November 12, 1998
(Executive Council)

Premier Tobin and Innu Nation announce results of cooperation on archaeological studies regarding the proposed Churchill River Power Project

Premier Brian Tobin and Innu leader Daniel Ashini announced today the exciting results of the 1998 archaeological study regarding the proposed Churchill River Power Project. Two long-lost trading posts were found in addition to 20 pre-contact sites and 65 trapper tilts and Innu campsites.

"This cooperative archaeological program is truly a success story," said Premier Tobin. "We decided to move quickly on the archaeological work well in advance of the Environmental Assessment Process so that we could do a thorough job of identifying and protecting historic resources. This approach is proving worthwhile. Many sites are being identified which contribute greatly to our knowledge of the history of Labrador. I'm very pleased that we will have a full archaeological program next year so that we can hopefully learn even more about the history of Labrador," said the Premier.

Premier Tobin continued: "Besides showing our commitment to historic resources, the project also shows our commitment to working cooperatively with the Innu. The project has involved the Innu Nation and Innu Economic Development Enterprises Ltd.(IED) at every stage. It involved the Innu in the design of the research. It also trained Innu people in archaeological methods, and prepared them for more work in this area in future years. In fact, Innu researchers played an important role in some of the most important finds such as the Maritime Archaic discovery near Mud Lake."

"We're excited about the results of the study," said Daniel Ashini. "Archaeologists have been looking for sites in the Churchill Valley for over 20 years. We're pleased that the extensive work done this year has been very fruitful. Many sites were found that prove that the Innu people and our ancestors lived in the Churchill Valley and other parts of Labrador over many thousands of years."

Mr. Ashini continued: "We know as a result of this year's research that the earliest known occupation in the valley region dates back 4,000 years. The Maritime Archaic site at Mud Lake is a great discovery, as are two of the latest discoveries, Hudson's Bay Company trading posts at Sandy Banks and Winokapau Lake. It's great to see that archaeological evidence supports a lot of what is recorded in the oral tradition of the Innu people concerning our history in central Labrador."

Archaeologist, Roy Skanes, of Jacques Whitford Environment Ltd., a partner with IED in the historic resources study, said: "Archaeological survey work is difficult in the interior, so the results are very exciting. Not only did we find old pre-contact sites all along the Churchill River, but we also found the remains of both of the trading posts the Hudson's Bay Company set up in the last century. These finds are especially exciting because we don't know much about the early fur trade here in Labrador. With more work, these sites can tell us a great deal about the history of both Innu and European land use on the river."

In July, the Labrador Hydro Project awarded a contract to Innu Economic Development Enterprises Inc. in partnership with Jacques Whitford Environment Ltd. to study historic resources. The study involved assessing historic resources potential and locating historic resources which could be affected by the proposed hydroelectric development. Historic resources include archaeological sites, old trading posts, and camp sites. Regional context work was also conducted in order to better understand the archaeological sites that were found.

Contact:

                    Daniel Ashini, Innu Nation                           -      (709) 896-7769

Heidi Bonnell, Premier's Office                        - (709) 729-3564

Karen McCarthy, Labrador Hydro Project      - (709) 737-1823

NOTE TO EDITORS:

This news release and photos are on the Internet at:

//www.innu.ca/whatsnew.html
/falls/churchil.htm
/releases

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BACKGROUNDER

1998 Historic Resources Overview Assessment Churchill River Power Project

SUMMARY

The survey was a great success in terms of the sites recovered. The areas surveyed include portions of the Strait of Belle Isle, Churchill Valley, proposed transmission line routes, and survey lines at Atikonak Lake.

The Strait of Belle Isle area was already known to be rich in archaeological resources. The discovery of additional sites here was no surprise, but helps ensure that important sites are not unknowingly destroyed.

In the Churchill Valley, the research team recovered both of the known Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) fur-trade posts, neither of which had been identified in previous investigations. The team was also able to recover a number of pre-contact sites that show previously undocumented Aboriginal travel and land-use in the Churchill Valley in the more distant past. Most of these date to the period 2,000 - 3,000 years ago. Another site is 4,000 or more years old, older than any site previously recorded in the Churchill Valley or Upper Lake Melville region.

The discovery of these sites ensures that the information they contain about the human history of Labrador need not be lost because of development. The results also yielded valuable data with which to assess archaeological potential in the region, allowing archaeologists to target their survey efforts even more effectively in the future.

RESULTS

• Both of the majour HBC fur-trade posts in the Churchill Valley (Fort Winokapau and Sandy Banks) were located;

• Twenty pre-contact sites were recorded: 11 in the Churchill Valley, plus nine along the Strait of Belle Isle north shore. A large Maritime Archaic site was found near Mud Lake;

• Over 65 other sites pertaining to historic and traditional land-use in the area were recorded, most consisting of trapper tilts, Innu campsites and/or associated remains.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON FORT WINOKAPAU

The location of the Fort Winokapau trading post remained a mystery until it was found by the archaeological team this year. Located at the west end of Winokapau Lake, on the Churchill River, the post operated in the 1860s and 1870s as an outpost of the North West River HBC post. It was originally constructed as four wooden buildings and its main purpose was to facilitate trade with Innu people from the Quebec North Shore, Lake Melville and Churchill Falls area of Labrador. Artifacts recovered in 1998 include ceramics, glass, clay pipe stems, metal implements, and brick. Ethnohistoric research into HBC post records is being conducted as part of the historic resource assessment and will provide additional information with which to interpret these remains.

Unfortunately, part of the site was badly damaged by looters 10 or more years ago. The illegal vandalism of the site will frustrate future research, however, archaeologists should still be able to recover useful information from the site.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE SANDY BANKS POST

This site is situated at a widening or bay in the Churchill River in a heavily forested area. Artifacts found at the site include ceramic, glass, smoking pipe fragments and iron nails.

Due to the extremely well preserved condition and colour of some of the nails and other iron objects, and the presence of melted glass, it appears that at least one building at the site burned. Nonetheless, the lack of any apparent disturbance at the site promises rewarding research in subsequent field seasons. Future research may tell us more about the physical layout of the post, and the types of materials traded with the area's Innu and settler inhabitants over a period of approximately 80 years.

Pre-contact artifacts were also discovered at Sandy Banks. These date possibly to the Recent Indian period of occupation, just prior to the arrival of Europeans. Remains retrieved as a result of testing include several flakes of pink quartzite. Several flaked, fist-sized nodules of what appears to be pink quartzite were recorded on the beach in front of the site.

QUESTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ARISING FROM THE SURVEY

At this stage, interpretation of the survey results is tentative and preliminary.

Aboriginal occupation in the Churchill Valley began earlier than was previously thought. The earliest human adaptation to this region is not understood yet, but we might now expect to find sites even on very ancient terraces in the valley. These may provide further information on the earliest inhabitants of the Churchill Valley as well as the early history of the Innu people.

Most pre-contact sites date to the period between 2,000 - 3,000 years ago. This may well have been a period of especially intensive human settlement in the Churchill Valley.

So far, there is little evidence for human occupation in the Valley between 500 and 2,000 years ago, but this may be a product of the archaeologist's survey strategy. One objective of further research will be to survey areas that might have been occupied during this 1,500 year period.

BASIC INFORMATION ON SURVEY

Eight weeks of field survey with preceding and concurrent background research into land-use, documentary/archival sources, geomorphology, air photo analysis;

At peak, four field teams totaling 12 persons, including eight Innu researchers, plus four background researchers and four other scientific advisors and reviewers. Training program with 16 Innu researchers instructed in archaeological survey and excavation;

Ongoing program of interviewing knowledgeable Innu and settlers about historic locations and history of land-use. Incorporation of Innu Nation land use and occupancy into the survey design;

Basic strategy: Intensive helicopter-supported survey of selected locations identified through research into land-use, documentary sources, geomorphological features and air photos.

The historic resource assessment work is valued at over $500,000.

Photos: 

(1) Archaeological field team of Innu Economic Development Enterprises Inc. and Jacques Whitford Environment Limited study the Wapeney Mikue Site near North River, Labrador

(2) Archaeological filed assistant with Innu Economic Development Enterprises. at the Wapenev Mikue site near North River, Labrador

(3) Map of the Churchill River Power Project 1998 Historic Resources Study

1998 11 12                                                     3:30 p.m.