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North of Lac de Gras (Jean Bussey, Permit #99-884)
 2.
Mike Francois and Gabriela Prager discuss the tent ring site of LeNd-8 with
the Lac du Sauvage esker in the background |
Jean Bussey of Points West Heritage Consulting Ltd., Langley, B.C. directed archaeological investigations for BHP Diamonds Inc. in its claim block north of Lac de Gras. A number of archaeological tours formed part of the 1999 field work. The first tour involved Dogrib elder Edward Camille and his interpreter, Francis Blackduck. The second tour involved four members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation: Mike Francois, Barney Masuzumi, Alfred Liske and Pete Martin. The third tour involved Pierre and Bertha Catholique of the community of Lutsel k'e. |
Numerous sites were revisited and several new sites were discovered during these tours.
As part of the 1999 field work, a number of sites were revisited to determine if they were within the boundaries of the BHP claim block. One site at the east end of Lac de Gras (at the narrows) and five sites along the Coppermine River west of Lac de Gras were revisited and updated information was collected. There is good potential for additional sites in both these areas and one new site was discovered at each location.
Sixteen other sites were discovered in 1999. Most are located in a central portion of the BHP claim block, north of the BHP mine known as Ekati. This brings the total of sites within the BHP claim block to 150 sites. The new sites are primarily surface scatters containing flakes of stone. Most are located in association with eskers or esker remnants and most are adjacent to lakes, but one was found at the narrows of Lac de Gras. Most of the sites in the BHP claim block are sufficiently distant from proposed development activity that they are easily avoidable; surface collection was undertaken at two sites threatened by a proposed road.
