relocation and/or assessment of previously recorded archaeological sites associated with the proposed diamond mine and its ancillary facilities.   

Twenty-six previously recorded sites located within 1 km of the proposed Gahcho Kue mine were relocated and assessed.  Subsurface testing was conducted at fifteen of these sites and they, in conjunction with an isolated find that was previously collected, were judged to be suggestive of low archaeological significance. This testing along with the preparation of updated site maps and surface collection, where relevant, is judged to be sufficient mitigation in the event these sites are threatened by the proposed mine development.  At the remaining ten sites, detailed surface examination was judged to be sufficient to suggest that three sites have high archaeological significance and the other seven have low-moderate to moderate significance. Systematic data recovery consisting of subsurface excavation and surface collection is recommended at each of the three highly significant sites if avoidance is not feasible. Testing of the seven sites with low-moderate to moderate significance is recommended and it is likely that subsurface excavation and/or systematic surface collection will also be necessary at some of these sites if they can not be avoided.  Additional archaeological inventory was conducted in areas that had not been previously examined or where revised development plans were identified in the area of Kennady Lake. No new archaeological sites were discovered. 

Gabriella Prager examining exposures at a site located on the west   arm of Kennady Lake.

Recorded archaeological sites located along the winter road route to Mackay Lake were also revisited.  Emphasis was placed on visiting sites nearest to the land-based portages although aerial reconnaissance was conducted to ensure other sites were sufficiently above or distant from the route.  A total of 20 sites were revisited.  The majority of the 20 sites, and all sites that were not revisited, are situated over 30 m from the winter road route or are on elevated landforms that would not likely be crossed even if there was a route revision.  Several sites, however, are located on low landforms near the existing route and require periodic monitoring to ensure they are not impacted, while a few sites are very near abandoned sections of the winter road route.  One recorded site will require testing to determine if more intensive data recovery is justified and one new site was discovered, but is avoidable. 

Ten previously recorded sites were relocated along the esker complex south of Kennady Lake.  Two sections of this esker were traversed on foot to assist in the selection of areas where aggregate or other samples could be collected without disturbing archaeological sites.  No new archaeological sites were discovered.