Duncan’s First Nation 2019 Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge Indigenous Knowledge Survey Conducted in Relation to the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. North Central Corridor Loop Project North Corridor Expansion Project and the Ongoing Operation of NGTL North Central Pipeline System

November 2019

Prepared by Matthew General for the Duncan’s

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Following the completion and transmittal of this report the DFN will release two supporting and supplementary reports. The second report, authored by the DFN, will highlight DFN community member observations related to the barriers, restricts, constraints and stressors flowing from land use allocation and development that in their view, prevents or restricts their ability to find and procure large game. A third report, to be authored by the ALCES Group, will present quantitative information, analyses and mapping that can be used to clarify and test DFN’s observations presented in the second report.

This report, as all forms of research, represents an incremental step towards the gaining of understanding and knowledge based on facts. The DFN understands and supports the notion that knowledge is never absolute or that not all things can be known about a phenomenon at any given time. As DFN’s ancestors understood, knowledge is gained through observation, thinking about what is observed, developing ideas based on those observations, investigating further and taking reasoned action. It is that ongoing process of the acquisition and application of knowledge that allowed the DFN’s ancestors to make informed choices and actions which allowed them to survive through the Millenia and supported DFN families into the present. In this regard, Indigenous Knowledge can be said to have certain facets in in common with the western scientific method.

Given this, while the DFN has been able to document some important information about its ongoing use and knowledge of its lands, additional information gathering and community research should and must occur. From the perspective of the DFN community, the time has arrived for the Crown, industry and the DFN and to develop a mutually informed understanding of the crucial connection and relationship between the land, waters, forests, muskegs, animals, fish, birds and plants of this part of the earth, and and the most important needs, culture, health, wellness and future of the DFN people. To this end, the DFN would welcome the opportunity to undertake a comprehensive baseline Treaty rights and cultural use assessment undertaken in collaboration with Crown agencies via a mutually agreed upon set of research parameters, a jointly developed terms of reference and co-managed research implementation plan.

The area and practice of “traditional land use studies” or “Indigenous Knowledge” or an “Indigenous Rights and Cultural Impact Assessment” is relatively new. No recognized consensus, let alone a dedicated academic discipline with the necessary institutional longevity or competence, has had the opportunity to emerge to provide appropriate guidance to the concerned parties (Indigenous, the courts, regulators, Crown agency, industry, third party).

Indigenous Peoples have made a start and some positive rights information gathering and assessment models are beginning to emerge but more work remains ahead, especially in respect to developing consensus between Indigenous Peoples, the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta, Crown regulators and industry on how to approach and conduct such studies and then how to evaluate and act on the information flowing from such studies.

The DFN wishes to extend its thanks to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. that made some funding available to enable the DFN to undertake the work in preparing this and accompanying reports.

Above all the DFN wishes to acknowledge its community elders, knowledge holders, land users and community members who have contributed to DFN’s ongoing effort to document and record its longstanding relationship to its Traditional lands and the changes underway in these lands that have the potential to fundamentally alter this and future generations ability to utilize, rely on and live on the land as their ancestors once did.

3 Through the years, some DFN members that graciously contributed their wisdom, knowledge and passion about their and their family’s deep attachment to the land have left us. However, their word, wishes and spirit continue to provide guidance and hope to current and future DFN generations for an improved relationship between the parties to and reliance on the Treaty as a sacred and practical agreement to ensure peace, balance, responsible stewardship DFN’s Traditional Territory to the benefit of DFN members, Albertans and Canadians alike.

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Report Authorship

This report is authored by Matthew General who has a had contractual relationship with the DFN dating back for approximately a decade. The author was contractually employed by the DFN between 2009-2012 to:

• plan and implement an initial tranche of research with the community to identify and document DFN land and resource use activities and cultural practices and the exercise of its rights; • support the community in engagements and consultations on major projects and impact assessments including the Iron Stone Mine Project, Shell Canada’s Carmon Creek Expansion Project, the proposed Bruce Nuclear Power facility, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline Project, the Site C Clean Energy Project and several NGTL pipeline projects proposed within north-western Alberta, and • assist the DFN community building its in-house capacity, skills and expertise in undertaking land use research, consultation, engagement GIS mapping and cumulative impact analysis and research

In the period between 2009 and 2012, the author completed two pilot studies with the DFN entitled:

• “Duncan’s First Nation: Consolidated Traditional Use Scoping Project of the Upper Peace” (DFN: 2009/11) • “Duncan’s First Nation 2012 Traditional Land and Resource Use Survey” (DFN: 2012)

In summary, the 2009/11 study’s main objective was to determine key sustenance / large game hunting areas utilized by DFN members within living memory. Interviews were conducted with a small sample of DFN community members where these areas where discussed, identified and documented on manual base maps which were later converted into GIS file format and PDF maps. Accompanying interview summaries were prepared and validated by community members along with the maps. This study was funded by the Government of Alberta and was based upon approaches and best practices set out in Government of Alberta document entitled: ‘Best Practices Handbook for Traditional Use Studies’, 2003: Government of Alberta Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. A description of the approach and methodology employed can be found in the Appendices of this report.

The 2012 DFN research effort again sought to document examples of the exercise of rights and traditional land and resource use sites with a larger cross section of the DFN community. This study was funded in part by Trans Canada Pipelines Ltd. / Nova Gas Transmission Ltd and predicated upon the map biography approach and methodology advocated by traditional land and resource use researcher and author, Terry Tobias in his text entitled: ‘Living Proof: The Essential Data-Collection Guide for Indigenous use-and- Occupancy Map Surveys’: Union of BC Indian Chiefs and Ecotrust, 2009). Through this study, community members participated in interviews to document examples of site-specific large mammal kill sites, fish catch sites, earth material harvesting sites, overnight stay sites and other cultural use features. In 2018/19, the mapping for this study was updated with convex polygons that demarcates not only examples of site-specific features (identified in 2012) but the overall area in which participating community member’s cultural use and large game hunting activities occur based on the outer most location of example sites. A description of the approach and methodology employed can be found in Appendices of this report.

Between 2013 and 2016, the author was retained by TCPL/NGTL management to provide advice and plan and implement a cross – Canada Indigenous Knowledge / Traditional Knowledge / Traditional Land

5 and Resource Use program in relation to the proposed Energy East Pipeline Project involving an unprecedented number of Indigenous governments and organizations. The author did not work for the DFN in this period.

In the summer of 2017, the author was re-retained by the DFN as a contractor to continue community research and community capacity building in relation to several proposed new major projects and other matters of community priority and importance. Efforts were directed at several major projects being advanced by NGTL including the NGTL 2021 System Expansion Project and the Project/s of focus within this report. This research undertaken in 2018/19 included undertaking a synthesis review of existing DFN research and studies and conducting supplementary mapping interviews and workshops with community members. This effort continues. As evident in a review of this report, the overall intent of the research is to compile information into an accessible format for the community, proponent, regulator and Crown and allowing the information put forward by the community, in essence, speak for itself. The author has avoided in arriving conclusions and opinions within this report and its companion piece.

In the fall of 2018, the author was also contracted by JFK Law based in Vancouver and Victoria to act as its First Nations Consultation and Advisory Services Manager. For clarity sake, when the author is working for DFN on DFN files, he takes functional direction from DFN is managed by DFN and not JFK. The author works for JFK in respect to other Indigenous clients on other matters and files and in that context, takes functional directional from and is managed by JFK legal file leads.

In summary the author’s directly relevant and related work experience is as follows:

• BC Hydro Aboriginal Relations: 1991-1996. Worked to advance early forms of consultation agreements and conduct consultations with Indigenous Peoples on hydro-electric operations planning and major projects including BC Hydro major dam upgrade projects on the Columbia River. During this time I was also seconded to the Columbia Power Corporation to advance the Keenlyside Powerplant Project and supporting transmission projects.

• BC Environmental Assessment Office (BCEAO): 1998-2001. Worked to support Indigenous government engagement in the environmental assessment review of major projects subject to BC Environmental Assessment Act. This included water management, hydro-electric, mining, ski- resort and oil and gas projects. Functioned as secretariat to support the growth of the BC First Nations Environmental Assessment Working Group tasked with reviewing issues that serve to inhibit effective involvement in environmental assessment process and co-initiated the development of the BC First Nations Environmental Assessment Took Kit. For a time, I functioned as Acting Manager of the Aboriginal Relations group for the BCEAO.

• Treaty 8 First Nations: 2002- Present. Contracted to numerous Treaty 8 First Nations in north- eastern BC and north-western Alberta, including the Duncan’s First Nation working to support the conduct of Indigenous Knowledge studies, third party review studies of major projects, support to negotiations, supporting First Nations in the review of major energy, oil and gas and mining projects and preparation for and participation in regulatory proceedings.

• Six Nations of the Grand River: 2005-06. Worked in the Litigation and Consultation Unit of the author’s home community preparing responses in relation to proposed developments within southern Ontario and areas subject to unresolved claims and litigation.

6 • Trans Canada Pipelines Ltd: 2013-2016: Hired by Trans Canada Pipelines Ltd. (TCPL) to assist management in developing and implementing a cross-Canada Indigenous Knowledge / Traditional Knowledge / Traditional Land and Resource Use program. I reported directly to the Manager of engagement for the Project and worked directly with TCPL / Energy’s East’s project management group responsible for preparing the environmental assessment, the regulatory group that prepared regulatory submissions and TCPL’s legal group that dealt with Aboriginal law and consultation related matters specific to the Project. In 2015, I began to conduct these functions under the administrative umbrella of Indigenous company contracted by TCPL.

• JFK Law: 2018 – Present: Retained on a contractual basis by JFK Law as its First Nations Consultation and Advisory Services Manager. In this function I take functional and managerial direction from JFK file leads and provide support to Indigenous clients in largely in respect to consultation and rights impact assessment matters. Additional work is being undertaken to support the capacity building needs of JFK clients and Indigenous governments.

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Table of Contents

Part 1: Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge and the NGTL Projects, the North Central Pipeline System and other Purposes of this Report

1.0 Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. Pipeline Projects (NGTL) within the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge

1.1 Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. North Central Corridor Loop Project

1.2 Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. North Corridor Expansion Project

1.3 Ongoing Operational Impacts from NGTL North Central Corridor System on DFN Rights and Culture

1.4 Other Purposes for this Report

Part 2: DFN Historical Use of and Cultural Connection to its Traditional Territory and the Peace River Basin

2.0 DFN Ancestors’ Historical Use and Occupancy of Peace River Basin

2.1 Historical References to the DFN Ancestors’ Use and Occupation of Areas and Places within the Peace River Basin

2.2 Summary of Historical References to the DFN Ancestors’ Use and Occupation of Areas and Places within the Peace River Basin

2.3 Historical References to the DFN Ancestors’ Use of Resources and Cultural Practices in Peace River Basin

2.4 Historical References to the DFN Ancestors’ Fur-Trade Practices Within the Peace River Basin and Associated Changes and Impacts

2.5 Summary of Historical References to the DFN Ancestor’s Use of Resources and Cultural Practices Within the Peace River Basin

2.6 Scope and Methods of 2012 DFN Ethno-Historical Report

Part 3: DFN Ongoing Exercise of Rights, Use of and Cultural Connection to its Traditional Territory and the Peace River Basin

3.0 DFN’s Exercise of Rights through the Peace River Basin

3.1 Prior Location of Duncan’s Families from Across the Peace Basin and Relocation to the Reserve

8 3.2 Family Connections through the Peace and the Highly Mobile Nature of DFN Families

3.3 DFN Elder’s Knowledge of and Use of Traditional Trails and Travel Corridors

3.4 DFN Knowledge of Traditional Place Names

3.5 DFN Trapping and Traplines

3.6 Valued Species Utilized and Relied Upon by the DFN

3.7 DFN Family Hunting of Caribou and Knowledge of Caribou Herds and Range Locations

3.8 Identified DFN Family Resource Use Areas and Hunting Areas

3.9 Identified DFN Family Fishing Areas

3.10 Harvesting of Berries and Berry Harvesting Areas Utilized by DFN Families

3.11 Harvesting of Medicine Plants and Medicine Harvesting Areas Utilized by DFN Families

3.12 Summary of DFN Exercise of Treaty Rights and the Current Use of Lands and Resources Within the Peace River Basin

3.13 Summary of References to DFN Cultural and Family Connections to Places in Peace River Basin

3.14 Summary of References to DFN Resource Use and Cultural Practices in Peace River Basin

3.15 Summary of References to Identified DFN Family Resource Use and Hunting Areas Within Peace River Basin

3.16 Summary of References to Identified DFN Fishing in Waterbodies and Watersheds Within the Peace River Basin

3.17 Summary of References to Identified DFN Berry and Plant Harvesting in Peace River Basin

3.18 Geo-Spatial Data and Maps Depicting DFN Exercise of Rights and Practice of Culture within the DFN Traditional Territory and Peace River Basin

3.19 Root DFN Studies and Limitations

Part 4: Ongoing Exercise of Rights and Cultural Practices in the Clear Hills - Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

4.0 Ongoing Exercise of Rights and Cultural Practices in the Clear Hills - Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

4.1 Exercise of Right to Hunt in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

9 4.2 Exercise of Right to Fish in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

4.3 Exercise Right to Construct, Use and Maintain Camps in the Clear Hills Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

4.4 Exercise of Right to Harvest Berries in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

4.5 Exercise of Right to Harvest Medicine Plants in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

4.6 Summary: DFN Exercise of Treaty Rights in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

4.7 Summary: DFN Family Resource Use and Large Game Hunting Areas in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

4.8 Summary: DFN Fishing in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

4.9 Summary: DFN Overnight Sites in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

4.10 Summary: DFN Berry and Plant Harvesting in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

4.11 Geo-Spatial Data and Maps Depicting DFN Exercise of Rights and Practice of Culture within the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

4.13 Root Studies and Limitations

Part 5: The Duncan’s First Nation Traditional Territory

5.0 Sources for and Mapping of Duncan’s First Nation Traditional Territory

Part 6: Supplementary Information and Limitations

6.1 Supplementary Information

6.2 Limitations of DFN Research Conducted to Date

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Part 7: Appendices

Appendix 1: 2009/2011: DFN Sustenance / Big Game Hunting Areas

Appendix 2: 2012 DFN Identified Example Traditional Land and Resource Use Sites and Areas

Appendix 3: 2018/19 Large Game Hunting Areas Recently Utilized by a Sample of DFN Members within the Wapiti – Fan and the Clear Hills –Chinchaga Refuge

Appendix 4: Identified DFN Large Game Hunting Areas and Cultural Practice Areas within the DFN Traditional Territory and the Peace River Basin (2009/11, 2012 and 2018/19)

Appendix 5: Magnified Projection: Correlation of Identified DFN Geo-Spatial Data with NGTL Project Areas and Areas in Vicinity of Projects

Appendix 6: Duncan’s First Nation Traditional Territory Maps

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Part 1: Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge and the NGTL Projects, the North Central Pipeline System and other Purposes of this Report

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1.0 Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. Pipeline Projects Within the Clear – Hills Chinchaga Refuge

Within the Duncan’s First Nation (DFN) Traditional Territory, there is a sub-regional area that has come be known by the DFN community as the “Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge”, a unique area of acute cultural importance and value to the community. The lands, forests, hills, muskeg and rivers between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga watershed was historically used and occupied by the DFN. Many DFN members report that this area continues to support critical community livelihood, cultural, spiritual and sustenance needs and goals of the community. Further, this area is held as being unique within the DFN Traditional Territory and contains a unique set of circumstances, factors and cultural values that support the exercise of rights and practice of culture. The Clear – Hills Chinchaga Refuge appears to have taken on increased significance to DFN families given community observations and reports of increasing challenges, impediments, barriers and restrictions to the exercise of their rights and practice of culture elsewhere in their Traditional Territory.

The Traditional Territory of the DFN is traversed by a vast number of linear corridors and developments which includes transmission pipeline corridors. Pipelines have been a persistent feature on the landscape for decades according to community members. The area between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga watershed hosts several of NGTL pipelines and NGTL’s North Central Corridor Pipeline system general. NGTL’s North Central Corridor Pipeline system has and continues to play an important role in serving, shaping natural and promoting natural gas exploration and development in the Montney, Duvernay and Alberta Deep Basin formations:

Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin Unconventional Formations: NEB, 2015 (Source: Roadmap to Recovery: Reviving Alberta’s Natural Gas Industry –Natural Gas Advisory Panel to the Minister, 2018)

In parallel, shale oil exploration and development has and is expected to continue to increase in scope along the BC–Alberta border area, within DFN’s Traditional Territory and the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge: “The ultimate potential for unconventional petroleum in the Montney Formation is estimated to be very large, with expected volumes of 12,719 billion m³ (449 Tcf) of marketable natural gas, 2,308 million m³ (14,521 million barrels) of marketable NGLs, and 179 million m³ (1,125 million barrels) of marketable oil… The Montney’s marketable unconventional gas resource is one of the largest in the world”.

13 (Source: Energy Briefing Note: The Ultimate Potential for Unconventional Petroleum from the Montney Formation of and Alberta - Energy Briefing Note, 2013) The integrated NGTL pipeline system has and will continue to play a key role in the build out of unconventional petroleum fields within north-eastern BC and north-western Alberta. The existing NGTL system in north-western Alberta and north eastern BC is depicted below:

NGTL Pipeline System Map: North Section (Source: TC Energy Website: 2019)

NGTL is currently proposing to increase the capacity of its north-central corridor system with two new proposed projects. Two of these projects fall within and traverse the DFN Traditional Territory and the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge.

1.1 Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. North Central Corridor Loop Project

NGTL is proposing to construct, own and operate the North Central Corridor Loop (North Star Section 1) Pipeline Project (the Project). This important piece of infrastructure in the NGTL system is deemed by NGTL to be necessary to meet existing and incremental demand requirements in northeast Alberta and will support many natural gas consumers in northeast Alberta by providing access to natural gas supply.

The Project consists of a 48-inch diameter pipeline loop approximately 31 kilometers in length within the County of Northern Lights and , approximately 25 kilometers northwest of Manning, Alberta. The majority of the pipeline will parallel the existing NPS 42 North Central Corridor (North Star Section) beginning at an existing valve site located in NW 36-93-24 W5M, and extending to the Meikle River Compressor Station located in NE 26-94-2 W6M.

(Source: NGTL Summary Document, “Proposed Project: North Central Corridor Loop (North Star Section 1)

NGTL applied for this Project pursuant to Section 58 of the National Energy Board Act (NEB Act). Section 58 of the NEB Act permits the Board to make orders exempting certain facilities from any or all of the provisions of sections 29 to 33 and section 47 of the NEB Act: 58. (1) The Board may make orders exempting

14 (a) pipelines or branches of or extensions to pipelines, not exceeding in any case forty kilometres in length, and (b) such tanks, reservoirs, storage facilities, pumps, racks, compressors, loading facilities, interstation systems of communication by telephone, telegraph or radio, and real and personal property and works connected therewith, as the Board considers proper, from any or all of the provisions of sections 29 to 33 and 47. While applications made under section 58 do not automatically trigger a public hearing, the Board will still assess the application with respect to:

• public consultation; • engineering; • environment and socio-economics; • economics; and • lands

(Source: NEB Website: https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/bts/ctrg/gnnb/flngmnl/fmgda-eng.html#s58a)

The location of the Project within Alberta and its components is depicted on the following page.

(Source: NGTL Project Application, 2018)

This project was approved by the NEB in the fall of 2019 and is now under construction.

1.2 Nova Gas Transmission North Corridor Expansion Project

NGTL is proposing an additional project. The proposed North Corridor Expansion Project (Project) would transport gas from the Peace River Project Area to growing intra-basin markets located in the North of Bens Area. The Project consists of approximately 81 kilometers of pipeline, in three sections, with one compressor station unit addition.

This pipeline expansion project in northwestern Alberta is required to expand pipeline capacity for the transportation of natural gas from the Peace River Project Area to growing markets located in

15 northeastern Alberta. The expansion program is underpinned by approximately 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of new firm service contracts. The Project consists of the following components:

• The North Central Corridor (NCC) Loop (North Star section 2) is a 48-inch, 24 kilometre (km) pipeline located approximately 20 km north of Manning, Alberta in Northern Lights County. • The NCC Loop (Red Earth section 3) is a 48-inch, 32 km pipeline located approximately 45 km north of , Alberta in Northern Lights County and the MD of Opportunity. • The Northwest Mainline (NWML) Loop No. 2 (Bear Canyon North Extension) is a 36-inch, 25 km pipeline located 50 km southwest of Worsley, Alberta in Clear Hills County. • NGTL is also proposing to construct a 30 megawatt unit addition at the existing Hidden Lake North Compressor Station, approximately 100 km north of Worsley, Alberta in Clear Hills County. • NGTL has applied to the National Energy Board (Board or NEB) received NGTL’s Application, pursuant to section 52 of the National Energy Board Act, to construct and operate pipeline facilities in Alberta that will become part of the existing NGTL System.

The location of the Project within Alberta and its components is depicted below:

(Source: NGTL: Project Pamphlet, 2018)

The NGTL North Central Corridor Loop (North Star Section 1) Project and North Central Corridor (NCC) Loop (North Star Section 2) being a component of the NGTL North Corridor Expansion Project is depicted below:

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(Source Google Earth Projection: 2019 / Project Route Data Provided by NGTL: 2018)

The Hidden Lake North Compressor Station being a component of the NGTL North Corridor Expansion Project is depicted below:

(Source Google Earth Projection: 2019 / Project Route Data Provided by NGTL: 2018)

The Northwest Mainline (NWML) Loop No. 2 (Bear Canyon North Extension) being a component of the NGTL North Corridor Expansion Project is depicted below:

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(Source Google Earth Projection: 2019 / Project Route Data Provided by NGTL: 2018)

1.3 Ongoing Operational Impacts from NGTL’s Pipeline Corridors on DFN Rights and Culture

Based on past experience with pipeline consultation and review processes, the DFN’s concerns related to the long term operational impact of pipeline corridors (in their own right or acting cumulatively with other linear developments, other forms of development and human activity) on its rights and culture are generally held to be out of scope or not germane to the more narrow confines of the environmental assessment and regulatory review process. The DFN submits this report with the additional purpose of providing notice to the Canadian Energy Regulator (formerly the National Energy Board) of its issues and concerns on how DFN’s Treaty right to hunt large game and undertake associated cultural practices are impacted by the ongoing presence of the NGTL North Central Pipeline Corridor within the Clear Hills- Chinchaga Refuge. A key issue put forward by the community is if and how the long-term persistence of corridor contributes to increased human access, hunting and killing of large game by humans. The community believes this be the case. The community also is of the view that the corridor facilitates ease of movement for predatory wildlife resulting in increased mortality for large game relied upon by the DFN.

In addition, the DFN has noted how NGTL pipelines projects are advanced on an incremental basis. Whereas NGTL is advancing the two referenced Projects at this time, it is highly probable that other NGTL projects (e.g. additional looping, spur lines, compression, facilities etc.) will be advanced along the same North Central Corridor Pipeline system and the information presented here may have application in such a scenario. The report may also be relevant and deemed applicable given more recent pipeline proposals and policy calls for the establishment of a strategic energy corridor that would parallel NGTL’s North Central Corridor. Further, all parties have constructive knowledge of the proposed Eagle Spirit Pipeline proposal that proposes to parallel the NGTL corridor. The current DFN Council administration is concerned about the choice of routing and the prospect of intensify the pipeline corridor that bi-sects the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge.

18 1.4 Other Purposes for this Report

The DFN is not a wealthy community. As many other First Nations, it struggles to address the significant needs and priorities of its members and families with limited government core funding. It does not have a dependable or consistent source of funding to conduct Indigenous Knowledge or Indigenous Rights and Culture studies (or other such related studies). NGTL provided some funding to allow for the creation of this report, for which DFN is thankful. However it would be short-sighted to DFN to produce a study that could only be utilized for one context given the sparse availability of funding to conduct such studies. Thus, the DFN has made best efforts to construct and present a report that addresses NGTL’s required information environmental assessment inputs but to also address the needs of the DFN in relation to other federal, provincial or local government consultative, regulatory or planning processes. This report is intended to provide information and evidence of the DFN’s exercise of its Treaty rights and practice of culture within its Traditional Territory, the Peace River Basin, areas within north-eastern BC and north- western Alberta and the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge for a range of consultative purposes.

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Part 2: DFN Historical Use of and Cultural Connection to its Traditional Territory and the Peace River Basin

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2.0 DFN Ancestor’s Historical Use and Occupancy of Peace River Basin

DFN elders report that their ancestors used and occupied the Peace River watershed and lands to the north, east, west and south of the Peace River. This included the use of lands, waters and resources within sub-watersheds of the Peace River Basin including the Chinchaga, the Boyer, the Wabasca, Keg, Buffalo, Wolverine, Kemp, Hotckiss, , Cadotte, Whitemud, South Whitemud, Alces, Clear, Eurkea, Pouce Coupe, , Little Burnt, the Heart, the North Heart, Saddle, Redwillow, Kisktinaw, Wapiti, Narraway, Cutbank, Kakwa, Latornell, Simonette, the Smoky, the Little Smoky, Berland and Athabasca sub-watersheds. (Source: Chief Virginia Gladue – Duncan’s First Nations, Verbal Communication: May, 2018)

There is general consensus within the DFN community that its cultural makeup and connection to the Peace River region comes primarily through its Beaver and speaking ancestors that were in possession of the region prior to and at the time of Euro-Canadian contact. This mixing of linguistic and cultural Cree and Beaver backgrounds is common to other Indigenous communities of north-western Alberta and north-eastern BC. Family, kinship and culture were fused and combined through the far- reaching movements of DFN’s ancestors who moved with wildlife and to where they knew wildlife, fish, forest, plant and other valued resources could be found and procured.

The Duncan’s history is one made of the forging and renewing of family ties across the Peace River region. The stories of elders and community members recount travels to areas as far north as Indian Cabins near the North West Territories (NWT)–Alberta border and south to areas beyond to visit, stay with and hunt, trap and fish with relatives. East-west family ties and relationships extended from in the east, to Ft. St John and beyond into the northern Rockies in the west. The Peace River valley itself was the pivot point of where Beaver and Cree cultures met, co-existed and melded.

Ethno-historians and historians have considered the linkage between the terminology used to describe the common Cree and Beaver languages spoken by Indigenous People and those Indigenous People that can be described as having a common cultural background:

“The term ―Cree is used both in English and in French to designate all those who speak the . But the word ―Cree, itself, is actually derived from a shortened form of the Ojibwa term for the Cree people that has been written as ―Knisteneaux. Variants of this term, ―Knisteneaux, first appeared in historical documents in the mid-1600s. The French Canadians are said to have immediately adopted the term and then shortened it to ― or ―Cree; by the late 1700s, the English, as well, were using ―Cree in this generic sense to refer to all Cree people… Another term applied to the Cree and used . in the early historical literature is said to be the term pronounced in Western as ―ne hithawe and translated as those who speak the same language. Explorer David Thompson, writing about his 1790- 1797 experiences among the Cree people, transcribed this same term as ―Na hath a way which he said is

―their [the Cree‘s] native name. And Alexander Mackenzie wrote the same term as ―Nahathaway on a circa 1804 map very likely prepared for him by Aaron Arrowsmith. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg.10 and 11)

“Beaver-speaking members of the Duncan‘s First Nation and their ancestors are known as Dane- za, translated as “real people”; the Beaver language is known as Dane-zaa záágé which translates as people̳ - regular language. In recent years, Dane-zaa has been transcribed as ―Dune-za, but even more recently has been written as ―Dane-zaa. This term Dane-zaa or Zaa-Dane appears in the literature with several variants, including ―Tsattine, ―Tsuten, ―Tsa- huh, and ―Tsa-t'quenne…Anthropologist Robin

21 Ridington explained in his 1981 article summarizing Beaver culture that the term ―dəneza (Dane-za) or “real people” refers to ―the people with whom one could establish a kinship connection, with whom one could discover a reciprocal term of relationship. Hence, there is a considerable biological and social web that links those who regard themselves as the “real people”, Dane-zaa…The reference to ―Beaver is said to have been derived from the term for the Peace River, ―Chaw hot-e-na Dez-za or Beaver

Indian river. Another source indicated that the Chipewyan of referred to the Beaver people as ―tsa-ttiné…―tsa-ttiné is a variant transcription of ―tsattine, the term used by the Chipewyan to identify the Dane-zaa. In French, the Beaver people are called Gens de Castor, meaning literally

“people of the beaver”, or simply Castors, “beavers”. In ―Northern Plains Cree (see Section 2.2.1 of the present report), the term for the Beaver people is ―amiskiwiyiniw meaning “beaver person”. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg.16)

There are varied accounts of how the two cultures came to interact, live alongside and join with each other along the Peace River. Some DFN elders can relay stories and information passed on to them orally from prior generations about a time when the two people were in contention and conflict with one another. The account of this time and series of events was noted and documented by early explorer Alexander Mackenzie in 1792 when he made his trek through the Peace region accompanied and assisted by Indigenous people and interpreters:

“It was Mackenzie who first recorded the story associated with―Peace Point, the name that fur traders applied to a place on the lower Peace River, commemorating a peace agreement between the Cree and the Beaver (Dane-zaa). Peace Point is located approximately 420 Km (about 262 miles) east of the Alberta/BC border and about 90 Km (approximately 56 miles) south of the -Alberta border. Arriving at ―Peace Point on 13 October 1792, Mackenzie wrote the following in his journal, as it was explained to him by his interpreter: When this country was formerly invaded by the Knisteneaux [Cree], they found the Beaver Indians inhabiting the land about Portage la Loche, Methye Portage, south from the eastern end of Lake Athabasca]; and the adjoining tribes were those whom they called slaves []. They drove both these tribes before them; when the latter proceeded down the river from the Lake of the Hills [Lake Athabasca], in consequence of which that part of it obtained the name of the . The former [the Beaver] proceeded up the river [Peace River]; and which the Knisteneaux made peace with them, this place [Peace Point] was settled to be the boundary”. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 27)

This history and a common account of these times seems well established with many Cree – Beaver communities along the Peace River. The common account also appears to have been conveyed by one of the Duncan’s ancestors upon the signing of Treaty#8 at Peace River Landing to the Treaty Commissioners. Treaty Commissioner Mair wrote:

“that the Peace River was known as the ― , its majestic and proper name, or the Tsa-hoo--desay [in the Beaver language]— “The Beaver Indian River”—or the Amiskoo eëinnu Sepe of the Crees, which has the same meaning. Mair also pointed out that the term ―Peace River came from the peace pact made between the ―warring tribes of the region”. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr.

Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 75)

There are differing opinions of where the Cree and Beaver people were situated prior to contact and at the time of contact with Euro-Canadians. Available written accounts are in general agreement that prior to or at the time of contact, the Beaver used and occupied lands as far east as the Peace River and were present at Peace Point:

22 “There is no doubt, however, that Alexander Mackenzie did meet Dane-zaa (Beaver) people. What is not so certain is when and where it was that he first met them. Mackenzie had stated in a 17 March 1788 letter written from Lac La Loche that he ―found that all the Beaver Indians had been here prior to my arrival which I was very sorry for, having a great desire to see them. While no further details were provided in this letter, Mackenzie later wrote in his journal that ―When this country was formerly invaded by the

Knisteneaux [Cree], they ―found the Beaver Indians inhabiting the land about Portage La Loche. This is the famous portage, also known as Methye Portage, located between Lac La Loche and the Clearwater River. It crosses the height of land which separates the watersheds of the Churchill River, emptying into Hudson Bay, and the , emptying into the .” (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 24)

In 1792, Alexander Mackenzie had encountered and spent time with a group of Indigenous people at Ft. Forks, located near the confluence of the Peace and Smoky Rivers. This group of people identified themselves as Beaver people:

“Considering the months that Mackenzie spent at Fort Fork, his observations on the Indigenous people are sparse, but nonetheless helpful to understanding Aboriginal land use at this time. Mackenzie identified the Indigenous people of this region as ―Beaver and Rocky Mountain Indians. While they co-existed peacefully at the time of Mackenzie‘s visit in the winter of 1792- 1793, the Beaver Indians informed him that this relationship had not been peaceful in the past, and that some tension still existed between the two groups. About two thirds of the 150 Aboriginal men who Mackenzie described as ―capable of bearing arms—meaning they were neither too young nor too old—―call themselves Beaver Indians.” (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 29)

Within non-Indigenous academic and historical research communities, there has been some debate about at what time the Cree came to be present in the Peace River region. There are generally three opinions advanced on this matter:

• That the Cree were well established in the Peace River region prior to the time of contact; • That the Cree moved westward from eastern areas pressured by Euro-Canadian contact and settlement in the east and were encountered again by Euro-Canadian explorers, and • That the Cree moved into the Peace Region along with the establishment of the fur-trade in the post contact period

In a 2012 DFN Ethnohistorical Review prepared by Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard, some focus is given to this matter as it was very much a subject of argument in the 1980’s Lubicon litigation:

“Cultural anthropologist James Smith, who appeared on behalf of the Lubicon Lake Cree, held the view, as set out both in a 1982 affidavit submitted in this litigation and in a 1987 published article, that the first proposition as stated above is a ―standardized ethnological myth. It was Smith‘s conclusion, after reviewing the relevant literature, that contrary to the―myth, the ―weight of evidence now indicates that the Cree were as far west as the Peace River long before the advent of European fur traders. Smith also concluded that ―post-contact social organization was not drastically affected by the onset of the fur trade and that the Cree ―have always lived in the area from Lake Winnipeg to the Peace River”. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 21)

23 2.1 Historical References to the DFN Ancestor’s Use and Occupation of Areas and Places Within the Peace River Basin

The 2012 Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review provides a scan of published documents that are generally relevant to and or directly pertain to the DFN’s ancestors’ use and occupancy of the Peace River basin and its sub-watersheds. The literature reviewed provides evidence of a connection of prior use and occupancy by the ancestors of the DFN within the Peace River basin to current generations of the DFN who continue to live on, use and rely on the same lands, waters and resources.

Relevant sections of the 2012 DFN Ethnohistorical Review are highlighted below, then summarized to discern historic Beaver and Cree land use patterns and trends. References move from earliest accounts of the Beaver and Cree people’s use and occupancy of the Peace River basin up to the time of the allocation of reserves to the DFN on either side of the Peace River and on into the 1920’s:

His (Alexander Mackenzie) later meeting of Rocky Mountain Indians farther up the Peace River, near the mouth of the Clear River, where he expected to see one of the old men he had met earlier at the Forks, suggests that several bands resided in the area, mostly Beaver but some of whom were Rocky Mountain Indians. The journal indicates that the Aboriginal camp at Fort Forks consisted of numerous lodges, and that the occupants of one lodge were destitute, for according to custom they had given away all their belongings after the death of one of their near relatives. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 30)

It is clear that the Aboriginal people Mackenzie met in the vicinity of Fort Forks were hunters and that their range was considerable. Speaking of Deer Mountain –the Whitemud Hills situated about 100 km (approximately 62 miles) northwest of the Forks of the Smoky and Peace Rivers Mackenzie stated that the Indigenous people hunted beaver in this direction, and that for a change of diet they also hunted the plentiful deer that could be found here. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr.

Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 30)

Aboriginal hunters connected with Fort Forks brought Mackenzie plenty of furs in the winter of 1792- 1793. The scant snow in January was particularly favourable for hunting the beaver and permitted these animals to be more easily traced from their lodges to their lurking-places. At other times, the Fort Fork Aboriginal hunters reported, they travelled to [about 112 Km (70 miles) southeast of Fort Fork] to hunt. Mackenzie described this lake as well known to the Knisteneaux [Cree], who are among the inhabitants of the plains on the banks of the Saskatchewine [] river. (Source:

Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 30)

Mackenzie added that when these Cree people used to come to make war in this country they came in their canoes to Lesser Slave Lake, left them there, and followed a beaten path which was their―war- road all the way to the forks of the Peace and Smoky Rivers (Lamb 1970:249, fn.3). This war-road is shown on Mackenzie‘s map that appears between pages 238-239 of Lamb‘s edition. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 31)

Concerning the animals available to the Aboriginal people in this region of the Peace, Mackenzie mentioned beaver, deer, rein-deer, moose, elk and buffalo. By the term rein-deer, he likely meant caribou, but Mackenzie was told they had mostly left the country some years earlier after the local habitat changed and the animals―retired to the long range of high lands that, at a considerable distance, run parallel with this river, likely a reference to the Rocky Mountain foothills. Elk and buffalo now roamed this country about the Forks, Mackenzie noted. Farther up the Peace, he saw the tracks of grizzly bear and commented

24 that the Indigenous people hunted them, but only when hunting in parties of three or four men. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 31)

th On the 9 of May 1793 Mackenzie began his ascent of the Peace River, accompanied by a party of ten, among them Baptiste Bisson, said by some to have been an ancestor of Duncan Testawich’s mother. Over the next month, until Mackenzie reached the Rocky Mountain portage, his daily journal records the beauty and abundance of the countryside along with the occasional encounter with an Aboriginal camp. Among Mackenzie‘s party of ten were two young Aboriginal men who served as hunters and interpreters, along with his assistant and six Canadians. So, on 11th May 1793, when they came across a chief of the Beaver Indians on an hunting party a few miles west from the confluence of the Saddle (Burnt) River with the Peace, the young guides conversed readily with them, indicating that the area was occupied by Dane- zaa people. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 32)

Proceeding up the Peace River from the Montagneuse River mouth, Mackenzie wrote that he observed on one of the islands in the Peace a large grizzly den, which he referred to as a―watee, and added that, The Indians entertain great apprehension of this kind of bear. Mackenzie and his party camped on the night of th the 13 of May in the vicinity of the mouth of the Clear River, which is about 13 miles (approximately 21 miles) down the Peace from the Alberta/BC border. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 32)

Mackenzie observed few signs of Aboriginal occupation as he proceeded upstream, apart from several lodges, left from a previous season, stripped birch bark that had been prepared for making five canoes, and trees that had been stripped of their cambium layer a food the Aboriginal people eat in the spring when the sap begins to run. He also saw trails, but none of the inhabitants themselves. The only camps mentioned in Mackenzie‘s journal of this time are those he attributed to the Knisteneaux [Cree], which he presumed had been made during one of their war expeditions. Yet, game was plentiful. Mackenzie commented: the country is so crowded with animals as to have the appearance, in some places, of a stall- yard, from the state of the ground, and the quantity of dung which is scattered over it. (Source: Duncan’s

First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 32)

At the same time, Cree war parties continued to move into the Peace River from the west end of Lesser Slave Lake by way of a route described earlier by Mackenzie as the―Knistineaux [Cree] war-road, a beaten path leading all the way north to the confluence of the Peace and Smoky Rivers. (Source:

Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 35)

Governor Simpson reported in May 1821 that many Dane-zaa people had died of starvation. Moreover, wrote Simpson: ...our Fort Hunter Baptiste Bisson, who is without exception the best large animal hunter in North America lived entirely on parchment for several weeks, and whole families of Indians existed solely on singed Beaver Skins; the North West Co. were at Dunvagon & Vermillion compelled to kill many of their Horses, and the few seed potatoes that were reserved at St. Mary‘s have been consumed... (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard:

2012, Pg. 38)

With the demise of the buffalo circa 1830, the main sources for the prodigious amounts of meat required for Fort Dunvegan became moose and elk, and to a lesser extent, bear. Records show that Post hunters produced 30,000-40,000 pounds of meat each year. But moose were more difficult to hunt, and it was not unusual for Fort Dunvegan to be lacking meat during the winter. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation

Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 45)

25 Accounts of the Beaver population were provided on several occasions in the 1830s by Colin Campbell. On 11 April 1835 at Fort Dunvegan he recorded a census of 424 Beaver Indian individuals, comprised of 70 men, 109 women, 25 male adults, 111 male children and 109 female children; at the same time Campbell recorded a local Dunvegan population of 50 Freemen and Iroquois, consisting of 14 men, 10 women, 3 male adults, 12 male children and 11 female children. A year later, Campbell provided the figure of 432 as his best account of the local population of Beaver Indians who came to Dunvegan. This total of 432 was comprised of 76 men, 10 young men or lads, 114 women, 120 male children, [and] 112 female children. To this Campbell added a local population figure of 50 Freemen, comprising 11 men, 1 lad, 12 women, 14 m. children, [and] 11 f.m. children. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical

Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 45)

Research undertaken to date indicates that references to the presence of Cree people in the Fort Dunvegan area began to appear in the HBC’s Post journals only in the mid-1830s. The first reference to the Cree in st the HBC‘s Dunvegan Post journals, as far as it has been possible to determine, was on September 1 , 1836. Colin Campbell on this date wrote that he had been informed that a number of Plains Crees totalling 22 tents were on the way at to come & pay a visit to the Beaver Indians. (Source:

Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 45)

The 1872 expedition‘s botanist, John Macoun, also mentioned Beaver people in his report. Though he remarked with reference to the extent of the local plains that the Aboriginal people had a very indefinite sense of distance, he did note that the Beaver hunted the area of the portage between Lesser Slave Lake and the Peace River, and as far west as the . They also hunted a sixty-mile wide plain opposite from Dunvegan, presumably meaning . (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 51)

A Cree presence on the Peace was noted by Alfred Selwyn, Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, during his 1875 expedition. He observed on August 16, 1875 the location of a Cree camp on the Peace River and marked the location on the map of the expedition route accompanying his report. The map indicates the camp‘s location on either side of a creek entering the north bank of the Peace River roughly midway between Dunvegan and the HBC post at the Forks of the Peace and Smoky rivers, seemingly near the place now known as Early Gardens. Selwyn described the camp seen in mid-August as having a large number of Indian lodges; they belong to a party of Crees and Half-breeds who had come here, from and Jasper House, to hunt and pick berries. Their trip to the Peace River over a good horse trail took ten days and Selwyn reported that these people came here annually. It appears that Selwyn and party spoke with members of this same Cree camp again on 23 August on his way back up the river. He heard their complaints of hunger—berries and bear meat comprised their food...The ―large number of Cree lodges observed by Selwyn appears to reflect the autumn congregation at the berry fields. Journals kept by members of the Geological Survey indicate that more commonly Indigenous people encountered during the expedition were observed travelling in small independent groups. Beaver were observed distinctly from Cree. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 51)

th On the 16 of August 1879, Dawson reached Fort Dunvegan and immediately organized two smaller expeditionary parties. He sent his assistant, R.G. McConnell, ―to penetrate as far to the northward as possible, accompanied by Rev. Gordon, together with a packer, a Beaver Indian as guide, and an Aboriginal person of mixed blood to act as interpreter to the guide…At this point in his published report, Dawson provided the following description of the Country of the Beaver Indians: Both Beaver and Cree are now found on this part of the Peace River, though the country really belongs to the former. The extent of the Beaver territory is as follows: Northward to the , eastward to the Smoky and Simonette

26 Rivers, southward to Grand Coup Plat, a tributary of the Smoky, westward to the Portage of the Mountain of Rocks [Rocky Mountain Portage] on the Peace River, where they mingle with the Siccanies. On Pine River and other south-western streams, the Beaver country extends to the mountains. The Beavers are now a small and weak people. The Crees are encroaching on them from the east side of Smoky River, while a band of Iroquois hunters and half-breeds has taken possession of a considerable part of the southern country, between Dunvegan and Jasper House. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 54)

While McConnell was heading to the north, Dawson on 18 August 1879 set off from Dunvegan, heading southward with a packer and guide and three British Columbian Indians. Concerning the country he was about to explore, Dawson wrote: Several trails run southward from Dunvegan toward Grande Prairie and the head waters of the Smoky River, and the Indians travel through in this direction to Jasper House on the upper Athabasca. Many little hunting trails and dim tracks ramify from the main trails in all directions, in conducting us among which our guide was of great service as long as we confined ourselves to the part of the country with which he was familiar (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 57)

th During the course of his travels on the 19 of August, Dawson commented on the presence of ―A few old buffalo bones, & the ground scored with their tracks. Dawson added that Louis Campbell, his Métis guide, ―says that the Indians tell that all [the buffalo were] killed by a very severe winter many years ago, when about 5 ' of snow fell. Details about traces of buffalo and their extinction—are provided in Dawson‘s published account: Buffalo trails [in the Grand Prairie region] still score the sod in all directions, and are deeply hollowed out where a number converge toward the crossing of a river or lake, or some such place. The saucer-shaped wallows’ of the buffalo and scattered bones are also numerous, though the animal is now no more seen here. The Indians state that the extinction of the buffalo was not entirely due to the introduction of fire-arms and the active hunting carried on for the supply of the Hudson Bay forts, but that all remaining were killed many years ago by an excessively severe winter when the snow was over the buffaloes’ backs. It may be mentioned in this place that the Beaver Indians report having seen in the summer of 1879 six woodland buffaloes, of which they killed one, in the vicinity of the Pouce Coupée prairie. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 58)

th th After travelling on the 19 and 20 through the greatest service berry [Saskatoon berry] country that he th had ever seen, Dawson and his party camped on the night of August 20 on the south side of the Bear

River (Sus-za-ka of the Beavers), north from its confluence with the Fish River (Klo-es-sa-ka) and not far from the northwest end of Bear Lake (Sus-mi-gi‖) near today’s city of Grande Prairie. Dawson wrote, with reference to the Grand Prairie area, that: Both Cree and Beaver Indians often come long distances for the berry gathering at Grande Prairie, and after having secured and dried a sufficient quantity of fruit, scatter again in small bands into the more remote parts of the country for the autumn hunt. (Source: Duncan’s

First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 59)

st Dawson on the 21 of August came across a lake east of the mt.(the Isle de Montagne or Sis-tin of the

Beavers) that is called Saskatoon Hill on present-day maps. He indicated that the lake was aptly called Service-berry Lake (Saskatoon Lake, on today‘s maps) and was greatly resorted to by the Beaver Indians when gathering berries. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 59)

27 Alfred Selwyn, several years earlier, noted that Saskatoon berries grew abundantly on south- facing hills in the area between Dunvegan and Smoky River. Describing the preparation of berries for storage, he noted that the people: pound up the cherries, stones and all, and make cakes of them, which are dried in the sun, and either eaten fresh or stored for winter use; the kernels in the cherries give a pleasant taste of bitter almonds.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy

Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 60)

Another prairie where Aboriginal people were harvesting large quantities of Saskatoon berries in the 1870s was situated about 70 miles (112 km) up the Peace River from Fort Dunvegan. Botanist John Macoun said that the Beaver people referred to this place as Mosquito Prairie. The location seems to be near the Alberta/BC border, but it is impossible from the description given to be precise. The berries growing here were said to be large and very sweet, and Macoun stated that they are used in many ways, but the Indian women seem to prefer making them into square cakes and drying them. (Source: Duncan’s

First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 60)

th On August 25 , after directing his packer as well as his guide Louis Campbell and one of the Aboriginals in his party to take the pack animals back to Fort Dunvegan, Dawson together with Louis and Jason (two of the three ―British Columbia Indians who were travelling with Dawson) set off in a canoe down the Wapiti and Smoky Rivers to the Peace. Dawson commented: We knew that the Indians hunting in this part of the country not unfrequently ran down the Smoky River in canoes.... They camped on the evening of 25 August on the east side of the Smoky River, at a location that appears to have been not far from where today‘s Highway 43 crosses the Smoky River, east from the city of Grande Prairie. On the evening of 26 August, they camped on the north side of the Smoky River, a few miles east from where the Bad .. th Heart River enters the Smoky. Travelling by canoe on August 27 past the confluence of the Little Smoky River with the Smoky River, Dawson commented on what he referred to as boccanes, a term said to refer to places where ―smouldering combustion occurs. Dawson stated that it is these boccanes that give the Smoky River its name, and he observed there was a thin column of smoke issuing from one of them when he passed by it that day. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 61)

th Dawson camped on August 27 ―a few miles from mouth of Smoky River, on a sandy flat. On August th 28 , Dawson reached the Hudson‘s Bay Company post at the forks of the Smoky River and the Peace River and, it appears, camped here overnight on this date, although he noted that the Post, itself, was th deserted at this time. Dawson on August 29 met up with Louis, his guide, and others, together with horses and pack animals, in the general vicinity of the Peace River/Smoky River confluence. They cached the canoe and travelled by horse back to Fort Dunvegan, following a trail that more-or-less paralleled the Peace River but was, as Dawson stated, ―a considerable distance north from it. On the evening of 29

August, they camped at a small lake identified by Dawson as ―Lac des Femmes[ lake of women‘]. This same lake, located near the northern end of what is today Duncan‘s IR 151A, just south of Highway 2, was known as ―Old Wives Lake in the 1880s and later. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 62)

It was at this point in his journal that Butler pointed out, ―No men in this land of hunters hunt better than the Beavers. To this he added, ―It is not uncommon for a single Indian to render from his winter trapping 200 marten skins, and not less that 20,000 beavers are annually killed by the tribe [Beaver Indians] on the waters of the Peace River.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 65)

28 Animals found in the Peace River region and ―valuable to the Indian for their flesh, Butler stated, included beaver, bear and moose. But it was primarily moose that fed the ―forts and the Indians along the entire [Peace] river. Butler wrote that ―About 100 full-grown moose had been consumed at each of the four trading posts he had visited that winter along the Peace. Four times that number were said to be consumed each year by the Aboriginal people, yet the stocks remained high. About 2,000 moose hides came out of Athabasca District annually, Butler estimated, adding that to-day [1873] there are probably as many moose in Peace River as there were fifty years ago [1820s]. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 66)

Residents of the Peace River practiced a mixed economy of trapping/hunting and farming by the 1880s. In 1886-1887, missionary John G. Brick of the Church Missionary Society established the Shaftesbury Settlement, located on the northwest side of the Peace River about 24 km (15 miles) upriver from the Smoky/Peace confluence. This was named ―Shaftesbury after the Society‘s patron in England. Most residents were of mixed ancestry and engaged in farming and trapping… His wife‘s brothers, members of the Jean-Baptiste La Pretre family, Métis, had settled on the flats north of Shaftesbury. Alex Mackenzie subsequently sold land to the St. Germaine family around 1894. The St. Germaine‘s also had a ranch at ―Little Prairie until about 1904. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 68)

When St. Pierre Ferguson undertook a census of Shaftesbury in 1901, he found a community of 172 non- Treaty people, most of whom were of mixed ancestry (88%). Forty-seven people, mostly Cree, had accepted treaty in 1899; twenty more adhered in 1900. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 68)

A description of the Indigenous population in the vicinity of Dunvegan in 1898 was provided by one of these Klondykers, a man named Barney Maurice who wrote that having left from Edmonton for the Klondyke in late May 1898, he proceeded on horseback to the then followed an Indian trail across the and reached Lesser Slave Lake. From here Maurice went to Peace River Landing at the forks of the Smoky and Peace Rivers, then travelled along the north side of the Peace to Dunvegan. Not far from Peace River Landing, Maurice referred to passing a lot of halfbreed farmers, a reference to the Shaftesbury settlement of non-Aboriginal and Métis farmers begun in the mid-1880s about 24 Km (15 miles) upriver from Peace River Landing. When he reached Dunvegan, Maurice described the Aboriginal people here as mostly Beaver Indians, although there were a few Crees, and added, Almost all of them were hunters and trappers and lived in teepees. At this point in Maurice`s narrative, he mentions that when he came back down the Peace River to Dunvegan the following winter (of 1898-1899), he saw a little shack here that was half full of dried moose meat and saw Indian women packing the meat into canvass bags and stamping it down with their feet in order to have it pressed flat and tight. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy

Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 71)

Mair at this point in his narrative states that Commissioners Ross and McKenna then returned to Fort

Dunvegan, and took the adhesion of some Beaver Indians, after which they left for Lower Peace River. At Peace River Landing, Duncan Testawits, identified as Headman of Crees, adhered to the Treaty on behalf of ―the Indians of Peace River Landing and the adjacent territory. A population of 47 persons comprised the initial membership, divided into 14 families. Joseph Mayikus (Mycoose), an Aboriginal resident of Fort St. John, entered treaty with Duncan’s band and later transferred to Fort St. John.Speaking of the meeting with the Aboriginal people gathered at Peace River Landing, Mair wrote: A great concourse of natives was at the Landing awaiting our arrival. The place was covered with teepees and tents, and no less than four trading marquees had been pitched pending the scrip issue, which it took some time to

29 complete. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 75)

Following the trail from the Shaftesbury Settlement to Dunvegan in early July 1903, Macoun stopped along the way at―Old Wives Lake which he described as being ―about one mile long and a third of a mile wide and ―surrounded by a marsh where a great quantity of good hay can be made in the autumn. He added that about two miles south from Old Wives Lake ―there is a large spring known as Cold spring which gushes from a small depression. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 77)

Historian David Leonard reviewed this 1901 census data and noted that of the 59 people enumerated at

Spirit River at that time, 51 claimed Cree as their mother tongue. Based on his review of the 1901 Census data, Leonard concluded that there had been some sort of settlement at Spirit River since the early 1870‘s. Among those appearing in the 1901 Canada Census at Spirit River were Louison Cardinal, age 40 and said to have been born at Jasper House, as well as the French Half-breeds, Jean-Baptiste Tustawits (born 1846) and Johnny and Modeste Tustawits, both said to have been born at Dunvegan (in 1871 and 1876 respectively). Leonard noted that the majority of the Spirit River community in 1901fourteen people in three families consisted of people having the name Tustawits. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 79)

In mid-June, 1903, Macoun left to go down the Peace River by steamer to Vermilion. At about eight or ten places along the 280 miles between Peace River Landing and Vermilion there was land suitable for cultivation. Yet Macoun observed only one settlement, consisting of about half a dozen people of mixed ancestry, who lived at Wolverine Point, opposite the Iroquois River...Nearly all settlers in the region, Macoun stated, were ex-HBC men and people of mixed ancestry. They hunted the area including the lands between Peace River Landing and Vermilion and between Buffalo Head Hills and the Peace River, said by these hunters to be covered with forest or burnt areas, with many marshes and muskegs. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 82)

The multi-ethnic composition of the Shaftesbury Settlement, which included a number of Duncan’s First Nation members, was exemplified in a 1956 interview of Mrs. Maria Bourassa of the town of Peace River, Alberta, a daughter of pioneer settler Charles St. Germaine; Mrs. Bourassa recalled the following people living at Shaftesbury in 1913, starting with the farthest- upriver homestead:

1. Old man Xavier; 2. Bill Carson (and later his brother), who homesteaded on what was to be the Early place. Carson bought Alex Mackenzie‘s old grist mill and made his own flour;

3. Duncan Testowitch [Testawich]; 4. Johnny Knott, who was married to a Campbell from Grande Prairie and whose children went to school with Mrs. Bourassa. (The Campbell girls were excellent horsewomen, and could rope and ride bareback as well as a man); 5. The Whitebears, Mrs. Allie Brick‘s parents. Mrs. Whitebear was a Campbell; 6. The Anglican Mission; 7. Allie Brick; 8. MacCorristers. Mrs. MacCorrister was a Campbell, too; 9. Old John Wright, who was an old bachelor named ―Chewing Gum Wright. He lived in a little shack and was said to have come into the country with the first survey party at Shaftesbury (Selby‘s); 10. The La Pretes [La Pretre family]: Benjamin (married to Duncan Testawitch‘s sister, Angelique), Francois La Pretre [Pretre], Jean Felix La Pretre [Pretre];

30 11. Alex Mackenzie. He was a North West Company trader (Mrs. Bourassa thought) and later Hudson‘s Bay trader at Red River. Still later he was a free trader on the flats at Shaftesbury. His wife was a La Prete [Pretre]. There was also another La Prete [Pretre] sister (a Testawitch) living on the Mackenzie place. She later married a Kennedy. Alex Mackenzie was some relation of Sir

Alexander Mackenzie (Mrs. Bourassa suggested a second uncle); 12. The Hudson‘s Bay post. 13. Prior to the treaty, Duncan Testawich had taken up permanent residence just west of the Shaftesbury Settlement, but his interest in agriculture was not incompatible with maintaining a hunting lifestyle.

(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 85)

A review of the Annual Reports of the Inspector for Treaty 8 indicates that an Aboriginal subsistence pattern continued, augmented by agriculture and animal husbandry. In 1902, H.A. Conroy, the Inspector for Treaty 8, reported that the Aboriginal people at Peace River Landing farmed on a small scale, although their headman (Duncan Testawich) had sown seventy acres of crops that year. The following year, Conroy reported that Duncan’s Band had excellent crops, had made considerable progress in farming, had built comfortable log homes and stables, and had brought in horses and cows. They were making what Conroy described as a comfortable living. Nevertheless, a drought affected Duncan Testawich’s harvest on about forty acres of grain in 1904 due to the crop being planted too late in the season. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 85)

Reports by the Royal North West Mounted Police in 1903 noted that in contrast to Duncan Testawich’s winter residency on the Peace River, the majority of the local Aboriginal and Métis residents spent the winter months trapping at some distance from river. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 85)

A visit to Duncan Testawich and his band led to them choosing lands they wanted set aside as Indian Reserves in the general vicinity of Peace River Landing...The following section discusses the ten Indian Reserves that were set aside and surveyed in the early 1900s for the Peace River Landing Band (also known as ―Duncan Testawich’s Band i.e., today‘s Duncan‘s First Nation). (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 90)

In total, Duncan Testawich and his band selected ten parcels of land. Reid surveyed six parcels of lands (IR 151B through 151G) situated along the northwest bank of the Peace River in the vicinity of the Shaftesbury Settlement. These six Indian Reserves included the previously-established holdings (houses, improvements etc.) of individual Duncan‘s Band members and their families, some of whom had been living here for a period of time described by Reid as a number of years. Of the remaining four Reserves, two (IR‘s 151 and 151A) were surveyed as larger communal reserves, adjacent to what are today the villages of Berwyn and Brownvale, respectively. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 93)

The following are some of the Aboriginal Cree and Dane-zaa place names for places in the central Peace River region that occur in the historical documents reviewed for this report:

Spirit River: Chipay Sipi, a Cree name meaning “”. It is reported that a band was haunted by the ghost of a woman who body had been buried in a grove of trees on a hill; when the wind whistled

31 through the trees, the people believed it was her voice; or an Aboriginal man washing gold her noticed flashes of light from the sparkling mineral and assumed it was the light of spirits.

Kakut Lake: Ka-toot Lake, which geologist George Dawson noted to be 22 miles south from Dunvegan and said to drain southeastwards towards the Bad Heart River (or Ma-atz-i-ti he-sī-pī of the Crees) which in turn flows eastward to the Smoky River.

Smoky River: Dawson transcribed the Cree name for the Smoky River as Ka-ska-pa-tē-oo Sī-ī whose meaning, he pointed out, is the same as in English. Confirmation of several of these Cree terms and their translations, as provided by Dawson in 1879, is provided in a recent Cree dictionary. Concerning Dawson’s Ka-ska-pa-tē-oo Sī-pī , this dictionary gives the Cree term kaskâpahtew meaning in̳ the smoke‘, and the Cree term sîpîy meaning “river”; concerning Dawson‘s ―Wa-was-ke-soo Sī-pī , the dictionary gives wâwâskesiw as the Cree term for “elk”.

Smoke Lake: identified in Cree as ―Ī-a-pe-oo Lake, a term meaning “Buck Moose Lake”

Possibly either Clairmont Lake or adjacent Ferguson Lake just north of the city of Grande Prairie: Kles- kun and Bear Lakes, about three and six miles in length respectively, besides many smaller sheets of water, occur on the prairie. Kleskun Lake: This lake received its name from the dangerous springy spots at the north-west end. A group of Stony people lived in stick houses [tipi formed of poles] on the east side of the lake in the late 1890s.

Little Smoky River as Ka-ska-pa-tē-oo Sī-pī-sīs. Dawson transcribed ―Wa-was-ke-soo Sī-pī as the Cree term for the Wapiti River, and noted that it means, literally, “elk river”.

Bear River: Cree name, Sus-za-ka of the Beavers [Bear Creek]), north from its confluence with the Fish River (Klo-es-sa-ka [Fish Creek]) and not far from the northwest end of Bear Lake (―Sus-mi-gi).

st Saskatoon Lake: George Dawson on the 21 of August came across a lake ―east of the mt. (the Isle de

Montagne or Sis-tin of the Beavers) that is called Saskatoon Hill on present-day maps. He indicated that the lake was aptly called ―Service-berry Lake (Saskatoon Lake, on today‘s maps) and was ―greatly resorted to by the Beaver Indians when gathering berries.

Saddle (Burnt) River: known by its Cree name, ―Quiscatina Sepy translated as “River with the High Banks”.

Notikewin River: Notikewin is derived from the Cree term ―nôtinikewin which means “battle”. See Nancy LeClaire and George Cardinal (2006). Alberta Elders’ Cree Dictionary.

(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 100)

A cautionary note does need to be made in respect to the above historical references, the people that they purport to describe and the present day DFN community. This document and the DFN 2012 Ethno- History does not conclude that the people referenced in historical accounts are the direct ancestors of the DFN. Clearly the situation was much more fluid, with Beaver and Cree people of the region coalescing into family groups and eventually being enumerated within regional Indian Bands as Band Members. With that said, some of the current DFN community could, with some degree of probability, trace their

32 lineage the Cree and Beaver people described being present at the time earliest contact and the ensuing decades. This would true of other communities within the Peace region.

2.2 Summary of Historical References to the DFN Ancestor’s Use and Occupation of Areas and Places Within the Peace River Basin

The following table summarizes the above highlighted citations pertaining to historical use and occupation by the DFN’s Cree and Beaver ancestors of Peace River basin and its sub-watersheds between the time of contact, the 1790’s up to the time of allocation of reserves lands to the DFN and into the 1920’s:

Peace River Basin Location Use / Occupancy Observation / Notation Clear River / Peace River confluence Several bands reside in area Fort Forks / Downstream of Shaftesbury Indigenous camp / numerous lodges Settlement Fort Forks – Whitemud Hills Indigenous hunters hunting for beaver, seer and bear in lands between Ft. Forks and Whitemud Hills Slave Lake Locus / community of Cree people / fishing Slave Lake – Peace River-Smoky River Trail used by Cree – the “beaten” path between confluence west end of Slave Lake and Peace / Smoky River confluence South Peace River to Rocky Mountain Foothills Indigenous hunting / knowledge of animal types / population trends for caribou, elk, buffalo and grizzly bear Burnt River / Peace River confluence Chief and party of “Beaver Indians” hunting in area Montagunense River / Peace River confluence / Indigenous knowledge of “watee” – bear habitat / Island in the Peace River denning area on Island in the peace Montagunense River / Peace River confluence to Observation of trails connecting the two areas Clear River / Peace River confluence along the Peace River Ft. Dunvegan Indigenous families present Ft. Vermillion Indigenous families present Ft. Dunvegan Indigenous hunters procuring vast amounts of moose, elk and beaver to feed fort from lands around Ft. Dunvegan Ft. Dunvegan As of 1835, up to 432 Indigenous people residing / camped at Ft. Dunvegan Ft. Dunvegan As of 1830, noted increase of Cree people residing / camped at Ft. Dunvegan Smoky River to Dunvegan along Peace River 22 tents of Cree observed at or near present day Shaftsbury Lesser Slave Lake to Rocky Mountains Described as a “Beaver” hunting area Area south of Ft. Dunvegan / Peace River Observation of Beaver hunting occurring 60 miles south of Ft. Dunvegan and the Peace River Early Gardens Cree camp / many lodges observed / berry harvesting

33 Jasper House – Early Gardens Observed travel of Indigenous people via trails connecting Early Gardens, Ft. Dunvegan and Jasper House Battle River (Notikewin) to Smoky / Simonette Description of Beaver territory and Smoky River to Rocky Mountain Portage Pine River – Rocky Mountains Beaver, Cree and Iroquois present and use area as their hunting grounds Dunvegan to Smoky River Headwaters / Indigenous people travelling up and down Wapiti Dunvegan to Wapiti River Headwaters to Jasper and Smoky rivers House Pouce Coupe Indigenous people report of buffalo hunting in area Bear Lake / Grande Prairie Large numbers of Indigenous people camping near Bear Lake and harvesting berries Saskatoon Hill / Saskatoon Lake Indigenous people camped and harvesting berries Dunvegan – Smoky River / Peace River Large berry patches on south slopes all along confluence – south side of Peace River south side of Peace River and Indigenous people preparing them for preservation / storage Mosquito Prairie near BC / Alberta Border Indigenous people present harvesting and preparing Saskatoon berries for preservation / storage Dunvegan to Old Wives Lake / Present Day DFN Trail further to the north of the Peace River that connects Ft. Dunvegan to Old Wives Lake at the present-day location of the DFN Brownvale, IR Peace River – General Beaver Indians procure vast amounts of Beaver from river to supply forts Shaftsbury Settlement DFN families present / 1901 census – 172 non- Treaty people present and off mixed ancestry – 47 of which were Cree who eventually adhered to Treaty#8 Shaftsbury – 24 KM Upstream of Peace River Indigenous people farming Landing Ft. Dunvegan Adhesion of some of the Beaver people to Treaty#8 Peace River Landing Adhesion of some of the “Indians of Peace River Landing” to Treaty#8. Joseph Mycoose adheres to treaty but subsequently transfer to Ft. St. John Band Cold Spring south of Old Wives Lake A cold running spring two KM south of Old Wives Lake identified Spirit River 14 people from 3 families named “Tustwaits” Peace River Landing – Ft. Vermillion / Indigenous people hunting in areas between Peace River Land and Ft. Vermillion and the Peace Peace River – Buffalo Head Hills river and the Buffalo Head Hills Peace River Landing Indigenous people had planted some 40 acres for farming and “living comfortably” East / West of Peace River 10 reserves allocated to the ancestors of the DFN on the east and west side of the Peace River Spirit River Traditional Place Name – General reference Kakut Lake Traditional Place Name – General reference

34 Smoky River Traditional Place Name – General reference Smoke Lake Traditional Place Name – General reference Bear Lake – Grande Prairie Traditional Place Name – General reference Little Smoky River Traditional Place Name – General reference Wapiti River Traditional Place Name – General reference Saskatoon Lake / Saskatoon Hill Traditional Place Name – General reference Burnt River / Saddle River Traditional Place Name – General reference Notikewin / Battle River Traditional Place Name – General reference

2.3 Historical References to the DFN Ancestor’s Use of Resources / Cultural Practices in Peace River Basin

The preceding section highlights some of the references available in written records to help ascertain the possible/probable geographic situation, movements of and use and occupation of places, sites and lands in the Peace River basin by DFN’s Beaver and Cree ancestors. The published record can also help shed some light on the DFN ancestors’ historical utilization of resources and some their historical cultural practices:

“Goddard reported the following concerning his 1913 discussions with ―a Beaver Indian of Dunvegan who told him that: another tribe (meaning an Athapascan-speaking one) used to live on Lesser Slave Lake and that it had died out. After that the Cree occupied the region because of the fish to be had there...[Goddard‘s footnote continues] I told the chief I had heard that Lesser Slave Lake was Beaver country, what did he know about it. He said, There used to be another tribe there (Beaver) but they died out and the Cree came in on account of the fish. It was the only place they could get fish. I asked how long ago. The chief said, ―I did not mean to say I knew it was so but that was what my grandfather told me.” (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 19 and 20)

Arriving at the Fort Fork site on 1 November 1792, Mackenzie wrote in his journal that no sooner had he pitched his tent than he summoned the Indians together and gave each of them about four inches of Brazil tobacco, a dram of spirits, and lighted the pipe. He admonished them for their previous misconduct and said he wanted to inquire into the truth of it. Then he presented them with a quantity of rum which he urged them to use with discretion and added some tobacco, as a token of peace. Over the next several days, Mackenzie equipped these Aboriginal people for their winter hunting. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 29)

His (Alexander Mackenzie) later meeting of Rocky Mountain Indians farther up the Peace River, near the mouth of the Clear River, where he expected to see one of the old men he had met earlier at the Forks, suggests that several bands resided in the area, mostly Beaver but some of whom were Rocky Mountain Indians. The journal indicates that the Aboriginal camp at Fort Forks consisted of numerous lodges, and that the occupants of one lodge were destitute, for according to custom they had given away all their belongings after the death of one of their near relatives. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 29)

Speaking of Deer Mountain – the Whitemud Hills situated about 100 km (approximately 62 miles) northwest of the Forks of the Smoky and Peace Rivers Mackenzie stated that the Indigenous people hunted beaver in this direction, and that for a change of diet they also hunted the plentiful deer that could

35 be found here. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 30)

Aboriginal hunters connected with Fort Forks brought Mackenzie plenty of furs in the winter of 1792- 1793. The scant snow in January was particularly favourable for hunting the beaver and permitted these animals to be more easily traced from their lodges to their lurking-places. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 30)

A change in hunting technology had occurred in the six years that fur traders had come to the Peace River, and according to Mackenzie the Aboriginals’ use of bows was now nominal, while the use of snares continued. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 30)

Concerning the animals available to the Aboriginal people in this region of the Peace, Mackenzie mentioned beaver, deer, rein deer, moose, elk and buffalo. By the term “rein-deer”, he likely meant caribou, but Mackenzie was told they had mostly left the country some years earlier after the local habitat changed and the animals retired to the long range of high lands that, at a considerable distance, run parallel with this river, likely a reference to the Rocky Mountain foothills. Elk and buffalo now roamed this country about the Forks, Mackenzie noted. Farther up the Peace, he saw the tracks of grizzly bear and commented that the Indigenous people hunted them, but only when hunting in parties of three or four men.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard:

2012, Pg. 31)

Lamb 1970:413, fn.2 also concluded that by Mackenzie‘s rein-deer was a reference to caribou, for Mackenzie mentioned the animal eating a short curling moss, a species which grows on the rocks, as lichen, the caribou‘s food, certainly does. Mackenzie noted that this animal provided both food and clothing. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 31)

Proceeding up the Peace River from the Montagneuse River mouth, Mackenzie wrote that he observed on one of the islands in the Peace a large grizzly den, which he referred to as a watee, and added that, ―The Indians entertain great apprehension of this kind of bear.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 32)

Yet, game was plentiful. Mackenzie commented: the country is so crowded with animals as to have the appearance, in some places, of a stall-yard, from the state of the ground, and the quantity of dung which is scattered over it. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 33)

Mackenzie retraced his trail through this country in August 1793 on his return from the Pacific. Along the route he commented on seeing evidence of the Aboriginal people‘s occupation of the mountains. Upstream from Peace River Canyon he found a hunting camp used only a few days prior to his arrival. He surmised that the inhabitants had left in an alarmed state, for three of their canoes and paddles had been left on the beach. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 33)

General History of the Fur Trade, a manuscript published along with Mackenzie‘s journals in Lamb‘s 1970 edition of The Journals and Letters of Sir Alexander Mackenzie. Concerning their economic pursuits, Mackenzie stated: The profession of the men is war and hunting, and the more active scene of their duty is the field of battle, and the chase in the woods. They also spear fish, but the management of

36 the news is left to the women. The females of this nation . . . dress the leather, make the clothes and shoes, weave the nets, collect wood, erect the tents, fetch water, perform every culinary service. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 33)

In terms of the social organization of the Cree and Beaver (and Rocky Mountain Indians), the basic social unit of both peoples was the family, either nuclear or extended, that joined with kindred to form a hunting band associated with a particular area during the winter months, and formed large coalitions comprised of similar hunting bands in the warmer months, sometimes at fisheries or the bison grounds, and sometimes for celebration. What is clear from Mackenzie‘s journal is that both the Beaver and the Cree were highly mobile people. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 33)

The journals indicate that trading relationships between the Europeans and the Aboriginal people expanded and became mutually-dependent, as the former relied upon the Indigenous populations for provisioning and for furs, and the Aboriginal hunters grew accustomed to trade goods, especially firearms and ammunition, along with tea, tobacco and flour. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 34)

One of Fort Dunvegan‘s main advantages in 1805 was its proximity to the buffalo ranges. Fort Dunvegan was operated by the NWC from 1805 to 1821, at which time the Hudson‘s Bay Company took over its operation. The Post was closed between 1825-1828, then reopened and continued operations until 1918 when it was closed. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 36)

One of the reasons why hunters travelled so widely was to compensate for fluctuations in the availability of resources. The life of hunters and trappers was precarious, dependent upon the success of the hunt. For example, weather conditions in the spring of 1821 created great difficulties when a late frost alerted the animals to approaching hunters. Governor Simpson reported in May 1821 that many Dane-zaa people had died of starvation. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 37)

Though the returns of the Peace River disappointed George Simpson in 1821, he commented that the HBC’s opening of Fort St. Mary’s at the confluence of the Peace and Smoky Rivers looked promising for ―the adjacent Woods and plains abound with Buffalo and Deer, and valuable Furred Animals are numerous... (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 38)

The Peace River region‘s Chief Traders, William Macintosh of Fort Dunvegan and Colin Campbell of , stressed that the upper and central Peace were depleted of game from the very first of the post-merger records of 1822. Fort Dunvegan was characterized as ―formerly a plentiful place …while the Fort Vermilion District Report for 1822 noted the exausted [sic] state of the country in large animals. By December 1833, John Charles, Chief Factor for the Peace-Athabasca District, wrote: Peace River in Respect of Large Animals, is not the same Country it was in Days long Since gone by, there is no Buffalo in that Quarter now. And the exertion of the Beaver Indians...on their circumscribed Grounds with the encouragement held out by us for the Provisions and Leather has I believe thinned the Moose Deer considerably. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 40)

By the early 1830s, most of the buffalo (wood bison) were gone from the Fort Dunvegan region, although the decline of these animals had actually begun in the early 1820s. The 1821-1822 Fort Chipewyan

37 District Report noted that the buffalo have migrated toward the Mountains [Rocky Mountains]and that the Slave [Sekani] Indians that resort to St. John‘s report they had no buffalo in their Country formerly which is in and along the Mountains [Rocky Mountains], but now they are plenty. However, a particularly severe winter in 1829-1830 with a very large snowfall made it difficult for the buffalo to forage and easy for predators to pursue and kill them...Notwithstanding, buffalo were rarely seen around Dunvegan after the winter of 1829-1830. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 44)

By the 1840s, Fort Dunvegan regularly reported complaints of declining meat supplies, as the demands for meat and leather were beginning to exhaust the game resources of this region. These demands required supplementing the diet at the Post with smaller animals such as rabbits and birds and fish, but these could not make up for the shortage of meat. Colin Campbell told Governor Simpson in 1841 that the situation at that time was a sad affair for the Beaver Indians, because the moose are now too rare for them to depend upon and there are no Buffaloe in this country for some years back. This was compounded by the entire disappearance of the Lynx and Rabbits. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 49)

th During the course of his travels on the 19 of August, Dawson commented on the presence of ―A few old buffalo bones, & the ground scored with their tracks. Dawson added that Louis Campbell, his Métis guide, says that the Indians tell that all [the buffalo were] killed by a very severe winter many years ago, when about 5 ' of snow fell. Details about traces of buffalo and their extinction are provided in Dawson‘s published account: Buffalo trails [in the Grand Prairie region] still score the sod in all directions, and are deeply hollowed out where a number converge toward the crossing of a river or lake, or some such place. The saucer-shaped “wallows” of the buffalo and scattered bones are also numerous, though the animal is now no more seen here. The Indians state that the extinction of the buffalo was not entirely due to the introduction of fire-arms and the active hunting carried on for the supply of the Hudson Bay forts, but that all remaining were killed many years ago by an excessively severe winter when the snow was over the buffaloes’ backs. It may be mentioned in this place that the Beaver Indians report having seen in the summer of 1879 six woodland buffaloes, of which they killed one, in the vicinity of the Pouce Coupée prairie. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 58)

th th After travelling on the 19 and 20 through the ―greatest service berry [Saskatoon berry] country‖ that th he had ever seen, Dawson and his party camped on the night of August 20 on the south side of the Bear

River (Sus-za-ka of the Beavers), north from its confluence with the Fish River (Klo-es-sa-ka) and not far from the northwest end of Bear Lake (Sus-mi-gi) near today‘s city of Grande Prairie. Dawson wrote, with reference to the Grand Prairie area, that: Both Cree and Beaver Indians often come long distances for the berry gathering at Grande Prairie, and after having secured and dried a sufficient quantity of fruit, scatter st again in small bands into the more remote parts of the country for the autumn hunt…Dawson on the 21 of August came across a lake east of the mt. (the Isle de Montagne or Sis-tin of the Beavers) that is called Saskatoon Hill on present-day maps. He indicated that the lake was aptly called ―Service-berry Lake (Saskatoon Lake, on today‘s maps) and was greatly resorted to by the Beaver Indians when gathering berries. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 59)

Alfred Selwyn, several years earlier, noted that Saskatoon berries grew abundantly on south-facing hills in the area between Dunvegan and Smoky River. Describing the preparation of berries for storage, he noted that the people: pound up the cherries, stones and all, and make cakes of them, which are dried in

38 the sun, and either eaten fresh or stored for winter use; the kernels in the cherries give a pleasant taste of bitter almonds. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 60)

th On August 25 , after directing his packer as well as his guide Louis Campbell and one of the Aboriginals in his party to take the pack animals back to Fort Dunvegan, Dawson together with Louis and Jason (two of the three ―British Columbia Indians who were travelling with Dawson) set off in a canoe down the Wapiti and Smoky Rivers to the Peace. Dawson commented: ―We knew that the Indians hunting in this part of the country not unfrequently ran down the Smoky River in canoes . (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 60)

From here, Dawson‘s party on 9 September crossed the Simonette River and followed a trail which led in a northeasterly direction towards what Dawson referred to as the Cree settlement (at Sturgeon Lake). There was also another trail, Dawson wrote; it led in a southerly direction towards Jasper House, following between the Smoky River and the Simonette River. Continuing along the trail that led to the northeast, Dawson‘s party eventually reached Sturgeon Lake (identified on Dawson‘s map as Ke-me-sis‖ Lake), camping at this lake‘s north end on 13 September and at the―Cree settlement on its southeast end, on 14 September. This settlement, Dawson added, consisted of two log houses, with several little garden patches. Subsequently Dawson identified the name for Sturgeon Lake, -Ke-me-sis, as a Cree term, and provided the name for the settlement here as Pus-kwat-sī-nas which he stated was a Cree term translated as little bare hill. These houses he described as ough log houses inhabited by Cree Indians who cultivate small garden patches. From this Cree settlement, a trail led north to the Smoky River and south to the Athabasca River; both trails are marked on Dawson‘s map of his 1879 travels south of the Peace (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 63)

Another visitor to this region in the 1870s was William Butler, an astute, educated adventurer from England who kept a fascinating and informative journal of his travels along the Peace River in the winter of 1872-1873. While at Fort Vermilion in March 1873, Butler commented on hills named after the presence of reindeer and buffalo, located respectively one day’s journey to the north and to the south of the Fort. Butler’s Reindeer Hills are likely the Caribou Mountains in . His Buffalo Hills are now called the Buffalo Head Hills, situated to the east of the Peace River, south of Fort Vermilion. Butler added, however, that he saw neither reindeer nor buffalo, no were either of these animals part of the subsistence of Fort Vermilion when he was there. Instead, the Peace River, Butler observed, was the land of the moose. When Butler was visiting Dunvegan several weeks later, he was told that numerous wood- buffalo were present in this region in former times, but their ultimate demise was due to a winter of ―exceptionally deep snow. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 64)

Yet, Butler added, few Beaver people remained, as their numbers had steadily decreased. Butler wrote that in 1873, ―in the whole length of 900 miles from beyond the mountains [Rocky Mountains] to the Lake Athabasca, scarce 200 families [of Beaver people] lie scattered over the high prairies and undulating forest belts of the Peace River. It was at this point in his journal that Butler pointed out, No men in this land of hunters hunt better than the Beavers. To this he added, It is not uncommon for a single Indian to render from his winter trapping 200 marten skins, and not less that 20,000 beavers are annually killed by the tribe [Beaver Indians] on the waters of the Peace River. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 65)

This was the time of year, Butler wrote: when the Indians leave their winter hunting-grounds and make a journey to the forts with the produce of their season’s toil. They come…men, women and children; dogs, sleds and hand-toboggans, bearing the precious freight of fur to the trading- post, bringing in the harvest

39 of marten-skins from the vast field of the desert wilds. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 66)

When he reached Dunvegan, Maurice described the Aboriginal people here as mostly Beaver Indians, although there were a few Crees, and added, Almost all of them were hunters and trappers and lived in teepees. At this point in Maurice`s narrative, he mentions that when he came back down the Peace River to Dunvegan the following winter (of 1898-1899), he saw a little shack here that was half full of dried moose meat and saw Indian women packing the meat into canvass bags and stamping it down with their feet in order to have it pressed flat and tight. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 71)

Charles Mair's account of the Treaty Commission‘s expedition made a number of observations about the Peace River area, among them his observation in June 1899 that, All along the trail [along the north side of the Peace River between the Smoky River and Dunvegan] were old buffalo paths and wallows, which, he added, they actually saw everywhere we went on land, showing how numerous these animals [buffalo] were in times past. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 74 and 75)

Leonard noted that the majority of the Spirit River community in 1901fourteen people in three families rd consisted of people having the name Tustawits….Leaving Spirit River on the 3 of August 1903, Macoun went by Indian trail along an 8 km (5 mile) route to Rat Creek, through a forest of spruce and poplar that supplied the logs for the Spirit River homes. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 79)

At the ―Pouce Coupé prairie Macoun and his colleague met both Métis and Aboriginal people who were picking and drying Saskatoon berries, and who told them that the season for berry harvesting here was a week earlier than at Spirit River and Dunvegan. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 80)

Macoun approached the Grande Prairie region from the west, entering the prairie about ten miles northwest of Bear Lake and camping on the night of 13 August 1903 near the head of Fish Creek (Colquhoun Creek). The next day, Macoun commented that the Indian trail we had been following joined one of them from Spirit river to Saskatoon lake near Bear creek [Bear River]. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 81)

Farming on the Duncan‘s Band reserves consisted of growing crops of wheat, oats and potatoes. The proceeds of this venture supplemented the people‘s continuing reliance on hunting and trapping. While Inspector Conroy praised the homes and animals kept by Duncan Testawich and his Band, he criticized their dependence upon hunting, stating: I find it difficult to interest them in their work, as for the least excuse they leave it and go off on a hunt. When they return, they find that their stock has broken into and destroyed a great portion of their crop. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 85 and 86)

40 2.4 Historical References to the DFN Ancestors’ Fur-Trade Practices Within the Peace River Basin and Associated Changes and Impacts

In addition to confirming places and areas the ancestors of the DFN used and occupied, historical written records can also provide some limited insight into their resource use, cultural practices, trapping and trading activities and some of the regional change and impacts that arose from the fur trade through the Peace River basin. As in the preceding section, relevant sections from the 2012 Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review are highlighted and again are broken out and summarized:

Concerning the animals available to the Aboriginal people in this region of the Peace, Mackenzie mentioned beaver, deer, rein deer, moose, elk and buffalo. By the term rein-deer, he likely meant caribou, but Mackenzie was told they had mostly left the country some years earlier after the local habitat changed and the animals ―retired to the long range of high lands that, at a considerable distance, run parallel with this river, likely a reference to the Rocky Mountain foothills. Elk and buffalo now roamed this country about the Forks, Mackenzie noted. Farther up the Peace, he saw the tracks of grizzly bear and commented that the Indigenous people hunted them, but only when hunting in parties of three or four men…. Lamb 1970:413, fn.2 also concluded that by Mackenzie‘s rein-deer was a reference to caribou, for Mackenzie mentioned the animal eating ―a short curling moss, a species which ―grows on the rocks, as lichen, the caribou‘s food, certainly does. Mackenzie noted that this animal provided both food and clothing. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard:

2012, Pg. 31)

More comprehensive is Mackenzie‘s description of the Cree entitled ―Some Account of the Knisteneaux [Cree] Indian‖ included in his ―General History of the Fur Trade, a manuscript published along with Mackenzie‘s journals in Lamb‘s 1970 edition of The Journals and Letters of Sir Alexander Mackenzie. Concerning their economic pursuits, Mackenzie stated: The profession of the men is war and hunting, and the more active scene of their duty is the field of battle, and the chase in the woods. They also spear fish, but the management of the news is left to the women. The females of this nation . . . dress the leather, make the clothes and shoes, weave the nets, collect wood, erect the tents, fetch water, perform every culinary service. . .(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 33 and 34)

One of the reasons why hunters travelled so widely was to compensate for fluctuations in the availability of resources. The life of hunters and trappers was precarious, dependent upon the success of the hunt. For example, weather conditions in the spring of 1821 created great difficulties when a late frost alerted the animals to approaching hunters. Governor Simpson reported in May 1821 that many Dane-zaa people had died of starvation. Moreover, wrote Simpson: ...our Fort Hunter Baptiste Bisson, who is without exception the best large animal hunter in North America lived entirely on parchment for several weeks, and whole families of Indians existed solely on singed Beaver Skins; the North West Co. were at Dunvagon & Vermillion compelled to kill many of their Horses, and the few seed potatoes that were reserved at St. Mary‘s have been consumed.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 38)

Though the returns of the Peace River disappointed George Simpson in 1821, he commented that the HBC‘s opening of Fort St. Mary‘s at the confluence of the Peace and Smoky Rivers looked promising for ―the adjacent Woods and plains abound with Buffalo and Deer, and valuable Furred Animals are numerous... (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 38)

41 Clerk Hugh Faries noted in his 1822-1823 journal kept at St. Johns Post that the region‘s profitability was in question and this likely contributed to the level of discord in the Aboriginal bands. The Peace River region‘s Chief Traders, William Macintosh of Fort Dunvegan and Colin Campbell of Fort Vermilion, stressed that the upper and central Peace were depleted of game from the very first of the post-merger records of 1822. Fort Dunvegan was characterized as formerly a plentiful place ...while the Fort Vermilion District Report for 1822 noted the exausted [sic] state of the country in large animals. By December 1833, John Charles, Chief Factor for the Peace-Athabasca District, wrote: Peace River in Respect of Large Animals, is not the same Country it was in Days long Since gone by, there is no Buffalo in that Quarter now. And the exertion of the Beaver Indians...on their circumscribed Grounds with the encouragement held out by us for the Provisions and Leather has I believe thinned the Moose Deer considerably. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 38)

th What is particularly notable about the ethnohistory of the early 19 century is the increased opportunities that the Dane-zaa and the Cree had to participate in the fur trade. This is reflected in the chronological listing of early fur trading posts established in the central and upper Peace River areas between circa 1788 and circa 1831 which can be found in Appendix A of the present report. Significantly, the many competing posts established in the region in these years contributed to the escalation of the fur trade and the influx of a multi-national population–mostly men who serviced the industry. (Studies on the effects of the fur trade on Aboriginal societies include the works of Arthur S. Ray).(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 44)

By the early 1830s, most of the buffalo (wood bison) were gone from the Fort Dunvegan region, although the decline of these animals had actually begun in the early 1820s. The 1821-1822 Fort Chipewyan District Report noted that the buffalo have migrated toward the Mountains [Rocky Mountains]and that the ―Slave [Sekani] Indians that resort to St. John‘s report they had no buffalo in their Country formerly— which is in and along the Mountains [Rocky Mountains], but now they are plenty. However, a particularly severe winter in 1829-1830 with a very large snowfall made it difficult for the buffalo to forage and easy for predators to pursue and kill them. Chief Trader Colin Campbell wrote in the 1828-1830 Dunvegan Journal, in February 1830, that the Fort hunters were killing more buffalo than he could use. Because these buffalo were not fat enough to make dried Provisions, Campbell added, the meat will be lost. He knew there would be no doubt a great number wantonly killed, even though he did his best by persuasion to prevent it. Notwithstanding, buffalo were rarely seen around Dunvegan after the winter of 1829-1830.) (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 44)

With the demise of the buffalo circa 1830, the main sources for the prodigious amounts of meat required for Fort Dunvegan became moose and elk, and to a lesser extent, bear. Records show that Post hunters produced 30,000-40,000 pounds of meat each year. But moose were more difficult to hunt, and it was not unusual for Fort Dunvegan to be lacking meat during the winter. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 45)

By the 1840s, Fort Dunvegan regularly reported complaints of declining meat supplies, as the demands for meat and leather were beginning to exhaust the game resources of this region. These demands required supplementing the diet at the Post with smaller animals such as rabbits and birds and fish, but these could not make up for the shortage of meat. Colin Campbell told Governor Simpson in 1841 that the situation at that time was a sad affair for the Beaver Indians, because the moose are now too rare for them to depend upon and there are no Buffaloe in this country for some years back. This was compounded by the entire disappearance of the Lynx and Rabbits. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review.

Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 49)

42 The 1872 expedition‘s botanist, John Macoun, also mentioned Beaver people in his report. Though he remarked with reference to the extent of the local plains that the Aboriginal people had a very indefinite sense of distance, he did note that the Beaver hunted the area of the portage between Lesser Slave Lake and the Peace River, and as far west as the Rocky Mountains. They also hunted a sixty-mile wide plain opposite from Dunvegan, presumably meaning Grande Prairie.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 51)

A Cree presence on the Peace was noted by Alfred Selwyn, Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, during his 1875 expedition. He observed on August 16, 1875 the location of a Cree camp on the Peace River and marked the location on the map of the expedition route accompanying his report. The map indicates the camp‘s location on either side of a creek entering the north bank of the Peace River roughly midway between Dunvegan and the HBC post at the Forks of the Peace and Smoky rivers, seemingly near the place now known as ―Early Gardens. Selwyn described the camp seen in mid-August as having ―a large number of Indian lodges; they belong to a party of Crees and Half-breeds who had come here, from Edmonton and Jasper House, to hunt and pick berries. Their trip to the Peace River over a good horse trail took ten days and Selwyn reported that these people came here annually. It appears that Selwyn and party spoke with members of this same Cree camp again on 23 August on his way back up the river.

He heard their complaints of hunger—berries and bear meat comprised their food. (Source: Duncan’s

First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 57)

While McConnell was heading to the north, Dawson on 18 August 1879 set off from Dunvegan, heading southward with a packer and guide and three British Columbian Indians. Concerning the country he was about to explore, Dawson wrote: Several trails run southward from Dunvegan toward Grande Prairie and the head waters of the Smoky River, and the Indians travel through in this direction to Jasper House on the upper Athabasca. Many little hunting trails and dim tracks ramify from the main trails in all directions, in conducting us among which our guide was of great service as long as we confined ourselves to the part of the country with which he was familiar. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical

Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 57)

th During the course of his travels on the 19 of August, Dawson commented on the presence of ―A few old buffalo bones, & the ground scored with their tracks. Dawson added that Louis Campbell, his Métis guide, ―says that the Indians tell that all [the buffalo were] killed by a very severe winter many years ago, when about 5 ' of snow fell. Details about traces of buffalo and their extinction are provided in Dawson‘s published account: Buffalo trails [in the Grand Prairie region] still score the sod in all directions, and are deeply hollowed out where a number converge toward the crossing of a river or lake, or some such place. The saucer-shaped “wallows” of the buffalo and scattered bones are also numerous, though the animal is now no more seen here. The Indians state that the extinction of the buffalo was not entirely due to the introduction of fire-arms and the active hunting carried on for the supply of the Hudson Bay forts, but that all remaining were killed many years ago by an excessively severe winter when the snow was over the buffaloes’ backs. It may be mentioned in this place that the Beaver Indians report having seen in the summer of 1879 six woodland buffaloes, of which they killed one, in the vicinity of the Pouce Coupée prairie. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and

Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 58)

th th After travelling on the 19 and 20 through the ―greatest service berry [Saskatoon berry] country that th he had ever seen, Dawson and his party camped on the night of August 20 on the south side of the Bear

River (Sus-za-ka of the Beavers), north from its confluence with the Fish River (Klo-es-sa-ka) and not far from the northwest end of Bear Lake (Sus-mi-gi) near today‘s city of Grande Prairie. Dawson wrote, with reference to the Grand Prairie area, that: Both Cree and Beaver Indians often come long distances for the

43 berry gathering at Grande Prairie, and after having secured and dried a sufficient quantity of fruit, scatter again in small bands into the more remote parts of the country for the autumn hunt. …Dawson on the st 21 of August came across a lake east of the mt. (the ―Isle de Montagne or Sis-tin of the Beavers) that is called Saskatoon Hill on present-day maps. He indicated that the lake was aptly called Service-berry Lake (Saskatoon Lake, on today‘s maps) and was greatly resorted to by the Beaver Indians when gathering berries. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 59)

Alfred Selwyn, several years earlier, noted that Saskatoon berries grew abundantly on south-facing hills in the area between Dunvegan and Smoky River. Describing the preparation of berries for storage, he noted that the people: pound up the cherries, stones and all, and make cakes of them, which are dried in the sun, and either eaten fresh or stored for winter use; the kernels in the cherries give a pleasant taste of bitter almonds. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 60)

Another prairie where Aboriginal people were harvesting large quantities of Saskatoon berries in the 1870s was situated about 70 miles (112 km) up the Peace River from Fort Dunvegan. Botanist John Macoun said that the Beaver people referred to this place as Mosquito Prairie The location seems to be near the Alberta/BC border, but it is impossible from the description given to be precise. The berries growing here were said to be large and very sweet, and Macoun stated that they are used in many ways, but the Indian women seem to prefer making them into square cakes and drying them. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 60)

th On August 25 , after directing his packer as well as his guide Louis Campbell and one of the Aboriginals in his party to take the pack animals back to Fort Dunvegan, Dawson together with Louis and Jason (two of the three British Columbia Indians who were travelling with Dawson) set off in a canoe down the Wapiti and Smoky Rivers to the Peace. Dawson commented: We knew that the Indians hunting in this part of the country not infrequently ran down the Smoky River in canoes....They camped on the evening of 25 August on the east side of the Smoky River, at a location that appears to have been not far from where today‘s Highway 43 crosses the Smoky River, east from the city of Grande Prairie. On the evening of 26 August, they camped on the north side of the Smoky River, a few miles east from where the Bad Heart River enters the Smoky. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 61)

th Dawson camped on August 27 a few miles from mouth of Smoky River, on a sandy flat.‖ On August th 28 , Dawson reached the Hudson‘s Bay Company post at the forks of the Smoky River and the Peace River and, it appears, camped here overnight on this date, although he noted that the Post, itself, was th deserted at this time. Dawson on August 29 met up with Louis, his guide, and others, together with horses and pack animals, in the general vicinity of the Peace River/Smoky River confluence. They cached the canoe and travelled by horse back to Fort Dunvegan, following a trail that more-or-less paralleled the Peace River but was, as Dawson stated, a considerable distance north from it. On the evening of 29

August, they camped at a small lake identified by Dawson as ―Lac des Femmes [ “lake of women”]. This same lake, located near the northern end of what is today Duncan‘s IR 151A, just south of Highway

2, was known as ―Old Wives Lake in the 1880s and later. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 61)

Another visitor to this region in the 1870s was William Butler, an astute, educated adventurer from England who kept a fascinating and informative journal of his travels along the Peace River in the winter

44 of 1872-1873. While at Fort Vermilion in March 1873, Butler commented on hills named after the presence of reindeer and buffalo, located respectively one day’s journey to the north and to the south of the Fort. Butler’s Reindeer Hills are likely the Caribou Mountains in northern Alberta. His Buffalo Hills are now called the Buffalo Head Hills, situated to the east of the Peace River, south of Fort Vermilion. Butler added, however, that he saw neither reindeer nor buffalo, no were either of these animals part of the subsistence of Fort Vermilion when he was there. Instead, the Peace River, Butler observed, was the land of the moose. When Butler was visiting Dunvegan several weeks later, he was told that numerous wood-buffalo were present in this region in former times, but their ultimate demise was due to a winter of exceptionally deep snow. Butler wrote that eighty buffaloes were killed in a single day in the vicinity of were said to have died in a single day in the vicinity of Dunvegan. The Indians ran them into the snowdrifts, and then despatched them with knives (presumably the winter that Butler was referring to was that of 1829-1830 which has previously been discussed). (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 64)

It was at this point in his journal that Butler pointed out, No men in this land of hunters hunt better than the Beavers. To this he added, It is not uncommon for a single Indian to render from his winter trapping 200 marten skins, and not less that 20,000 beavers are annually killed by the tribe [Beaver Indians] on the waters of the Peace River. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 65)

th Such a cavalcade passed Butler‘s party on April 4 . Among their belongings were the furs of marten that had been caught in dead-fall traps, the construction of which Butler described as being like a guillotine.

The hunter checked his trapline weekly, Butler wrote, sometimes harvesting 200 marten a season. Concerning the proficiency of the Beaver hunters, in general, Butler said, No men in this land of hunters hunt better than the Beavers. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 66)

Animals found in the Peace River region and valuable to the Indian for their flesh, Butler stated, included beaver, bear and moose. But it was primarily moose that fed the forts and the Indians along the entire [Peace] river. Butler wrote that ―About 100 full-grown moose had been consumed at each of the four trading posts he had visited that winter along the Peace. Four times that number were said to be consumed each year by the Aboriginal people, yet the stocks remained high. About 2,000 moose hides came out of Athabasca District annually, Butler estimated, adding that ―to-day [1873] there are probably as many moose in Peace River as there were fifty years ago [1820s]. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation

Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 66)

Residents of the Peace River practiced a mixed economy of trapping/hunting and farming by the 1880s. In 1886-1887, missionary John G. Brick of the Church Missionary Society established the Shaftesbury Settlement, located on the northwest side of the Peace River about 24 km (15 miles) upriver from the Smoky/Peace confluence. This was named Shaftesbury after the Society‘s patron in England. Most residents were of mixed ancestry and engaged in farming and trapping. … His wife‘s brothers, members of the Jean-Baptiste La Pretre family, Métis, had settled on the flats north of Shaftesbury. Alex Mackenzie subsequently sold land to the St. Germaine family around 1894.The St. Germaine’s also had a ranch at ―Little Prairie until about 1904. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 68)

A description of the Indigenous population in the vicinity of Dunvegan in 1898 was provided by one of these Klondykers, a man named Barney Maurice who wrote that having left from Edmonton for the Klondyke in late May 1898, he proceeded on horseback to the Athabasca River then followed an Indian trail across the Swan Hills and reached Lesser Slave Lake. From here Maurice went to Peace River

45 Landing at the forks of the Smoky and Peace Rivers, then travelled along the north side of the Peace to Dunvegan. Not far from Peace River Landing, Maurice referred to passing a lot of halfbreed farmers, a reference to the Shaftesbury settlement of non-Aboriginal and Métis farmers begun in the mid-1880s about 24 Km (15 miles) upriver from Peace River Landing. When he reached Dunvegan, Maurice described the Aboriginal people here as ―mostly Beaver Indians, although there were a few Crees, and added, ―Almost all of them were hunters and trappers and lived in teepees. At this point in Maurice`s narrative, he mentions that when he came back down the Peace River to Dunvegan the following winter (of 1898-1899), he saw a little shack here that was half full of dried moose meat and saw ―Indian women packing the meat into canvass bags and stamping it down with their feet in order to have it pressed flat and tight. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 75)

In mid-June, 1903, Macoun left to go down the Peace River by steamer to Vermilion. At about eight or ten places along the 280 miles between Peace River Landing and Vermilion there was land suitable for cultivation. Yet Macoun observed only one settlement, consisting of about half a dozen people of mixed ancestry, who lived at Wolverine Point, opposite the Iroquois River...Nearly all settlers in the region, Macoun stated, were ex-HBC men and people of mixed ancestry. They hunted the area including the lands between Peace River Landing and Vermilion and between Buffalo Head Hills and the Peace River, said by these hunters to be covered with forest or burnt areas, with many marshes and muskegs. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 82)

A review of the Annual Reports of the Inspector for Treaty 8 indicates that an Aboriginal subsistence pattern continued, augmented by agriculture and animal husbandry. In 1902, H.A. Conroy, the Inspector for Treaty 8, reported that the Aboriginal people at Peace River Landing farmed on a small scale, although their headman (Duncan Testawich) had sown seventy acres of crops that year. The following year, Conroy reported that Duncan‘s Band had excellent crops, had made considerable progress in farming, had built comfortable log homes and stables, and had brought in horses and cows. They were making what Conroy described as ―a comfortable living. Nevertheless, a drought affected Duncan Testawich’s harvest on about forty acres of grain in 1904 due to the crop being planted too late in the season. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 85)

Reports by the Royal North West Mounted Police in 1903 noted that in contrast to Duncan Testawich’s winter residency on the Peace River, the majority of the local Aboriginal and Métis residents spent the winter months trapping at some distance from river. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 85)

Farming on the Duncan‘s Band reserves consisted of growing crops of wheat, oats and potatoes. The proceeds of this venture supplemented the people‘s continuing reliance on hunting and trapping. While Inspector Conroy praised the homes and animals kept by Duncan Testawich and his Band, he criticized their dependence upon hunting, stating: I find it difficult to interest them in their work, as for the least excuse they leave it and go off on a hunt. When they return, they find that their stock has broken into and destroyed a great portion of their crop.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 86)

Despite the Inspector‘s admonishment to become full-time farmers, the Duncan‘s Band members continued to hunt, for agriculture remained unreliable. In 1909, they told Inspector Conroy that ―they were compelled to hunt for a living until it was too late for seeding... The Duncan‘s Band members chose not to follow the Inspector‘s guidance. The Annual Report for 1911 states explicitly: ―The greater part

46 of this band make their living entirely by hunting. Only a few do any farming.(Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 86)

While their land selection indicated that Testawich’s band were engaged in farming by the early 1900s, Butler also noted in this letter that not all members had adopted this new lifestyle. A man known as ―Deome [Guillaume] Bell, one of Duncan‘s band members, still expressed a desire to ―hunt and not farm. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy

Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 91)

Hence, in total, in 1905 Reid surveyed ten Indian Reserves for the ―Peace River Landing Band (Duncan’s Band; now, Duncan’s First Nation). He also surveyed two reserves for the ―Dunvegan Band (now the Horse Lake First Nation). The reserve land selection along the Peace River and on the surrounding prairies indicates that members of the Duncan‘s Band supplement their continuing reliance on hunting, fishing and gathering with the new pursuit of farming. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 51)

2.5 Summary of Historical References to DFN Ancestors’ Use of Resources, Cultural Practices and Change and Impacts Resulting from the Fur Trade in Peace River Basin

The following summarizes the above highlighted observations and reports pertaining to some of the DFN ancestors’ use of resources and cultural practices within the Peace River basin and its sub-watersheds between the time of earliest contact, the 1790’s up to the time of allocation of reserves lands to the DFN in the 1920’s:

Right Exercised / Integral Species Utilized / Value Fur Trade Change/Impacts Activities/Cultural Practices Referenced

Hunting – General Beaver Hunting Beaver In general, early accounts of Elk Hunting Elk Euro – Canadian explorers and Deer Hunting Deer early officials found the Peace Moose Hunting Moose River country to be wealthy / Caribou Hunting Caribou abundant in large mammals, Buffalo Hunting Buffalo furbearers, berries and fish. This Bird Hunting Birds (General) period could be characterized as Rabbit Hunting / Snaring Rabbits extending from the 1790s to the Lynx Hunting / Trapping Lynx 1820’s / 30’s. Marten Hunting / Trapping Marten

Trapping – Sustenance Furbearers (General) The growth, success and Trapping for Trade Furbearers (General) survival of the fur trade was Fishing – General Fish (General) made possible by establishing Spear Fishing Fish (General) relations with the Beaver and Net Fishing Fish (General Cree of the Peace River region Berry Harvesting - General Berries who were proficient in Saskatoon Berry Harvesting Saskatoon Berries procuring resources from lands Building/Sustaining Camps Building/Sustaining Settlements

47 Timber Harvesting – for Cabins Timber (General) and waters to supply the fur Timber Harvesting – for Fuel Timber (General) trading forts and traders. Water – Drinking Water Potable Water Leather Working Clothes Making The 1830’s and years after saw Shoe Making buffalo eliminated from Peace Travel / Access – By Water River country, caribou shifting Travel / Access – by Trail toward the Rocky Mountains Farming to supplement and then a decline in moose, traditional livelihood deer and elk populations. Matters were getting so bad that into the 1840’s Indigenous traders were providing squirrels, birds and fish to support the trading forts along the Peace River.

Trade Conduct of diplomacy/negotiations Conduct of warfare / defence Other

2.6 Scope and Methods of the 2012 DFN Ethno-Historical Report

The DFN commissioned the 2012 Ethno-Historical report to provide a baseline assessment of available information pertaining to the historical presence of the DFN’s ancestors within the Peace River basin. The report was compiled using both available published and unpublished source materials. The report was prepared by Dr. Dorothy Kennedy, a social and cultural anthropologist and Randy Bouchard, an ethnographer, ethno historian and linguist, and, each of whom has more than 40 years of experience undertaking ethnographic, ethno historic and linguistic research throughout northwestern North America. (Source: Duncan’s First Nation 2012 Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 5)

The authors provide a description on the scope of ethno-graphic research conducted and the discipline’s overall approach to conducting ethno-graphic research:

“The present report is written so that it can either stand alone as an ethno historical and ethnographic document or complement or be incorporated into a Traditional Use Study (TUS). A study such as this incorporates both ethnography and ethnohistory. "Ethnography" is a description of a particular culture based on observation and participation, and on interviews with members of that culture. "Ethnohistory" complements ethnography by drawing upon historical documents to reconstruct a description of Aboriginal life and events in historic times. Thus, ethno historical documents include: field notes, manuscripts and publications compiled by past and present ethnographers, historians and linguists; observations and reports by government and non-government individuals including explorers, missionaries and local pioneers; correspondence files of government agencies, especially the voluminous files held by Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada; documentation provided by members of the

48 Aboriginal society, themselves; litigation files relating to Aboriginals‘ land disputes with governments and corporations; and, other materials such as photographs, sound- tape recordings, maps, plans, and surveyors' field books”. (Source: 2012 Duncan’s First Nation Ethnohistorical Review. Dr. Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard: 2012, Pg. 1)

The research considered readily available information available about the pre-contact, contact and post contact periods taking into account primary and secondary sources from a period extending from the 1790’s, the time of Alexander Mackenzie’s first trek, into the 1920’s following the allocation of reserve lands to the DFN through the lower Peace Region. Geographically, the research focuses on the region that would come to host the array of reserve parcels allocated or surveyed to be allocated to the DFN. Specifically, the Kennedy and Bouchard took into account the “Claim Area Map” submitted as part of the 1999 Duncan’s First Nation inquiry report entitled ―Indian Claims Commission: Duncan’s First Nation Inquiry, 1928 Surrender Claim. (DFN note – purported surrender)

As indicated in the report, the authors note the large amount of additional research and archival work that could still be done and where those sources are housed. The scope of this report and information contained within was guided by the limited amount of funding available to prepare this initial report for the DFN.

The DFN takes the view that ethno-graphic and ethno-historical evidence and documentation helps cast a useful light on the past, especially given the fact that DFN families transmitted their cultural history orally. The information presented in this report needs to be further reviewed by DFN elders and the community as a whole so that the community can help appropriately contextualize and supplement the information presented. What needs to be clearly understood is that the accounts and views of contemporary Euro-Canadian observers, were largely informed without the benefit of DFN ancestors’ insight, perspective and knowledge. The potential for bias also exists in such primary and secondary sources.

Of importance is that the historical record helps draw a direct line between the Beaver and Cree ancestors of the DFN and their historic use of lands and resources and the same lands and resources currently being used and relied upon (albeit with some change) by present day DFN families. Treaty#8, as the bridge between the past and present, acknowledged the key importance of the Beaver and Cree’s traditional way of life and vocations and set out the Crown’s solemn promises and commitments to maintain those rights and way of life into the future.

The DFN acknowledges the contributions of Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Bouchard and hopes that one day, it will be in a position to continue with additional archival work and research to supplement this baseline report. The DFN also wishes to acknowledge former leadership that made the production of this report a priority and possible.

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Part 3: DFN Ongoing Exercise of Rights, Use of and Cultural Connection

to its Traditional Territory and the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge

50

3.0 DFN’s Exercise of Rights through the Peace River Basin

The prior section provided information on the DFN’s ancestors’ occupation and use of lands and resources within the Peace River basin derived from primary and secondary Euro-Canadian published sources. From DFN’s perspective, historical reports, observations and witness statements documented in such written sources can have value but can contain limitations given Another source of information of importance and value is the information contributed and put forward by Indigenous People themselves in the form of oral histories, oral accounts, Indigenous land and resource use studies, Indigenous knowledge studies, testimony and witness statements. Such sources are crucial and need to be taken into account and given serious weight alongside other lines of evidence and inquiry.

As of 2009, the DFN had not been afforded the opportunity by the Crown or industry to initiate its own cultural research via oral histories or a traditional land and resource use study. Since that time, the DFN has been able to undertake three separate pilot surveys. The first being in 2009/11, the second in 2012 and the third in 2018/19. The 2009/11 and 2018/19 projects involved one-on-one interviews with community members, workshops and follow up sessions which combined aspects of the map biography method and the documentation of qualitative information via witness statements. The 2012 DFN Traditional Land Use Survey also involved one-on-one interviews however employed a different research method and sought to document quantitative and spatial land and resource use information with the community. Additional information is provided on the scope, methods and limitations of these studies within this document.

In the following sub-sections, DFN utilizes relevant qualitative information from the 2009/11 and 2018/19 research efforts to highlight the exercise of rights and the current and ongoing use of lands and resources by DFN community members through the Peace River basin. Each paragraph or section represents an excerpt from witness statements prepared with participating DFN members. As with the preceding ethno-historical section, relevant information is broken out in table form for quick reference purposes and to assist with analysis and application of the findings:

3.1 Prior Location of Duncan’s Families from Across the Peace Basin and Relocation to the Brownvale Reserve

As was seen in the 2012 review of historic information by Bouchard and Kennedy, the DFN’s ancestors were widely dispersed through the Peace River basin and its sub-watersheds. They were highly mobile and had to remain so to ensure that hunting and fishing grounds were not depleted and to travel to areas where they knew game and resources could be reasonably located, intercepted and procured. Through the ongoing seasonal round, they became inter-related to Indigenous people replicating the same seasonal rounds in adjacent areas and in some cases, the same areas.

It was not until the 1950’s, that DFN families were relocated or directed to relocate by Indian Affairs officials to the current reserve location at Brownvale, Alberta just to the north of the Peace River. As of the 1950’s, DFN families were maintaining settlements, cabins and camps throughout the lower Peace River region. Some stayed on a semi-permanent basis at the Clear Hills, Gage, William Mackenzie reserves and at Shaftsbury while still spending a large amount of time within the lands that their ancestors had used and relied upon. The following interview excerpts provide an account of where some DFN

51 families where in the 1950’s and how they came to be established as a larger community into the 1960’s and 1970’s:

Around 1955, the Indian Affairs Agent named John Lees, arranged for us all to come and reside at the current reserve south of Grimshaw... I remember John Lees when I was young – some of the fingers from his hand were gone. I remember what was happening at this time and when and our people came to live here. John Lees told my family that Indian Affairs wanted us to all live in one place so it would be easier to run things. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family are related to families at Sucker Creek, Sturgeon Lake, Paddle Prairie, Kelly Lake, Horse Lake and Assumption. I was by my parents and grandparents about how we are related to the other natives people to the north and south of us. They said that we are part of one large extended family. I travelled with my parents and grandparents early on in life. We visited many people up and down the Peace River on these trips which tells me that they were our relatives – we referred to a lot of these people as aunties, uncles and our relations. (PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My grandfather used to talk about what happened in 1918 and 1919 when the flu pandemic hit the north. When it happened, my grandfather began to travel to all the communities. He said that every family lost half to three quarters of their families in this time. He also said that he felt that he had to help and travelled from community to community in that time helping the families bury their dead, burning things left behind and even homesteads to help kill the disease….he always sounded when he talked about that time…he said that the communities and villages on the west side of the Peace were hit harder than the east side of the People and more people survived in the east (PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I was born in 1937…I was born in a tent along the Peace River near Ft. Vermillion. That’s how many of us were born, as our families moved up and down the Peace River, visiting our relatives and families. We hunted, trapped and fished as we travelled… (PIN 14 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family lived at Paddle Prairie and Keg River for a few years. We stayed in a cabin there. I think I was raised there between the ages of 12 and 16…I remember camping along the Peace River near Carcajou. My dad had a trapping area along the Peace River, but it wasn’t a registered trapline like they have these days. (PIN 14 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family also lived at Snipe Lake when I was around ten or eleven years old. Snipe Lake is located just south of Triangle near Lesser Slave Lake. Our family a house on the southwest corner of Snipe Lake…We also lived at Triangle at Noon Creek, about 10KM west of . (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Somewhere in the 1950’s, Indian Affairs wanted a lot of our people to live together here at the Duncan’s reserves. They said they didn’t want houses at every one of the reserves through the Peace River area. Most of the people moved from William Mackenzie, the Clear Hills and Gage somewhere around twenty years ago.(PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

When I was young, my father told me that some of the families that lived at the Gage Indian Reserve came to live with us in the 1930’s. From what I was told, the Indian Affairs agent told them that they had to leave that reserve and come to live here at the Duncan’s Indian Reserve. The Gage reserve was also called “Hay Lake” or “Black Duck”. Gage is just south – east of Hines Creek, about half way between Hines Creek and Fairview. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I remember that the McAlister, Gladue and Lawrence families lived at the Gage reserve. There were about ten families that lived at the Clear Hills Reserve. There are still a few people that live up at the

52 Clear Hills reserve. We are related to those families. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My dad was born and raised between Eureka River and Golden Meadow just south of the Clear Hills Indian Reserve. My mother was born in the Kleskin Hills near Grand Prairie, then moved to Paddle Prairie. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My father was from Dixonville and my mother was from the “Griffin Creek Reserve” – that was the original name of the Duncan’s Indian reserve. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I have many good memories about being on the land and can recall spending time on the land with my family from a very early age. From what I recall, my family spent a great deal of time on the land. While it happened before my time or when I was very young, when people were made to come and live on the reserve, we continued to spend the majority of the time out on the land. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

3.2 Family Connections through the Peace Region and the Highly Mobile Nature of DFN Families

One of the key points that DFN elders relay, is the high degree of inter-connectedness of DFN families with other Indigenous families and relations spread throughout the Peace River basin. As with other families and relations, the Duncan’s families came to be enumerated and amalgamated into an Indian Band (First Nation) under Crown administration. Notwithstanding the creation of distinct administrative units under the Indian Act, Duncan’s individuals and families were connected and remain connected with other Indigenous families that also have a long-standing history in the Peace River region. Most Duncan’s members can recall or have been told where their parents, grand-parents and great-grand parents came from. Some came from the immediate Peace River Landing area, but others came from nearby adjacent communities and from more distant communities.

Interestingly and importantly, inter-family and inter-community relationships have helped in part, to determine the pattern of ongoing DFN land and resource over the past fifty years and in reciprocal fashion, the ongoing use of lands and resources by DFN individuals and families has helped foster and form inter-cultural and family relationships and bonds. One could debate the causal relationship and direction, however what is clear is this; that land use, resource use, family and inter-community bonds are inextricably connected and have and continue to influence one another. This trend can be depicted and seen in DFN land and resource use maps.

In the past, prior generations of DFN families were highly mobile and covered significant distance, hunting, trapping, fishing and harvesting as they went. If one has the opportunity to spend time with the elders of the DFN, one can begin to grasp the distance and speed travelled by the “old-timers” of prior generations. They were assisted in moving speedily and large distances with a system of logical trails that connected settlements and posts, more open prairies (that were perhaps a remnant of a time when natural fires were allowed to burn, a landscape that may have been more open from the profound influence of the buffalo and the general health and stamina of prior generations). If one is lucky enough to have journeyed through the bush with one of the DFN elders, even in their 60’s and 70’s, you get a sense of how far and fast they could move in earlier years.

This is an important point and perspective as today, DFN members report that they find themselves having to cover larger distances due to the reported depletion and or disappearance of resources and cultural values around them. Today, DFN families return to the same far flung areas using modern modes

53 of transportation to the same areas that prior generations travelled too by foot, dog sled or horses, horse wagon teams and boats:

Our people moved around a lot through the Peace area as a way of life. They lived at and moved from reserve to reserve all along the Peace River. People lived at the Mckenzie Reserve, the reserve in the town of Peace River, at the small reserves up the Peace and up to the reserve at Dunvegan. We also had reserves as far south as Grouard. We would move from place to place with the seasons. There were houses and cabins at these reserves and at the William Mackenzie Reserve. That’s were my family lived for many years. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We had no real concept of Indian Bands back in those days. People and families lived with each other and worked with each other, traded, hunted and trapped with each other. We traveled over large distances through the north, as far south as Grouard, into BC to Fort St. John and up to Ft. Vermillion and the Hay Lakes. This is what people did and had to do back in those days. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My maternal grandparents were XXXXXX and XXXXXX Gauthier. My grandmother XXXXXX was from the Gage reserve….My grandmother eventually moved to the Kelly lake community near the BC- Alberta border. She was a mid-wife and helped deliver 250 babies in our community and communities around us. I still meet people to this day that she delivered and they are always thankful for her and the work she used to do. (PIN 13 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My paternal grandparents were from the Slave Lake area…..my family is related to the Thomas and Napeo families from Sturgeon Lake. My grandparents lived at for some time and my father told me they moved back and forth between Cadotte Lake and Duncan’s reserves along the Peace River. (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I was born in old settlement named Golden Ridge, which was approximately 5KM north-west of Dixonville. …I have returned to this location but there is no trace of any old settlement or group of cabins. My father told me that when I was young he held a trapline around Golden Ridge which was located north west of Dixonville and west of the Manning area. (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My grandmother, on my mother’s side was named “Kiskawasis”….My grandfather on my father’s side was XXXXXX, who was from Ft. Resolution in the North West Territories. He and my family were involved in trapping, trading and shipping freight up and down the Peace River. They would travel on freight rafts and barges from Ft. Resolution in the North West Territories…to Dunvegan…at Dunvegan, the would transfer cargo to another paddle boat that would take goods upstream to Ft. St. John and Hudson’s Hope in BC. (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family went up to the NWT for visits and trips. We stayed with our relatives at Indian Cabins and go up to Ft. Resolution in the 1960’s and 1970’s to hunt moose and caribou. (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We lived a good life on the land in this area. We covered huge areas as we travelled, traded and hunted. Our people went into and stayed in BC, up to the Hay Lakes, down to Grouard and down towards Rocky Mountain House. That’s the way it was back then, we covered a lot of ground and moved around. There was no such thing as Indian Bands back then, and we lived with each other and visited other people. They came to live with us and hunt and trap on our lands. We shared our traplines and hunting grounds with each other back then. I still spend a lot of time out there in the old hunting areas. I go with a lot of the younger guys from the reserve here. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

54

In fact, I remember spending time at Indian Cabins, just south of the North - West Territories border when my family went to stay along the to fish, hunt and visit with other families. Back then, that's what the way of life was like. Families visited each other, inter - married - there was no such thing as Indian Bands and traditional territory. We all used all of the land as we needed to and were invited to. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I still go and visit my relatives up in Paddle Prairie. We go to where my dad used to camp with us. There are three camps in and around Twin Lakes that we still use. We hunt around there and get moose from there. We also take time and go hunt and fish along the Peace north Carcajou. The fish are in good shape down there. (PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I have spent most of life at the Duncan’s community. I spent about two years at the Sturgeon Lake with mother, xxxxxxxx was from the Sturgeon Lake First Nation. My dad’s name was xxxxxxxx and was a member of the Duncan’s First Nation. My mother and I were transferred to the Duncan’s First Nation band list in the late 1950’s. (PIN 110 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

For example, my uncle told me that our family – the Knott family – used to travel south and spend a large part of the year hunting, fishing, trapping, harvesting and camping in the lands between the Little Smoky River and Wapiti River areas. From what I have been told, our family used to travel to the southern part of our people’s traditional territory to disperse and spend time with our relatives from the Grande Cache, Hinton and Jasper areas. (PIN 600 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have also been taught that my family also travelled south of the Wapiti River and down to the Grande Cache area to reunite and reconnect with our relations and extended family that lived in that area. That’s how our people lived and maintained connections with our relations. I have come to understand that the Knott family had long-standing cultural connection to areas between the Wapiti and Little Smoky River watersheds. There are known and documented connections between the Knott family of the Duncan’s First Nation and the Moberly family that now live to the south. (PIN 600 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My uncle has informed me that one of the key reasons that our family would travel south to hunt was due to the strong populations or moose, elk and caribou in the areas between the Wapiti and the Smoky Rivers and the Rocky Mountains. (PIN 600 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My grandmother and grandfather also taught me a lot and tried their very best to teach me about the land – sometimes as young person I listened and learned, some other times my mind was on other things! My step-father was an excellent teacher and passed on the knowledge about being in the bush to me. We went all over the Peace country. We hunted. We fished. We gathered berries, plants and medicines. We’d spent a lot of time in camp. I myself never trapped commercially but of course we snared / trapped smaller animals when we were on the move and in camp. (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My grandfather’s relatives used to spend a lot of in the lands south of Grande Prairie and down towards Grand Cache. I recall them talking to my family about when they were going down there and the time that they had spent down there, but apart from that I don’t have a lot of details on where they would have specifically gone. We had some family that lived at Flying Shot Lake, outside of Grande Prairie and I was told that they used the areas south of the Wapiti, Simonette, Latournel and the Little Smoky Rivers . (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

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3.3 DFN Elder’s Knowledge of and Use of Traditional Trails and Travel Corridors

Some DFN elders have been able to speak to the existence of a system of trails that connected the Peace River to areas west into BC, south to Grande Cache and into the Rocky Mountains, east to Ft. Vermillion and Hay River in the NWT and east to the Red Earth and Slave Lake. These trails or travel corridors were obviously used as they made geographic sense and connected family areas, prairie areas and settlements to each other and key resource use areas. The trails appear to have facilitated efficient and speedy access across the landscape. Elders that were alive into this past decade and are still with us can recall being on some of those trails with their families. Some DFN community members report that the growth of agriculture and the road network through the Peace River basin largely erased and bisected these trails, however some elders note that some portions of these trails can still be seen and found.

Some of the historic maps included and referenced in the 2012 DFN Ethno-Historical Report depict the approximate locations of trails that may be one and the same as those that can be recalled by some DFN elders. A cursory attempt was made to identify the possible and approximate location of some of these trails in the 2009/11 DFN traditional land use survey. With that said, if more certainty is to be provided to the record of where these trails ran and their approximate location, DFN and DFN elders would need to work with other Indigenous elders within the region to combine and compare recollections, records and knowledge. Given the importance of these trails in DFN’s past and family history, highlighted references from the 2009/11 survey are provided below:

There was an important trail that ran from Grouard on Slave Lake, up through the William Mackenzie Reserve, over to Peace River, then to this Duncan’s reserve, then over to the Gage reserve. A trail also ran from Peace River, ran along the north bank of the Peace River to Dunvegan, then up to the Gage reserve or what we called “Black Duck”… From Gage, one trail went west to Worlsey, then over to Ft. St. John. From Gage, another trail went north through the Clear Hills reserve, north over the upper part of the Whitemud, Rambling Creek, the Notikewin River, the Chinchaga and up to the Hay Lakes… From Peace River town, another trail went north up the east side of the Peace River, then turned inland at Three Creeks, up through Carmon Creek, over the Cadotte River, over the Wolverine River then up to Ft. Vermillion on the Peace… When you understand how these trails ran, you understand how we lived, how the people were related, how we lived with each other and why all of our territories were so large. We needed large areas to hunt, trap, gather and fish as the seasons changed. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I remember travelling with my parents on the old wagon trail that ran from our reserve at Berwyn, across the Peace River…then down to the William Mckenzie Reserve, then across country south to Winagami Lake. (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My father said he liked stopping at the Duncan’s “151” reserve on the Peace River. At the time, it was a major stopping off point for a lot of native people that travelled up and down the Peace River. He said that he would stay with the “Brik” family…he also used to talk about Duncan Testawits….My dad said that he was a very tall, kind and generous man and they seemed to always speak very highly (of him). (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

3.4 DFN Knowledge of Traditional Place Names

It is clear that DFN families whom thought and spoke (and still do) in their inherent languages had their own names for places, areas and locations on the landscape that had significance to them. As with trails,

56 the DFN has not yet been able to undertake what is often referred to as a “Traditional Place Name Study”. Numerous First Nations have set out to do this and have been able to involve elders and community members in recalling, locating and mapping places with traditional place names. Based on a review of the 2009 DFN traditional land use survey, it is clear that some DFN elders might be able to recall some of these place names and the stories, accounts and knowledge connected with them:

I remember my grandparents and parents talking about places they were going to travel to hunt, trap, fish and camp. I have forgotten many of those names…Many of the rivers and creek and important areas had names. Many of the big town and new cities had old Cree names. For example when we spoke we called the Peace River, “Sagitawa” – the place where the two rivers meet. Sturgeon Lake was called “Namis”. Valleyview was known as”Megapowosipis”, which means Red Willow Cree. Grande Prairie was of course “Muskoti”. (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We used to have Cree names for many of the places we used to go, but I forget them. There were names for our places along the Peace River at Dunvegan, Eureka and the Clear Hills. I remember my dad talked about going to a place called “Black Duck” north up in the Clear Hills. If he had time and talked about them with other community members and elders, we could probably remember some of those names. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

It is noted that within the 2018 research effort, one community member recalled a conversation with his uncle, who had just returned from a hunting and camping south of the Wapiti River with two moose. He asked where his uncle had found them and his uncle said he “been up at “iyintopihew” – the Grouse or Chicken, the area where the main rivers fan out from the Wapiti and Smoky River and spread out into the Rocky Mountains.

Further in relation to the DFN 2018/19 research effort, some information is known about the importance of Pipestone Cree and its use for the quarrying of argillite by Indigenous people of the region. One DFN elder has commented that he heard that the resource was so important and valued, it was quarried and taken by trail south to Grande Cache and possibly to be traded with people from the interior of BC or the coast. The DFN is attempting to ascertain if there is a traditional Cree of Beaver name for Pipestone Creek. One DFN member has reported that he has quarried argillite from the creek. The DFN notes that the Project traverses the Wapiti River approximately 1.5KM upstream of the Pipestone Creek.

3.5 DFN Trapping and Traplines

Today, DFN appears to be in a somewhat unique position in north-western Alberta in that the community or individual band members do not hold any registered traplines. With that said, the DFN 2009/11 and 2018/19 studies indicate that traplines may have been held by a few Duncan’s Band members in the not too distant past. There are references to certain relations or relatives holding a trapline and there is some recollection by Duncan’s members of travelling out and spending some time on a trapline or undertaking hunting, fishing and trapping based out of a trapline area. As with other First Nations in north-western Alberta, it appears that trapping for economic and trading purposes declined in the Duncan’s community through 1960’s and 1970’s. Notwithstanding, a few DFN members continue to trap and snare small animals for sustenance, spiritual and cultural purposes. Until recently, one DFN member trapped a few animals every year which he prepares and sells however his ongoing efforts appear to be the exception rather than the rule:

The Testawich family lived predominately on the east side of the Peace River and they trapped, hunted and fished in all seasons in an area centered on the area north of the William Mackenzie Indian Reserve

57 and south of Cadotte Lake, Buffalo Lake, Simon Lakes and Lubicon Lake. My family held traplines in this area and spent the winter trapping through the winter months. I remember my father telling me a great deal about their use of the lands north of the William Mackenzie Indian Reserve while he was alive. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We trapped, hunted beaver and lived on moose, rabbit, muskrat, weasel, black and brown bear, elk, geese, ducks, grouse ("chickens") through these areas. Given animals travel from water source to water source, my family travelled to and hunted along these water bodies as well. We would trade our furs that we got that winter with Den Basnett, the trader at Dunvegan. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My dad had a trapline near the Eureka River and we used to spend lots of time up there as well. I remember that the trapline ran from the south of a lake that they now call “Montegenuse Lake”. I recall that the line ran north up towards the Whitemud River and beyond. However, I can’t be sure how far the line ran as we didn’t just stay in that area to hunt and trap. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Our family's way of life changed very quickly as I grew up. When I was young we lived completely out on the land and made our living from the land. Things started to change in the 1970's. Trapping declined. It seemed that we needed more money and jobs to get the things we needed to survive. More people moved to the reserve. The land all around us was cleared more and more - our reserve became surrounded with farms. This was very hard on us. (PIN 03 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We would dry meat from moose and deer and would trap and sell those furs at the Dunvegan post. My family also used to go over to the William Mackenzie Reserve and stay there for some time. We would then travel to the north to the lakes to north. We would fish and hunt through this area in the winter months. I remember going to Cadotte Lake and Buffalo Lake. We would travel and camp through the Carmon Lake area as well, however we had another name for it then, but I can't recall what that was. (PIN 03 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We did lots of trapping right around the Duncan’s reserve, to the south of the reserve and along a stretch of the Peace River from Dunvegan to a place called “Mushikite Island”. My family trapped as a way of life. I can remember living in camp where my family would trap and prepare all the furs for sale. “Peace River Crossing” was an important place for us and was good for hunting and trapping. The animals would cross the river at this point when the river dropped in the summer, fall and early winter. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY

My family lived at Paddle Prairie and Keg River for a few years. We stayed in a cabin there. I think I was raised there between the ages of 12 and 16…I remember camping along the Peace River near Carcajou. My dad had a trapping area along the Peace River, but it wasn’t a registered trapline like they have these days. (PIN 14 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I was born in old settlement named Golden Ridge, which was approximately 5KM north-west of Dixonville. …I have returned to this location but there is no trace of any old settlement or group of cabins. My father told me that when I was young he held a trapline around Golden Ridge which was located north west of Dixonville and west of the Manning area. (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My father had a trapline east of Paddle Prairie. We travelled all over the lands in the lands west of manning and Paddle Prairie over into BC. We would travel in boatads up and down the Chinchaga River, hunting, fishing and trapping as we went. (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My cousin xxxxxx had a trapline to the south – east of Carmon Lake and the areas where they put that oil

58 sands plant (Shell In – Situ Plant). We stayed in cabins in that area when we hunted and trapped. I don’t know what happened to that line, but his wife is still alive in Grimshaw and she might have the records. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My cousin xxxxxx had a trapline on the north side of Bear Lake. We used to fish at Sulphur Lake, then it got fished out. Now I don’t go there because of the Grizzlies. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We also still hunt, trap, fish and pick berries in the area down to the south of the reserve and across the Peace River. We would go far up river to Dunvegan and down to Peace Crossing. We go across the Peace as far down as the Smoky River. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I’ve trapped on our reserve and have trapped on the north side of Cardinal Lake or “Bear Lake”. My mother had a place up there north of the lake and I used to go out and set snares and traps. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My dad didn’t have a registered trapline but he trapped wherever he needed to like a lot of the old timers. We’d trap for food and we’d also sell the furs to make extra money.(PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My second oldest brother, xxxxx, may have held a trapline out near Kelly Lake but you’d need to ask him about that. He lives down in xxxxxx, Alberta now. I myself didn’t trap commercially but have snared fur bearers and smaller animals when I was growing up and the earlier part of my life. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I remember living and being raised in a cabin that still stands here on the reserve…I remember being out in the bush a lot with my grandparents. I remember them trapping, hunting, tanning and making moose hides at the old cabin. My grandparents trapped everywhere and I don’t recall them trapping on just one area or a registered trapline. They trapped for both food and to sell skins and furs. I remember helping my grandparents stretching the skins and furs on boards. We would get around on the land on foot and with horse drawn sleighs in the winter and wagons in the summer. To the best of my memory, we seemed to be out in the bush in all seasons hunting, fishing and trapping. (PIN 110 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

In terms of trapping, I know that my Uncle xxxxxxx Gladue used to trap however I don’t know where is trapline was. (PIN 601 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

It seems that no one around here at Duncan’s had registered traplines. My uncle, Johnny Testawich, was the exception from Duncan’s. He had a line up on what they called the “Third Battle”. He trapped out on the “Chin Road” before the road was expanded and all the oil and gas and forestry went in there. (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

3.6 Valued Species Utilized and Relied Upon by the DFN

Based on a review of the witness statements from the 2009/11 traditional land use survey and the 2018/19 Indigenous knowledge survey, it is possible to identify those wildlife species / values that have been and continue to be relied upon by a number of DFN individuals. Where specific species are discussed and referenced, they have been highlighted in the following section:

Through my life, I have seen our family members hunt moose, elk, bear, partridge, rabbits, beaver, geese, ducks. There was one hunter from the LaPrete family. We called him “Sleigh Dog” and he used to hunt and bring us caribou meat. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

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We trapped, hunted beaver and lived on moose, rabbit, muskrat, weasel, black and brown bear, elk, geese, ducks, grouse ("chickens") through these areas. Given animals travel from water source to water source, my family travelled to and hunted along these water bodies as well. We would trade our furs that we got that winter with Den Basnett, the trader at Dunvegan (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Some of the animals that we have and still to hunt are elk, bear, lynx, moose, brown and black bear deer, caribou, beaver, weasels, rabbits, squirrels, geese, ducks, grouse or “chickens”, swans, whooping cranes, sandhill cranes. Our people like Sandhill Cranes but they sure take a long time to cook…I still eat chickens, beaver, moose, bear. I love lynx – it’s better than chicken… Wild meat is still very, very important to our people. If I were to say, moose is the most important animal to our families. Ducks, geese, cranes and chickens are also very important. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family lived and survived on moose, deer, lynx, black bear, elk, beaver, marten, wolves, coyotes. Moose was and remains the most important animal too us. We used to hunt caribou but don’t now given that their numbers are so low now. I used to help my father and uncles skin out the animals and prepare them for the trip to the trading post or for clothing for our family. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family relies heavily on moose. We need it to stay healthy, to be Cree people and many of our families have to go to the bush to feed themselves. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I have been on hunts where we have hunted and taken moose, bear, deer and elk. I love moose meat - I actually like it better than eating stuff like Mcdonalds or Kentucky Fried Chicken. We eat moose meat at home two - three times a week. We make dry meat from moose in the summer - that's my favourite. I take it to school with me for lunch. I also like elk meat and I now like eating elk tongue. (PIN 04 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We have hunted and taken moose, elk, deer. I've seen different tracks of animals including grizzly bear, caribou and wolves. My dad is showing me how to track and read animal sign and how to understand how the animals move and go to lick areas, along water and back and forth into the bush. (PIN 07 DFN, 2009 /11DFN TLU STUDY)

I shot my first moose, right along the Peace River. That was near Dunvegan. I have also hunted deer, elk, chickens (grouse) and rabbit. I talk to the other kids here, and we talk about where we went hunting or where we may be going on the weekend. The kids at Duncan's seem to like hunting. (PIN 08 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I remember going on a few …guide outfitting trips north of Cadotte Lake. We camped around Haig and Otter Lakes….I remember living and working alongside Lubicon and Metis people from Cadotte. I remember working with other kids to pluck feathers from a hug pile of ducks one fall. We did these trips when I was between 13 and 16 if I remember aright. While we working to help other hunters, we were always getting food for our family at the same time. (PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Like a lot of the young kids, we used to duck and goose hunting at Old Wives Lake on the Duncan’s reserve and up to Bear Lake or Cardinal Lake. (PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I eat a lot of wild game still. We make dry meat at XXXXXXX when the boys get a moose….I east moose, chicken, partridge, deer, rabbit, ducks, geese, buffalo, bear and beaver, I ate beaver last year. XXXXX hunted buffalo somewhere south of Ft. Vermillion last year and shared it with your family….(PIN 14 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

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I have and continue to rely on the following foods from the bush including “mooswah” or moose, deer or “upsimosis”, elk or black bear or “muskwa”, beaver or “amiks”, muskrats, caribou, lynx or “piso”, ducks or “sisipi”, geese or “inska”, grouse or “sagappahoo” and prairie chickens, and rabbit or “wapoose”. (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunt and still go after moose, deer, elk, bear, lynx, fisher, marten, crane, rabbit and weasels. We also hunt duck and geese. I still like to eat dried moose meat and dried fish. I have eaten caribou, but we don’t find them as much as we used to. Moose is probably one of the most important animals to us. We eat it a lot. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I hunt and take moose, black bear, deer, lynx, rabbits, beaver, marten, weasels, ducks, geese, chickens and coyotes. I also fish and catch jackfish and rainbow, trout and grayling (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunt and still go after moose, deer, elk, bear, lynx, fisher, marten, crane, rabbit and weasels. We also hunt duck and geese. I still like to eat dried moose meat and dried fish. I have eaten caribou, but we don’t find them as much as we used to. Moose is probably one of the most important animals to us. We eat it a lot. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Over my life time I’ve hunted and eaten moose, elk, deer, bear, caribou, ducks and geese sometimes, chickens, rabbits, squirrels, beaver, muskrat, marten, fisher, lynx. I’ve had buffalo meat but that shared with me by another Duncan’s member who hunted it. (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Over my life time, I’ve hunted and eaten beaver, muskrat, squirrel, lynx, deer, moose, bear, elk ducks, geese, chickens and have gathered duck eggs. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have hunted, killed and eaten many species of wildlife over my lifetime. This includes, elk moose, caribou, deer, ducks, geese and wild turkey. The last caribou I hunted was with my brother-in-law about three years ago in the Hotchkiss area out west of Manning. At the community we’ve all pretty much have agreed not to hunt them again, until they can recover. I used to hunt deer but I stopped as we heard that some deer had a form of brain disease so I’d say the last deer I shot and killed was around 10 years ago. I pretty much go after moose now and some elk. That’s like most people here at Duncan’s. (PIN 110 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I wasn’t allowed or supposed to touch a gun, but when my grandmother and grandfather went away from time to time, my uncles took me out in the bush and showed me how to hunt. So, at a young age I was shooting rabbits, chickens, ducks and geese. I’d also snare and trap small animals. XXXX and I went out on my great grandmothers’ trapline when I was about 18 or 19 years old. That was in the mountains. I learned that I could skin a muskrat faster than anyone else! (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Basically, I’ve hunted moose and deer over my life time. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I’ve also hunted ducks and geese and they are plentiful in this area. There is a small lake on the north-east end of this reserve that’s like a duck pond and we hunt them there, especially in the fall. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I’ve had moose, elk and deer but especially moose. We didn’t’ eat elk so much. There is hardly any caribou left but we would have it when Uncle XXXX would come down from the Territories (North-West Territories). We also ate bear, porcupine, rabbits, lynx and prairie chicken. We ate a lot of porcupine but our mainstay was and continues to be moose. (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

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For myself, I have hunted and eaten deer, moose, rabbit, ducks, geese and fish. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We a lot of food that came from the land. This include moose, elk, deer, porcupine and muskrat. Sometime you didn’t know what was in Kookum’s pot but they would tell us it was rabbit or duck and sometimes you just didn’t know what it was but ate it all the same. We also ate beaver, duck, chicken (Prairie Chicken) and bear. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

3.7 DFN Family Hunting of Caribou and Knowledge of Caribou Herds and Range Location

Neither the DFN 2009/11 or 2018/19 research efforts specifically focused on the role that caribou played within the diet, way of life and culture of DFN families. When one examines DFN land use patterns (as is done in a later part of Section 3.0) there is a high probability that some DFN individuals and families where hunting, fishing, trapping in and traversing caribou ranges and habitat – specifically the ranges in the Chinchaga / Hotchkiss area and areas south of the Wapiti River and north of the Little Smoky and Berland Rivers. References to the hunting, use and knowledge of caribou and caribou habitat from the 2009/11 and 2018/19 DFN surveys are highlighted below.

What becomes clear in a read of the following references, is that DFN members have largely stopped hunting caribou as the caribou herds simply aren’t where they used to be and in populations not viable to hunt. DFN members are aware of the herd’s and ranges’ precarious status and they have reported that they have elected not to hunt them again until their ranges can be protected and their populations are allowed to recover, if at all possible:

Through my life, I have seen our family members hunt and hunted moose, elk, bear, partridge, rabbits, beaver, geese, ducks. There was one hunter from the LaPrete family. We called him “Sleigh Dog” and he used to hunt and bring us caribou meat. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Some of our people still hunt caribou when they come across them. We’ve stopped hunting them, because you just don’t see them hardly anymore. They are hard to find these days but some of the guys get the odd one up in the Clear Hills and areas to the north of there. I know the general area where the caribou migrate. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family and myself will trap and hunt weasels, rabbits, squirrels, lynx, beaver. We also hunt bear, elk, moose, caribou and deer. We also hunt duck, geese and chickens. We see caribou in the areas north of the Clear Hills and up in the Notikewin. I don’t eat caribou but I know some our people do. I don’t think our people hunt them as much as they used to because they’re numbers are so low and the go deep in the bush to get away from all the noise from traffic and the machines. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family went up to the NWT for visits and trips. We stayed with our relatives at Indian Cabins and go up to Ft. Resolution in the 1960’s and 1970’s to hunt moose and caribou. (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunt and still go after moose, deer, elk, bear, lynx, fisher, marten, crane, rabbit and weasels. We also hunt duck and geese. I still like to eat dried moose meat and dried fish. I have eaten caribou, but we don’t find them as much as we used to. Moose is probably one of the most important animals to us. We eat it a lot. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We have hunted and taken moose, elk, deer. I've seen different tracks of animals including grizzly bear,

62 caribou and wolves. My dad is showing me how to track and read animal sign and how to understand how the animals move and go to lick areas, along water and back and forth into the bush. (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

In the last five years, we’ve gone back to the area where my family used to go west of Dixonville and out around Sulphur Lake. Some of the old trails are grown over...I think a could were turned in access roads. We’ve set up camps in the area away from Sulphur Lake where its more quiet. This is still a very good area and the bush is not so cut up. There are a lot of moose around Sulphur Lake...We’ve also seen caribou north at the bottom of the hills where Rambling Creek runs and Whitemud Creek meet near the airstrip...(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

In terms of game, I grew up eating bear, moose, caribou, elk, deer, beaver, muskrat, chickens, geese, duck, pickerel and walleye. Moose and caribou were the main animals we hunted. In more recent times...I still pretty much eat the same kind of animals today as I did then, but not caribou as they are almost extinct...(PIN 13 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Over my life time, I’ve hunted and eaten beaver, muskrat, squirrel, lynx, deer, moose, bear, elk ducks, geese, chickens and have gathered duck eggs. I never hunted caribou in my life but I known some people in the community have. I would very much like to be able to hunt caribou as the old timers did. I’ve heard that it was good tasting. However, I don’t think I’ll ever have a chance to as they have almost disappeared from across our territory and down in the lands between the Wapiti and the Little Smoky Rivers. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have hunted, killed and eaten many species of wildlife over my lifetime. This includes, elk moose, caribou, deer, ducks, geese and wild turkey. The last caribou I hunted was with my brother-in-law about three years ago in the Hotchkiss area out west of Manning. At the community we’ve all pretty much have agreed not to hunt them again, until they can recover. (PIN 110 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My uncle has informed me that one of the key reasons that our family would travel south to hunt was due to the strong populations or moose, elk and caribou in the areas between the Wapiti and the Smoky Rivers and the Rocky Mountains. (PIN 600 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

The area closer to the Rocky Mountains is unique and important in the DFN Traditional Territory as its one of the only places you can find sheep and goats. I myself have not hunted those species but I understand my family used and I may elect to do so in the future if and when the need and reason arises. Caribou are not found everywhere through our Traditional Territory today. Rather they are found in isolated pockets in distinct parts of our territory. One of those caribou habitat areas extend into the lands between the Wapiti and Little Smoky River watersheds. (PIN 600 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We don’t hunt caribou any more, as they don’t come this far south and caribou is a rover. It’s here today and gone tomorrow. My dad used to hunt caribou in the Chinchaga area. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

…There is hardly any caribou left but we would have it when uncle Larry would come down from the Territories (North-West Territories). (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

XXXXX once brought down caribou and we had it. But it was different. It’s like there is nothing to it. You can eat a lot of it but you feel hungry later on. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Eating caribou is like Chinese food. You can eat a lot of it, but then you feel hungry again later on! (PIN- C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

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3.8 Identified DFN Family Resource Use Areas and Hunting Areas

The approach that DFN took in the 2009/11 and 2018/19 surveys was to conduct initial interviews and hold follow up discussions with community members to document areas and sites used over people’s life times and or that have been used in more recent times (a.k.a current / ongoing use). In some cases, elders had a difficult time in identifying specific areas that they and their families used over the course of their life. The DFN heard quite often, “we went everywhere”, which appears to be clearly the case. Recall and marking of specific places and specific sites can be a challenge when a person was born, raised, spent their youth and continued to use the land and its wealth of resources over a life time. However, in many cases people were able to identify what can be best described as “examples” of their land and resource use patterns.

Key resource use areas identified in interviews are set out below and grouped as overall regional areas including, “West of the Peace River”, “East of the Peace River”, and “South of Peace River”. “North of the Peace River” is discounted given that DFN is located at the point where the Peace River moves in a west to east direction, then bends north thus three divisions make sense from the DFN’s perspective.

It is further noted that areas and sites used by the DFN in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project area and areas in the vicinity of the Project are included in the following section “Identified Resource Use and Hunting Areas West of the Peace River”. They are then brought forward and highlighted again in those sections of this report that specifically address the exercise of rights and practice of culture occurring in the landscape that will play host to the Project, the Project area and areas in the vicinity of the Project.

Identified Resource Use and Hunting Areas West of the Peace River

Back then, we covered a huge area to make a living off of the land. Life was different then. We hunted, trapped and fished all the lands between Ft. St. John and Red Earth Creek in the east. We also hunted all the way down to Grouard and Valley View and north up to the Hay Lakes. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

In the last thirty years of my life I have hunted, fished, trapped and lived off the land through… a huge area from south of Cardinal Lake or Bear Lake north to Keg River and the Fontas River and westwards over the BC border to the Beatton River near Ft. St. John (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Today, I use a smaller area and don’t go as far as I once did, but I still cover a lot of ground with my truck and spend a lot of time hunting through. Some of the areas that I still go to this today are:

• the area as far south as “Last Lake” to the crossing on the Notikewin River, to the west of Notikewin Tower and as far east as the Chinook Valley to an area just south of the Eureka River • the Chinchaga valley area from as far east as Hotchkiss to across the BC border in the headwaters of the Chinchaga River into the Lady Fern area and come out at Boundary Lake

(PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

64 My family hunted through a broad area on the west side of the Peace River and they required the whole area, given changes in animal populations and animal movements through the year…would travel in other seasons across the BC border, west of Worsley and Bear Canyon and north to Manning and up to Paddle Prairie. They would move north from the William Mackenzie Reserve up the main creek areas such as Benjamin Creek, the Heart River, the Cadotte River and Carmon Creek. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

On the west side of the river, my family and I hunt in the areas north of Weberville and Highway 986, along the Peace River valley / left bank of the Peace River, northward to…the Whitemud and Peace Rivers and up the Whitemud valley. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We still hunt in and along the Peace from Dunvegan, south of the Duncan’s reserve and up to where the Smoky River joins the Peace River. We also hunt on the west side of the river between Dixonville, Deadwood and Manning east to and all along the Peace River. I have also gone out with family members when they hunt on the east side of the Peace River. On day hunts, we will other go drive to or overnight at the William Mackenzie I.R. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We will either travel up north on the road and hunt or go to the banks along the Peace River. We stay in two camps – one downstream along the Carmon River and one downstream along the Cadotte River. We often have good success in this area and as we travel north along the Peace River towards the areas across from Manning and Notikewin Park. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

When I went to stay with my grandfather in Manning, we would hunt west of Hotchkiss, up the Hotchkiss River. I remember the old trading post, store and post office at Notikewin. We might have travelled out west about three days hunting, snaring and fishing as we went. So, I would estimate that we would hunt 30 – 40KM west of Hotchkiss. We would travel and set camps- kind of like temporary staging or base camps. We would then pair up with someone and hunt in a large radius around the camp for maybe five to six miles…(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We still go south of the reserve down the Peace. A lot of DFN families do this because it’s a great place and thee are still animals and fish there. Also, the farmers have worked with us over the years to make sure we can cross their fields to get there, although we don’t really need their permission. I have camped in about four places along the Peace and the Smoky River. We pick medicines there. It’s good to pick sweet grass in this area – the smell is so strong in the summer…(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

There was a trail that ran from Old Wives Lakes on the reserve, to the west side of Bear Lake. We would hunt through that whole area. We used to be a massive lick and wildlife trail area all around Flood Lake….it was a good place to go and was close to the reserve so anyone could up there. (PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family would spend every year in the winter and summer out in the area west of Dixonville and Manning. I have good memories of this place. We used to travel from the Duncan’s reserve and take the old road that ran to the west side of Bear Lake and north of the Whitemud River. We would camp at different locations but we generally camped between Sulphur Lake and a little lake at the top of Jim Creek. There was great moose hunting in here. I remember catching jackfish and walleye in the Whitemud and Notikewin River….we also used to get a lot of jackfish and grayling out of the Notikewin. (PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My father had a trapline east of Paddle Prairie. We travelled all over the lands in the lands west of manning and Paddle Prairie over into BC. We would travel in boatads up and down the Chinchaga River,

65 hunting, fishing and trapping as we went….We would go to the traplines on a series of trails that went west out the west side of Paddle Prairie. The trail would follow Keg River then head south towards Dryden Creek…in the winter we would head south and hunt all through a large area around the Hotchkiss River. We would also leave the traplines and head up to the Chinchaga river across the border. We would fish in the summer and the fall through this area. (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We used to spend a lot of time living on the land, hunting, fishing and trapping to the south of the Duncan’s reserve along the Peace River. We had a house on the Peace River and lots of our people used to come down and live and camp here with us. We stayed at one place a lot. The people used to call this place “The Springs”. I remember picking berries, fishing and hunting when we stayed at this camp. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

The Testawich family lived at Eureka for many years and traveled and hunted all through the area into BC. To this day, we have relations and connections to the people at the Blueberry River First Nation near Ft. St. John. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We travelled to and camped at places near Moonshine Lake, near Spirit River, Lac Cardinal, Smith Mills, Deadwood and along the Peace River. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family spent a great deal of time on the land - in fact we were born and raised most of our lives out through the Peace area. My family used to spend a lot of time to the north of Lost Lake and Figure 8 Lake. When the ground had dried out, we would travel by horses and wagons. In the winter, we would use dog teams and walk in the winter months to get where we needed to go. We set up camp all over the land and where we needed to stop. Most often, we would stop near bodies of water for drinking water supplies and that's where we used to find the animals as well. (PIN 03 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family has traditionally used much of the lands through the Lower Peace areas stretching across the BC - Alberta border, south of the Peace River along the Smoky River, east to the Lubicon Lake area and north to the Paddle Prairie settlement area. We spent a lot of time on the land, hunting, fishing and trapping as we were growing up. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

While we have lots of places where we camp at when we hunt, there are a few a places that I can name off the top of my head. There is one of our hunting camps on the William Mackenzie reserve. There is another camp just off the DMI road alongside Carmon Creek, just before it goes down into the Peace Valley. We also camp at a place further up the DMI road, just by Cadotte Creek. We also have a couple of other camps across from the river. One is right on the Whitemud River, upstream of where it flows into the Peace. There is also another one further to the north from there. (PIN 03 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunted through a large area to the north. Our hunting grounds went from Fairview and the Duncan’s reserve in the south up to the Notikewin River in the north, west to the White Mud Lake and Running Lake and east to the Chinook Valley, near Dixonville. We covered a large area as we had to follow and go where the animals where. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I still go hunt up into the Whitemud Rivers. We hunt along there and then go north up through Rambling Creek. We get there by driving north from the reserve and going up into area through some of the old access roads. We also drive up and go into the Notikewin River valley and hunt up many of the smaller rivers that flow into it. To get there, we drive up through Manning, go up the Chinchaga, then head south down to the Notikewin River valley area. We’ll then spend time in that area. There are a lot of good licks and trails that we’ll walk to. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

66 On days trips we will drive north of Weberville and go up route 743 and hunt on the lands between there and the Peace River. I have camped on the Whitemud River, just above where it flows into the Peace. We hunt through the Whitemud and up along the banks of the Peace River, south towards Peace River. We are pretty successful in this area, as its tough for people to get down along the banks of the Peace. I’ve taken a boat and hunted on the islands and west shore of the Peace River. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

There are a lot of hunters at Duncan's. My dad is one of them and is out in the bush almost all the time. He hunts for us and other families here at Duncan's. I've been going out in the bush with him as long as I can remember. That's what we like to do. I've always liked to go out and hunt, fish, camp, pick berries and do other things out in the bush. He shows me how to hunt and where to hunt. I've gone to a lot of places up north, along the Peace River, out over the BC border, the Chinchaga and around our reserve on the other side of the river (William Mackenzie I.R.). (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I hunt in the same areas my dad hunts in. In the last three years, we've hunted up in the Chinchaga, around Sulphur Lake, in the hills north of the Whitemud River and up where the Notikewin river comes from, I've hunted around our reserve on the other side of Peace River (William Mackenzie) and into the oil fields (Seal and Cliffdale) north of there, up the DMI road along the Peace River and on this side of the Peace River from the Notikewin River, around the Whitemud River and south towards Peace River. (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

In the last five years, we’ve gone back to the area where my family used to go west of Dixonville and out around Sulphur Lake. Some of the old trails are grown over...I think a could were turned in access roads. We’ve set up camps in the area away from Sulphur Lake where it’s more quiet. This is still a very good area and the bush is not so cut up. There are a lot of moose around Sulphur Lake...We’ve also seen caribou north at the bottom of the hills where Rambling Creek runs and Whitemud Creek meet near the airstrip…(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I still go and visit my relatives up in Paddle Prairie. We go to where my dad used to camp with us. There are three camps in and around Twin Lakes that we still use. We hunt around there and get moose from there. We also take time and go hunt and fish along the Peace north Carcajou. The fish are in good shape down there. (PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

So, I’ve been back (hunting) to the following areas in the last five to ten years:

• North of Clear Prairie, north over the Doig River and into the bottom of the Chinchaga Park;

• North of Worsley, around Ray Lake and down to the Notikewin River;

• North of the Clear Hills up to the Cub Lakes. We have a camp to the east of Sulphur Lake. I have gone there every year for the past ten years…

(PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I’ve also hunted in recent years out near the BC – Alberta border east of Pouce Couple and Dawson Creek. That area was always good for medicines and we used to get a lot from there...we have picked medicines around some of those little lakes and rivers south of Gordondale while my family went hunting. (PIN 14 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I killed my first moose to the north of Bear Lake, just at the bottom end of the Chinook valley. This was another important area where we hunted and – that was the Whitemud Hills. We still go out there as its

67 close to the reserve. That area runs from the south side of Bear Lake, up to Flood Lake and over to the Clear Hills reserve. It went as far west and south as George Lake near Hines Creek. Another cousin had a trapline in the southern part of the Chinook valley. There were cabins along the Whitemud River in that area. That area is still important, but it’s harder to find moose there because of all the logging. My cousin xxxxxx had a trapline on the north side of Bear Lake. We used to fish at Sulphur Lake, then it got fished out. Now I don’t go there because of the Grizzlies. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I also hunted up north of Manning down the Notikewin River and out on the west side of the Peace River. That area was a good area and is still pretty good for moose. A few of our hunters still go there because all the moose you can find. The moose move up and down the Notikewin River to the Peace River. I was there last year. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I used to go the Sulphur Lake area to hunt, but don’t go there now because all the Grizzlies in there. It’s okay to have some of those bears around, but they moved too many into the area from down south. They did that in the Chinchaga too. I go out with xxxxx a lot through Whitemud and Notikewin. We were just up there a few weeks ago. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

One of the important areas I hunt in runs from the south of “Bear Lake” or “Cardinal Lake”, south to the area surrounding the Duncan’s reserve and south to the Peace River valley. I hunt for ducks and geese along the shores of Cardinal Lake and the area between there and the Duncan’s reserve. I also hunt moose, elk and deer in this area. Animals will come through our reserve and move south down the Peace River and cross and migrate through the Peace. The Peace River and its islands are really important habitat for those animals. They will stay move along the Peace, cross at certain times of the years at certain points depending on the river levels. All the channels and backwater areas are important for them for feeding, resting and calving. Moose, deer and elk will go out to the islands to have their calves and escape predators. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunt a lot around the Notikewin Tower area. This area stretches from the South White Mud Lake – Rambling River to the west over to Cub Lake and Flood Lakes in the east. I take moose, elk, deer and other types of animals from this area. This area is probably one of the best areas still to go in the whole area. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I also hunt to the west out to and across the BC border. That area runs from the Clear Hills Reserve in the east to out past, Worsley and Clear Prairie. You can still find some animals in this area, especially along the Eureka River, and Clear River. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I also like to go hunt along the Peace River area east of Manning. There are lot of moose, black bear and elk in this area. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Last year, my brother and I were hunting in areas around Kilometer 60 on the Chinchaga road. (PIN-E- DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My father and I were also out in the same area recently, hunting for moose in area around Sulphur Lake that takes in the “300 Road”. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I hunted in another area with XXXXXXXXX between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga that runs south of Flood Lake. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I also attempted to recently hunt in an that runs from the north of that runs up to Running Lake. I went into the area but there was a large camp in the area with lots of movement and helicopters working

68 so I determined that area wouldn’t be good for hunting at that time. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Recently I was out hunting with XXXXXX and XXXX in area that runs through Eureka River across the South Whitemud and into the Whitemud River area. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have hunted for moose in several places between the Chinchaga and Clear Hills. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There is one small part in this area where we have been lucky for moose out near Smith Mills in the Chinook Valley just east of Flood Lake. We’ve hunted there for moose. I’ve been out there with my dad, my uncle XXXXXX and my Mooshum. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There is one area we were hunting in and we took chickens but there wasn’t any moose. There is another location around the Eureka River near Ray Lake that runs over to the Notikewin River. We hunted along this trail. You go in by your main access, then when you see something you go in and explore and follow smaller wildlife trails. When we hunt, we do other things such as looking for plants. It goes hand in hand. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We head out to the end of the Chinchaga – to the end of the road and beyond. We hunt out there as there is not a lot of development out past the road. I have also recently hunted in area to the north of Doig River near Square Creek. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We use the Canfor or the “300 Road” to access areas between the Chinchaga and Clear Hills and branch out to the east and west of the road. Moose are attracted to the poplar and willow seedlings that come in cutblocks and we’ll go in check those out. That’s something you learn. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There is another area that I have recently hunted in which located east of Cup Lake and west of the Town of North Star. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have up in the Notikewin, Sulphur and Chinchaga areas in recent times. I go up there hunting quite a bit up with friends and family. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have hunted all over in this area recently. It’s an area that is both north and south of the Notikewin River and that runs south to an area north of the Clear Hills reserve. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I’ve hunted actively for moose and elk down this area...and here too…and back in here. It’s an area out of Sulphur Lake. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I’ve been hunting west of Worsley for Elk and Moose too. There was also lots of deer out in this area. This area runs north of the Clear River and heads up to Fish Lake and takes in some of the headwaters of the Clear River. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I recently hunted for moose and elk over by the BC – Alberta border west of the Chinchaga Wildland area… I have also hunted in recent times down by Mearon Creek. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

69

Identified Family Resource Use and Hunting Areas East of the Peace River

In the last thirty years of my life I have hunted, fished, trapped and lived off the land through:

• the area east of the William Mackenzie Reserve, south to Kimiwan Lake and Winigami Lake and over to the Peavine Metis Settlement; • the area to the south of current Duncan’s reserve, across the Peace River, south to the Smoky River and up the Peace River to Dunvegan • an around Haig Lake • a huge area from south of Cardinal Lake or Bear Lake north to Keg River and the Fontas River and westwards over the BC border to the Beatton River near Ft. St. John

(PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Today, I use a smaller area and don’t go as far as I once did, but I still cover a lot of ground with my truck and spend a lot of time hunting through. Some of the areas that I still go to this today are:

• the area east of the William Mackezie Reserve and up the Harmon valley area toward Seal Lake • the upper part of the Heart River, the Carmon Lake area and eastwards to the Cadotte River • the area to the south of current Duncan’s reserve, across the Peace River, south to the Smoky River and up the Peace River to Dunvegan • the area as far south as ‘Last Lake” to the crossing on the Notikewin River, to the west of Notikewin Tower and as far east as the Chinook Valley to an area just south of the Eureka River • the Chinchaga valley area from as far east as Hotchkiss to across the BC border in the headwaters of the Chinchaga River into the Lady Fern area and come out at Boundary Lake

(PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family hunted through a broad area on the west side of the Peace River and they required the whole area, given changes in animal populations and animal movements through the year…would travel in other seasons across the BC border, west of Worsley and Bear Canyon and north to Manning and up to Paddle Prairie. They would move north from the William Mackenzie Reserve up the main creek areas such as Benjamin Creek, the Heart River, the Cadotte River and Carmon Creek. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We still actively use two - three key areas along the Lower Peace River. This can be described as an area on the east side of the Peace River extending north from the William Mackenzie I.R., northwards through Heart River, Upper Cadotte River, Carmon Lake, northward over Highway 986, along the Peace River, across the upper Carmon and Cadotte rivers and up to areas across from Manning and Notikewin Park. We use the "DMI" road to access this area, since many of our old trails in this area were cut off and changed. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We also stayed at a camp about ten miles to the east of the William Mackenzie Reserve when we hunted in that area. The camp was near “Bear Head Creek” that also ran by the reserve. Our people still go there and camp there during different times of the year and still hunt in the areas around the William Mackenzie Reserve (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We still hunt in and along the Peace from Dunvegan, south of the Duncan’s reserve and up to where the Smoky River joins the Peace River. We also hunt on the west side of the river between Dixonville,

70 Deadwood and Manning east to and all along the Peace River. I have also gone out with family members when they hunt on the east side of the Peace River. On day hunts, we will other go drive to or overnight at the William Mackenzie I.R. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunt north of the William Mackenzie Reserve and just up to Carmon Lake. We hunt north of Three Creeks along the Peace all the way up across Notikewin Park and Manning. We also hunt along the Peace on the west side north of the farmed lands and along the Peace River north of the DMI plant up to Notikewin Park. (PIN 03 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

While we have lots of places where we camp at when we hunt, there are a few a places that I can name off the top of my head. There is one of our hunting camps on the William Mackenzie reserve. There is another camp just off the DMI road alongside Carmon Creek, just before it goes down into the Peace Valley. We also camp at a place further up the DMI road, just by Cadotte Creek. We also have a couple of other camps across from the river. One is right on the Whitemud River, upstream of where it flows into the Peace. There is also another one further to the north from there. (PIN 03 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY) We then go into the bush lands in the top of the Heart River and north up the Carmon Lake. These lands are in pretty good shape and we tend to find more moose in this area, however that changes from year to year. The land is very wet in this area, we leave our trucks and go in by quad and by foot. We usually hug the creeks and little lakes, as that’s where we find most of the moose most of the time. The area between the Harmon Valley and Carmon Lake are still not bad for hunting. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We will either travel up north on the road and hunt or go to the banks along the Peace River. We stay in two camps – one downstream along the Carmon River and one downstream along the Cadotte River. We often have good success in this area and as we travel north along the Peace River towards the areas across from Manning and Notikewin Park. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

There are a lot of hunters at Duncan's. My dad is one of them and is out in the bush almost all the time. He hunts for us and other families here at Duncan's. I've been going out in the bush with him as long as I can remember. That's what we like to do. I've always liked to go out and hunt, fish, camp, pick berries and do other things out in the bush. He shows me how to hunt and where to hunt. I've gone to a lot of places up north, along the Peace River, out over the BC border, the Chinchaga and around our reserve on the other side of the river (William Mackenzie I.R.). (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I hunt in the same areas my dad hunts in. In the last three years, we've hunted up in the Chinchaga, around Sulphur Lake, in the hills north of the Whitemud River and up where the Notikewin river comes from, I've hunted around our reserve on the other side of Peace River (William Mackenzie) and into the oil fields (Seal and Cliffdale) north of there, up the DMI road along the Peace River and on this side of the Peace River from the Notikewin River, around the Whitemud River and south towards Peace River. (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY

So, I’ve been back (hunting) to the following areas in the last five to ten years:

• North of Clear Prairie, north over the Doig River and into the bottom of the Chinchaga Park;

• North of Worsley, around Ray Lake and down to the Notikewin River;

• North of the Clear Hills up to the Cub Lakes. We have a camp to the east of Sulphur Lake. I have gone there every year for the past ten years…

71

• North of Cadotte Lake and around the Otter and Haig Lakes and the Wolverine River that flows into Bison Lake. I went there with XXXXX and XXXXX and we got a moose there last summer and one a couple of winters before.

(PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I like to go over to the William Mackenzie Reserve, south of the Harmon Valley. We’ll stay out there when we get a chance and camp and go out hunting in the areas around the old reserve (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We would also travel south out of Keg River along the Kemp River in the Hawk Hills….We would also cross the Peace River in the summer and winter near Carcajou and hunt up the little creeks and rivers that would flow into the Wolverine and Peace River. We went out to this area in 1960’s with ski doos in the winter and hunt all through the Hawk Hills and along both sides of the Peace River. (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Identified Family Resource Use and Hunting Areas South of the Peace River

Back then, we covered a huge area to make a living off of the land. Life was different then. We hunted, trapped and fished all the lands between Ft. St. John and Red Earth Creek in the east. We also hunted all the way down to Grouard and Valley View and north up to the Hay Lakes. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Some of the areas that we used to and still go hunting are:

• the area south of the Duncan Reserve, along the Peace River – on both sides of the river up to Dunvegan; • the areas around the William Mackenzie reserve and an area between Carmon Lake and Seal Lake – however the hunting is not as good there like it used to be; • the area around Cardinal Lake, just to the north – east of the Duncan’s reserve. We knew that lake be the name of “Bear Lake” • my dad’s trapline area around Montageuse Lake and north up into the White Mud River area • from Sulphur Lake and west through the White Mud River and the Running Lake area; • the area west of Manning, all through the Notikewin and the area where lots of little lakes and rivers flow into it (we also used to catch wild horses in this area); • up in the Hawk Hills around Twin Lakes

(PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Like so many of our families, my family used to go down the “the Flats”, just south of here on the banks of the Peace River….we would spending months in the summer down there fishing along the Peace, hunting and gathering medicines and berries. Our camp sites were along the rivers. We would cross the river and hunt up the coulees or little valleys and creeks that would run into the Peace River...I know we had a camp at “Yelina Coulee”. (PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I have also hunted and gathered medicines in recent years west of Blueberry Mountain. We mostly go for day trips to this area. The best way to get into this area is going by Blueberry Mountain past Silver Valley and in that way. We will also go south of Highway 40 into that high ground area and pick berries and

72 medicines between White Mtn. and the little lake – that I think is called Cutbank. The hills, high areas and conditions are right down there for wesamasagin and other very valuable medicines...(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We lived a good life on the land in this area. We covered huge areas as we travelled, traded and hunted. Our people went into and stayed in BC, up to the Hay Lakes, down to Grouard and down towards Rocky Mountain House. That’s the way it was back then, we covered a lot of ground and moved around. (DFN Member “E.P.” NO PIN REF***)

We would stop and trap and fish in areas. We would stop and go hunting into different areas depending on where there game might be in the year…So it’s true to say that we went everywhere and pretty much used all the land….this is true especially now as we have to drive long distances to go hunting. Some of us go way down the mountains past Grande Cache to hunt…(PIN 13, DFN 2009/11 TLU STUDY)

I have gotten down to hunt with some of the young guys down in the Saddle Hills south. We’ve had some luck hunting around Cutbank Lake and up and down the rivers and draws that flow out of the hills. This is still an okay area, but there’s more and more activity coming there. …..(PIN 13, DFN 2009/11 TLU STUDY)

I remember going all over the Peace country in Alberta and BC to hunt with my family. I went with Dad and uncles and spent time hunting, fishing and staying in the bush between the Wapiti River and the Little Smoky River. I remember travelling with them south of Grande Prairie and we would make our way south along the old Forestry Trunk Road. We would head out into the bush east and west of the Forestry Trunk Road, hunting, trapping, fishing, gathering and camping in these areas. I recall that we would usually end up down in the Grande Cache area and spend time down there. It’s what my family did and how they spent their time in the summer and fall. I know that the conditions were good, the land was quiet, full of game and we had lots of success. (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I still go down into the bush in areas south of the Wapiti River and down towards the Little Smoky River. I do my best to hunt in the areas that I know my family used go into but things have changed since then in many ways, and not for the better. This area is still important to me and my family, but we can’t rely on it like my family used to. It’s been hit really hard by forestry and oil and gas. (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Every winter when I was young, I remember going with my family to a camping ground across the Peace River. We would take a team of horses with sleds and head south down into the Peace River valley and across the Peace River when it was frozen. We’d go ahead of the horse teams and break down the rough pieces of the ice so the sleigh would slide over the ice more easily. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I think the winter was the busiest time for my family on the land. We’d work in the small saw mills in the area but when we weren’t working, we would head out with horse teams and sleighs. Pretty much all the families would head out into the bush to hunt and ice fish during the winter. We had a large camp on the south side of the Peace River in a flat that was surrounded by lots of Spruce trees. It was just west of where the Trans Canada pipeline cuts across the Peace River. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My in-laws, the Moberly’s spent a great deal of time hunting, fishing and camping in the lands between the Wapiti and Little Smoky rivers. xxxx Moberly was my father in law and he would hunt north of Grande Cache and north of and around Muskeg, which is just east of Grande Cache. I know that he’d go hunting out towards the Huckleberry Tower and out towards a place known as “Beaver Dam”. I spent fair

73 bit of time hunting with xxxx Moberly in these areas. That was about 25 years ago. We covered so much ground, that it’s hard to recall all the places we would have hunted over, fished and stayed. We covered a lot of ground. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Before that, I know that the Duncan’s families would travel south below the Wapiti towards into the Rocky Mountains. I was told this by my older family members. It’s pretty much common knowledge, that our people travelled and spent time down towards and into the northern Rockies. Why they did this - I don’t really know. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There was a system of trails that went from Peace River Crossing to Dunvegan and Spirit River and Slave Lake and up the Notikewin into BC. The trails spread in all directions and connected different parts of the country. People would use those trails to move to other areas to spend time, hunt and visit relations and people we were connected to, then return back to the Peace River area. Some of those trails or pieces of the trails are still there. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I know that a lot of the old timers would talk about Pipestone Creek and why that area was important but I don’t have any more details. The xxxxxxxxx knew a lot about these things and I think that DFN elder xxxxxxxx would know the most about these trails and about the importance of Pipestone Creek now. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I continue to go down to the southern part of our territory and use the lands between the Wapiti River and the Little Smoky River. I have been down in this area to hunt within recent times. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My dad worked down in Grande Cache so he used to spend a lot of time in the areas way south of the Wapiti River. When he came home from a period at work, he would spend extra time down there and hunt and would always bring meat home from that area…I remember going down with my mother to stay down in or around Grande Cache to stay with my dad when he was working. When my dad wasn’t working, we’d spend time hunting to the east and west of Highway #40. He also did a lot of hunting with the late xxxx in the areas south of Grande Prairie and areas toward Grande Cache. I also went down that way south-east of Grande Prairie with xxxxxxx. We’d hunt for the band and bring meat home for families. (PIN 110 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

When was I approximately eight years old, I lived with my family in Grande Cache. During that time, I recall fishing with my family in Muskeg River to the north of Grande Cache. I have more recently returned to that area to hunt, fish, camp and spend time on the land. (PIN 600 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have some recollection of spending time with my family in the lands between the Little Smoky River and the Wapiti Rivers. I remember hunting a moose on one trip down south of Grande Prairie and my family getting stuck at night and I was holding a flashlight while they dug out the truck. We did go down there, accept I find it hard to match specific trips with dates and years. (PIN 601 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My grandfather’s relatives used to spend a lot of in the lands south of Grande Prairie and down towards Grand Cache. I recall them talking to my family about when they were going down there and the time that they had spent down there, but apart from that I don’t have a lot of details on where they would have specifically gone. We had some family that lived at Flying Shot Lake, outside of Grande Prairie and I was told that they used the areas south of the Wapiti, Simonette, Latournel and the Little Smoky Rivers (Missing Reference)

74 My great grandfather Louis, would have used the lands south of Grande Prairie. His line was in the Kiskitinaw River area and I know that he used and stayed out in areas out by Kakwa Falls. I myself don’t recall travelling with my family south of the Wapiti River. I do know that my great grandmother and great grandfather were brought up in that area and didn’t move this way to Duncan’s later on in life. (Missing Reference)

My great grandmother Gauthier had a registered trapline. It was located straight west of Kelly Lake near or in the Kiskatinaw River. I remember going with my family to that area and spending time visiting, hunting and gathering with our relations in that area over in BC. (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have hunted in more recent times in an area just south of Musreau Lake. The area lies south of Musreau Lake, west of Highway #40 and the Smoky River, runs through the Cutbank Valley and Kakwa Valley I hunt for moose and elk in this area. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-01-001-DFN) (PIN 01 DFN 2018/19 DFN 2018 IK SURVEY)

There is another area that I have hunted in recently between the Wapiti Rivers and Little Smoky Rivers. It basically runs south of the Cutbank River and west to the good areas in and around Bearhole Lake Park. I hunt both sides east and west of Highway #52 or the Heritage Highway. I don’t see much in the way of moose or elk in this area now. That area is pretty much done in now and it’s going to take a long time for moose to want to come back in there. Again, there is a lot of foresty, oil and gas, roads and people accessing this area now. The upper Red Willow valley is still in pretty good and it isn’t as bad as some of the other areas so I find that there is still some pretty good hunting in this area. The areas and slopes around Thunder Mountain, Lone Mountain and Nose mountain are good areas where elk can be found. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-02-001-DFN) (PIN 01 DFN 2018 /19 IK SURVEY)

There is one good area for elk that I’ve hunted that is just south of Valleyview. I access the area south from Highway #43 and then head east towards the Smoky River. There is an area to the east side of the Smoky that’s nice and quiet and I have seen elk and some moose move from this area down though the forested areas along Smoky River. In recent years I’ve checked the edges of the farm land and the Smoky River and have hunted for mostly Elk in this area. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-03-001-DFN) (PIN 01 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

There is another area that I currently use for hunting that’s just south of the Wapiti River. I hunt for moose and elk in this area. The area lies between Pinto and Nose Creek. I head down as far south near Nose Mountain along the Cutbank River. This area is pretty good as it isn’t too badly cut up with lines, roads and there are less well forestry blocks and people. I plan to head down to this area next summer before the main hunting season kicks in to try for a Moose. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-04-001-DFN) (PIN 01 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

There is another area I hunt through located between the Wapiti and Little Smoky Rivers. This area lies west of Highway #40 and I get into the using the Two Lakes and Bald Mountain roads. The area is north of the Cutbank River and you find moose moving into and along this area because the Wapiti River and its forests acts as a good protected, travel corridor for the moose. There is a good amount of forest, browse available, a good supply of water all the time and a buffer between areas where industry equipment are working and trucks going back and forth. I’ve noticed a fair bit of logging that’s happened towards the west and I don’t see as many moose as I used to but the area between Highway #40 and where the Two Lakes and Bald Mountain Road meet isn’t too bad for hunting still. There’s been some access roads and wells drilled but it’s still not too bad for hunting. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-04-B-001- DFN) (PIN 101 DFN 2018/19 SURVEY)

75 (Note – Use of “B” to avoid duplication of Feature Codes)

Another area that I’ve hunted through is an area south of the Simonette River and where Norton Creek runs into Deep Creek. I think that this a really good area for moose hunting as there hasn’t be much forestry or oil activity in this area yet. There has been a lot of forestry to the north of Norton Creek. It’s pretty bad up there and with a fair number of roads. It seems that moose and elk like the habitat conditions in the area south of Norton Creek. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-03-101-DFN) (PIN 101 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I have also hunted for moose and elk within the last five years in an area south of Simonette River and around Norton Creek but further to the east. The area is about 10KM to 15KM east of Highway #734 – the Forestry Trunk Road. There is a good mix of forest and wetlands in this area and its pretty good for moose. It also hasn’t been too overrun by oil and gas and forestry yet. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-04-101- DFN) (PIN 101 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

There is another area that I have hunted through in more recent times that I think is very good for moose and elk hunting. It’s a large area that runs parallel with the Forestry Trunk Road, although it’s some distance away from the highway itself. I get into this area just north of where the Forestry Trunk starts and splits off from Highway #40, east of Grande Cache. I hunt through the area that takes in the Little Smoky River and the Simonette River. The habitat conditions are pretty good at the upper of the Smoky River and Simonette River but then you run into more and more oil and gas and forestry activity and access roads, and the hunting is less good the further north you go. North of the Huckleberry Tower Road there are some large cut blocks that must have been cut more than 20-25 years ago, but they are growing in pretty good and there is still some really good stands of older forest around them, so this area isn’t too bad for hunting. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-05-101-DFN) (PIN 101 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I also like another area for moose and elk hunting that is still not in too bad shape. It takes in part of Pinto Creek and Berland River areas. There is still some good forest left in areas around some of the rivers in this area. It seems to me that the habitat and hunting conditions seem better towards the west towards Grande Cache and the Rocky Mountain foothills. As you move east towards Fox Creek and the main highway, you run into more well sites, pipelines, forest cut blocks and roads. So, there is a better chance of successfully hunting in the areas where industry hasn’t had the run of things yet. (Missing Reference)

There is caribou in this area too as well as Grizzly Bear. I see this area as a game freezer – as there’s not a lot of these kinds of places that we can still go depend on, like we once used to be able to do. There are some big cutblocks out by the Wild Hay and Pinto Creek areas. (MAP REFERENCE HA-06-101-DFN) (PIN 101 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I’ve also hunted for moose and elk over a pretty large area that runs along the south side of the Simonette River and to the north of Canfor Road. The area has been heavily logged over the years and there are some big cut blocks and roads that run through the area. Quite a lot of the roads have been deactivated but you can tell lots of people move through the area on quads. There hasn’t been too much oil and gas activity yet and not too many roads have been punched in yet, so I’d say the area still useable for hunting for moose and elk. But the oil and gas activity is pretty heavy to the east where the Canfor and Simonette haul roads meet. There are a good number of black bears in this area. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-07-101- DFN) (PIN 101 DFN 2018/19IK SURVEY)

In more recent times, I have hunted for moose in areas west of Highway #40, east and east of Highway #734 and east to the Simonette River. This area has not been heavily impacted like it is on the south and east side of the Simonette which is in pretty bad shape now with all the cutblocks, roads, oil and gas wells and pipelines. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-01-110-DFN) (PIN 110 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

76

I have also hunted in the last five years or so for moose and elk in an area west of Highway #40. So much has changed in this area since I used to go down with my Dad back in the day. There are so many new roads that I don’t recognize some of the old places. In the last few years, I’ve gone in by Pipestone Creek and down into the area by the Two Lakes Road, Nose Mountain Road and the Bald Mountain Road. I head south to get out of the farm land areas south of Grande Prairie and Wembley. I don’t find that this area is too bad to scout around for moose. There was quite a lot of logging maybe twenty to thirty years ago, but the bush is coming back. Also, there isn’t that many well sites and roads in the area like some other areas. This area is in pretty good shape still. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-02-110-DFN) (PIN 110 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I have also been hunting in more recent years in areas that lie along west of Highway #40. I look for moose and elk out from the Musreau Lake out along the Cutbank valley and almost down into the Kakwa valley. The areas west of Musreau Lake have been pretty cut up with forest cut blocks, roads, pipeline tie- ins and well sites. Quite a few of the cut blocks were cut long ago, so they are showing some sign of regrowth and you see sign of moose in these areas. Once you get south of the Kakwa and Smoky Rivers, you get into a lot of busy access roads and lots of gas activity and I find that the hunting isn’t very good down in this area. There’s been a lot of bears around this area over the last while. There are more grizzlies in this area than there used to be and I’m not sure why that would be. (MAP REFERENCE: HA- 03-110-DFN) (PIN 110 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

Within recent years, I have hunted for moose and elk in several parts of the Duncan’s First Nation territory. I have also recently hunted in the areas between Wapiti and the Little Smoky River. Some of these areas include:

One area that I have recently hunted through lies west of Crooked Lake and south of Deep Valley Creek. (MAP REFERENCE: HA0-01- 600-DFN) (PIN 600 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I have also recently hunted through another area near Deep Valley Creek. (MAP REFERENCE HA-02 – 600 – DFN) (PIN 600 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I have also recently hunted through another area west of Crooked Lake and east of Deep Valley Creek. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-03 – 600 - DFN) (PIN 600 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I have recently hunted though another area near Hinton that runs from the Wilmore Wilderness Area Park up the ANC Road past Rocky Creek over to Kiskew Creek. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-04 – 600 - DFN) (PIN 600 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

One area that I have recently hunted is in an area south of Grande Cache to the north and east of Highway #40 and near the Cabin creek airstrip. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-05 – 600 - DFN) (PIN 600 DFN 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have also recently hunted though an area that is located due south of the Little Smoky River. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-06 – 600 - DFN) (PIN 600 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I have recently hunted for moose and elk in an area south of Crooked and west of Smoke Lake There has been some logging and a little bit of oil and gas lease and road building but there’s not too many roads so it’s pretty good still and you can, with enough effort and patience find animals in and around this place. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-01-601-DFN) (PIN 601 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

77 There is another area that I have hunted through in more recent times. The area lies to the north and south of the “ANC Road”. It’s a pretty good area for finding elk and moose that’s between the Little Smoky River and the Berland River. The east side of this area is pretty busy with oil and gas activity and they have punched a lot of lease sites, pipelines and roads in there. But as you head west, it’s not as bad. There’s been some forestry so some okay new growth but too many roads. I’ve hunted for elk and moose in the last five years. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-02-601-DFN) (PIN 601 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

Another area I actively hunt for elk and moose is located to the east of Highway #40 to the east of Muskeg. It’s south of Donald Lake and west of Pinto Creek. I hunt up north to the Little Smoky River then head south. This is a really good area as it hasn’t been too disturbed by industry yet and it’s better for finding large game like moose and elk. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-03-601-DFN) (PIN 601 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I hunt in a larger area to the east of Grande Cache area as well. I travel out Grande Cache heading east on Highway #40 then turn off at Muskeg and pretty much hunt north of the Pierre Grey Park area into the Simonette River watershed. It’s good for hunting moose and elk in this area. I find the development gets heavier as you move east along the Ghost Main Road. This is a very good area and there hasn’t been too much in the way of lease and road building and I hope it stays that way. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-09- 601-DFN) (PIN 601 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

I have also spent time hunting further east into the Smoky River watershed hunting far north and south of the ANC Road. I find the area not quite as good as used to be as there has been more and more road building, traffic and activity these days. There is one area that has been hammered really hard by the logging companies at some point and even through you do see moose from time to time in cut blocks, I think they just took too much out and more forest needs to grow back into this area. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-10-601-DFN) (PIN 601 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

One area I’ve been involved in the hunt was around group of small lakes to the west of the Narraway River and into the east side of the Narraway River. My family and I were scouting and hunting for elk and moose in this area. I really liked this area and you are getting into the foothills of the mountains. There’s a big ridge called Chinook Ridge and there three lakes at the base of the ridge. There are few big cut blocks and a few well sites in the area but apart from that’s it’s beautiful area and there are really good hunting conditions here. I haven’t had a chance to fish in this area but I’d like to get there one day, as the water in the creeks and rivers are really clear and I think you could catch lots of trout up in this area. (MAP REFERENCE: HA-01-603-DFN) (PIN 603 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

Another area that I hunted along with my family for moose and elk is on either side of Nose Creek upstream of where Nose Creek runs into the Wapiti River. I’ve gone scouting for moose and elk either side of Nose Creek. There’s some well sites on the west side of the Nose but not as many as I’ve seen in other places, so I think it’s a pretty good place for moose and elk still. I was with my family on the east side of Nose Creek and we didn’t hear or see much sign of moose over there. There are quite a few cut blocks, wells and access roads there. (MAP FEATURE: HA-02-603-DFN) (PIN 603 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

In the last while, I’ve been hunting just south of the Wapiti River with my family. We were looking for elk and moose. You can’t really do much on the north side of the Wapiti River as its covered with farm lands and private lands so we stay clear of those kinds of areas. The south side of the Wapiti is really good and there are some pretty big moose trails on the south side. There’s not much oil and gas and forestry here and we planned to come back to this area as it’s got pretty good habitat here for elk and moose. There’s a really nice lake with some wetlands just to the south of it. I’m sure we could get

78 something in the late summer or fall here if we waited and called moose. (MAP FEATURE: HA-03-603- DFN) (PIN 603 DFN 2018 /19 IK SURVEY)

I’ve helped my family when they were hunting south of the Wapiti and the Pipestone Creek area. We’ve tried a lot in this area but have not been successful. It just seems that there are way too many cutblocks, well sites, pipelines and roads. My mum and my dad have taught me to listen to the sounds of big animals moving through the bush. You can hear them when it’s not too windy. But, out in this area you can’t find wildlife in the way that my dad taught me because of all the sound of machinery and traffic on the roads. This area isn’t as bad as other areas my dad has taken me out to, but it was hard to find animals here. I’m not sure I’d ever come back here as I think it’s going downhill with too many pipelines, well sites, roads, forestry, traffic and noise. It seems that the situation gets worse the further east you go towards Highway #40. (MAP FEATURE: HA-04-603-DFN) (PIN 603 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

There is one area that I have hunted recently. The north end of this hunting area lies between Highway #40 and the Forestry Trunk Road. I hunt along Latournell River and to the south-west where the Forestry Trunk Road crosses the Latournell then and head south-west further the up into the headwaters of the Kakwa River. (MAP FEATURE: HA-01-605-DFN) (PIN 605 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

In recent years, XXXXX and I have hunted along the Simonette River and north of the Little Smoky River. Again, there is good forest along the Simonette River so the moose and elk can move, find forage, protection and keep warm and out of the wind when they need to…So, we hunt southwards to the west of the Forestry Trunk Road and south-west along the Simonette towards where the Forestry Trunk Road meets up with Highway #40 that runs out of Grande Cache. (MAP FEATURE HA-02-605-DFN) (PIN 605 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

There is another area that I’ve been into hunting in the last five years or so. This is the Sheep Creek valley just north of Grand Cache. You get into the area by Sheep Creek Road then go into the Sheep Creek area. It’s a good area for moose and elk. There’s been some forestry and bit of natural gas drilling in north- eastern part of the area but not too much. The big issue which I think has hurt wildlife and scared the caribou out of this area is the large coal mine that lies to the north of Sheep Creek. It’s a beautiful part of our traditional territory up this way and its unique as it has the mountains, different conditions and species in this area. (MAP FEATURE: HA-03-605-DFN) (PIN 605 DFN 2018/19 IK SURVEY)

3.9 Identified DFN Family Fishing Areas

Fishing continues to be an important activity undertaken by the DFN for sustenance, cultural and spiritual purposes however the level of fishing appears to have declined with the imposition of fish consumption advisories, the decline in fish populations, overall availability and community concerns about the health of fish and fish habitat through the Peace River region:

I don’t fish as much as I did, but I still fish in Haig Lake, Snipe Lake east of Valley View, along the Peace River, Twin Lakes, the White Mud River and the Notikewin River and the streams that flow into them. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

From the Peace, we would take jackfish, pickerel, rainbow trout and whitefish. However, now the government says that we should only eat so much because of the mercury. This has scared some people from our community from fishing, but I still eat the fish from there and so do a lot of other people. We had a big fishery on the Peace when I was growing up. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

79 I remember ice fishing at the larger lakes such as Carmon Lake, Lubicon Lake and Cadotte Lake when I was young and into my early teens (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Fishing is still important, I myself don’t fish a lot on the Peace River, but I know other people and families that do. We fished all along the Peace River from “Camp Island” downstream towards the town of Peace River. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

A lot of our people still fish on the Peace River, at the little lake to the north of the Duncan’s Reserve, Running Lake and Sulphur Lake. We also take time to fish as we travel through the bush to hunt when we camp. You can find fish up in the rivers like the Notikewin and WhiteMud. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family fishes at Figure 8 Lake, the Peace River, in the lower part of the Whitemud River where it runs into the Peace River. While there is less fish along the Peace, you can still catch fish where the rivers run into the Peace. We catch a lot of fish, dry them, can them and cook them in different ways. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY

I have fished in a lot of places. Sometimes, we'll just go up to Figure 8 Lake and fish there. I've been fishing along the Peace River. I've stayed at camps at the Whitemud River and have fished there. I have also fished on the other side of the Peace from or our other camps over there. We go up the DMI road and set up camp, then go down to the Peace River and fish for walleye and jacks. (PIN 04 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We used to go to my mother’s home and fish at Sturgeon Lake. We used to and still fish at Haig Lake, north of Cadotte Lake. There is really good fishing at Haig Lake. We used to and still fish at Sulphur Lake. We also fish along the Whitemud River for smaller fish, all the way up to Running Lake. Sometimes we will throw in a line when we are hunting and camping up along the Notikewin River. We still also fish at “Old Wives Lake”, here at the Duncan’s Reserve. We also fished along a good stretch of the Peace River. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We also fish when we camp in this area. We catch fish in the fall where the rivers run into the Peace. I’ve caught fish at the Whitemud and the Peace, and the Carmon and the Peace and the Cadotte and the Peace and the Notikewin and the Peace. The conditions are good where the two rivers meet and mix and there is a good drop off. We’ve netted fish here as well as further up the Peace near the BC border. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We do a lot of fishing. We have fished from a boat along the Peace River with a net at the Whitemud River, down the hill on the Peace River from the DMI road, at the Notikewin River and also along the River south of our reserve and Dunvegan. I've caught jackfish, walleye, gold eye and those ugly ling cod. I like to fish and eat what we catch. (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I've camped out with my family on the Whitemud River, just above where it flows into the Peace River. It's good for fishing down there in the fall, but I've never ice fished there in the winter (PIN 08 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

…It’s fair to say that we would fish every creek and river and little lake that by our old trails. We mostly ate pickerel and jack fish. We fished a lot in Sturgeon lake and all the Peace River. We would get a small tree, put on a line with rock and bait….(PIN 13 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I have fished in Snipe, Pearless, Cadotte and Sturgeon Lakes. I have also fished along the Peace River. We used to fish by sticking ten-twenty sticks or staffs into the grounds and setting a lines. You would sit

80 back and watch your lines. A lot of people would come together and do this. We fished all along the Peace River from Dunvegan….. My favorite fish is “Inegasu” or Pike and Whitefish. I would like to fish again more, as I’m slowing down and not working so much. A few years ago, I bought some large nets to use in Sturgeon Lake, Lesser Slave and at the rivers the flow into the Peace. ….(PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We used to fish at Sulphur Lake, then it got fished out. Now I don’t go there because of the Grizzlies. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I hunt and take moose, black bear, deer, lynx, rabbits, beaver, marten, weasels, ducks, geese, chickens and coyotes. I also fish and catch jackfish and rainbow, trout and grayling. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I also fish along a stretch of the Peace River and catch jackfish, ling cod and other types of fish. A good spot to fish is down near the ferry crossing upstream from the town of Peace River. I know that some people go and fish up river at Dunvegan too. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I fish at Figure 8 Lake for rainbow trout, Running Lake for rainbow trout and whitefish, Sulphur Lake, and on the Peace for Ling Cod and Jackfish (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I hunt and take moose, black bear, deer, lynx, rabbits, beaver, marten, weasels, ducks, geese, chickens and coyotes. I also fish and catch jackfish and rainbow, trout and grayling. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family would spend every year in the winter and summer out in the area west of Dixonville and Manning. I have good memories of this place. We used to travel from the Duncan’s reserve and take the old road that ran to the west side of Bear Lake and north of the Whitemud River. We would camp at different locations but we generally camped between Sulphur Lake and a little lake at the top of Jim Creek. There was great moose hunting in here. I remember catching jackfish and walleye in the Whitemud and Notikewin River….we also used to get a lot of jackfish and grayling out of the Notikewin. PIN 11 DFN 2009/11 TLU STUDY)

Over my lifetime I’ve caught and eaten, Jackfish (Northern Pike), Pickerel, Rainbow Trout, Whitefish and Bull Trout. (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I used to fish a lot with my Dad at , in Hilliard’s Bay on Winigami Lake and around Figure Eight Lake. (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Also, when my family lived here on the Duncan’s reserve, I remember spending a lot of time down at the Peace River fishing from the shores and in the back channels. I remember going down when I was really young to net lots of Suckers from the shore. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Over my life time I have caught and eaten Walleye, Sucker, Jackfish (Northern Pike), Whitefish and I believe what were Grayling from the Hay River area. (PIN 101 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I think the first fishing that I did took place at Sturgeon Lake. I think that I may have been ten years old when that happened. There was such a great Whitefish fishery at Sturgeon Lake. I remember spending time with my mother and we would catch fish with lots of other people there… I continue to fish down at Sturgeon Lake and in some of the lakes south of Sturgeon Lake. (PIN 110 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

81 I remember one of the first times and being really excited when I caught my first fish. I caught twenty- five Rainbow Trout on Slave Lake in just over five hours. (PIN 601 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

All of our meat came from the land. And my grandmother had a sister at Sturgeon and she would go there in the spring, net lots of fish and would dry or can them and bring them back to the family (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

…my grandmother used to go all the time to Sturgeon Lake to net fish with her sister and brother in law…It was good fish – it was White Fish. They dried it. She also went over there to hunt in hunting parties. (PIN-B-DFN, 2018 /19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have fished a couple of times south of the Duncan’s reserve along the Peace River. There were Jackfish. My brother caught a Ling (Ling Cod). It’s like a snake. They are often called Mariah. They are called a fisherman’s friend. Around here, it’s been very, very poor for fishing. Sturgeon Lake was good. I took some kids out to fish at Haig Lake in recent times. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have recently fished over at Winagami Lake. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We used to fish in the Peace River. I remember little XXXXXX pulling out a big jackfish. You could eat the fish from the Peace back then…There are very few fish in the Peace River now...You can catch Ling Cod. They are an ugly looking fish but they taste good. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

You can catch fish in stocked lakes. If you look at Figure 8 Lake, there used to be nothing in there but then they started to stock that. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

You could fish for trout in Sulphur Lake but you have to watch it because of all the Grizzly Bears that are in the area now. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have fished up in the Chinchaga River. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

If you want to go for fish around here, you have to travel to more distant places like Sturgeon Lake, Winagami Lake, the Heart River, Sturgeon Lake and the Grande Cache area. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

3.10 Harvesting of Berries and Berry Harvesting Areas Utilized by DFN Families

A review of witness statements reveals that harvesting berries was and continues to be important to DFN members. Not a great deal of those interviewed and engaged within the DFN 2009/11 survey effort talked about harvesting of berries. This could either mean that harvesting of berries as a cultural activity was never important or it has declined in importance. This does not appear to be the case as anecdotally, DFN members talk about their recent time in the bush where they found a great area for berries and harvested a lot for freezing or they had been out and sadly weren’t able to find any to put away for the winter.

Another answer maybe the fact that to date, more men from the DFN community have been interviewed than women. In the 2012 DFN Traditional Land and Resource Use Survey, more information was recorded about site specific examples of mammal kill sites. Overall more hunting has been performed by men than women. Some additional information about DFN member’s harvesting of berries was documented in that case. It is possible that if more women from the DFN community were interviewed over time to achieve a more representative survey sample, more information on the harvesting of berries may emerge.

82 In the 2018/19 DFN IK Survey, additional information in respect to the historical and contemporary importance of berry harvesting was brought forward by participating community members and documented:

We also still hunt, trap, fish and pick berries in the area down to the south of the reserve and across the Peace River. We would go far up river to Dunvegan and down to Peace Crossing. We go across the Peace as far down as the Smoky River. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I used to pick berries with my grandmother. I remember doing this a lot of about two kilometers to the south-west of the Duncan’s reserve along the Peace River with my grandmother. Many other families from DFN did the same (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I also remember harvesting berries through the summer with grandparents and parents. There were so many places we went on the land, that it’s hard to recall all the places we went. We just seemed to be harvesting berries, fishing and hunting animals most of the time. It always seemed that there was moose meat and fish in our home. (PIN 110 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

It seemed I was picking berries all through the summer and into the early fall. I actually won a community contest for most berries gathered in one day. Berries were so important to us and we had them all the time. We always had strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, saskatoons and chokecherries just to name a few. We always made natural syrups, and preserves. We didn’t make a lot of jam because of how much sugar that would take. We’d have those to last all through the winter and it’s how we got our type of fruit and all the goodness that comes from that. Berries are so important to our families. Canning was an important way in how we used and still preserve important foods. Xxx is an expert at canning moose meat. We used to dry strawberries and we recently dried berries for a friend in south to include in a medicine he needed. It’s very hard to find strawberries now. The areas that we used to obtain strawberries have been taken out and we find it harder to find strawberries now. (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

It seemed I was picking berries all through the summer and into the early fall. I actually won a community contest for most berries gathered in one day. Berries were so important to us and we had them all the time. We always had strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, saskatoons and chokecherries just to name a few. We always made natural syrups, and preserves. We didn’t make a lot of jam because of how much sugar that would take. We’d have those to last all through the winter and it’s how we got our type of fruit and all the goodness that comes from that. Berries are so important to our families. Canning was an important way in how we used and still preserve important foods. XXX is an expert at canning moose meat. We used to dry strawberries and we recently dried berries for a friend in south to include in a medicine he needed. It’s very hard to find strawberries now. The areas that we used to obtain strawberries have been taken out and we find it harder to find strawberries now. (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have gathered and eaten Raspberries, Chokecherries, Low Bush Cranberries, High Bush Cranberries, Low Bush Cranberries and Saskatoon Berries – that is one of the most plentiful and important type of berry that we used to and still gather. We also gather Blueberries and Wild Strawberries. When I was growing up you didn’t have to go far to find good berry picking areas. I would gather with Kookum and Mooshum. I used to catch crap as I would always eat more than I gathered! But that was the family outing and gathering – the way it was done back then and not that long ago. It didn’t matter what your name was. You would ask, “hey where you guys going” … “we are going to pick berries”….and you would just go, and you just went with them then came back and canned them. Chokecherry syrup and jelly was my dad’s

83 favourite! That’s one of the great simple things in our life that’s now gone. You learned things while you were doing that. You were always taught something. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We used to go to berry picking and hunting in places near Eureka River, the Gage Reserve, Paddle Prairie, towards Sturgeon Lake and Grande Prairie. Wherever you went, you picked berries and hunted as you went. The grub box had the basics and you got what you needed on the way… you couldn’t pick berries far away as the berries would go off so, you gathered them closer as you got close to home. (PIN- A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Berry picking took place closer to home for the reasons we’ve talked about such as places down by the River (the Peace River), on the reserve here. Blueberries were gathered at Gage near Fairview. (PIN-B- DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

When I was young, families used to go out picking berries for two – three days at a time. You couldn’t go out any longer than that as the berries would ferment and spoil. They used to dig holes in the muskeg and the ground to keep the berries cool out in the bush, then would travel back in the wagon to can them. We would dry Saskatoon berries but the rest were canned. (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

It’s like a rifle (referring to berry pails). Native people always had some kind of container with them wherever they went. They just gathered what they found. (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There was one island down on the Peace River just south-west of the Duncan’s reserve. There was an island in the Peace that had the biggest, best Raspberries ever – they were huge – the size of your thumb!.. Someone used to leave an old boat down there. We would use that to get across and would go gather Raspberries. We went year after year to the same spot. One time, Grandpa was working on repairing that boat and we walked up the hill and found a horrible pile of snakes. (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I used to go out with my mother a lot to harvest berries in different parts of the Peace country. One of the places we would go to pick Saskatoon Berries is just south of the reserve, down next to the Peace River. We’d also gather berries along the Shaftesbury Trail that runs from the reserve down the Peace River. My mum makes great Saskatoon berry pies. (PIN 603 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Actually it was because of blueberries that I lost my eye! When I was young, we were driving a team horses in the Hawk Hills on a bush trail. A half green willow got caught in the wagon, snapped back and caught me in the face and punctured my pupil. That’s when I was fifteen. That was on a blueberry trip! Basically, I have gathered and eaten Strawberries, Raspberries, Saskatoon Berries, Blueberries, Moose Berries, Cranberries, High Bush Cranberries, Low Bush Cranberries and Choke Cherries. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

When I was younger, I gathered berries with my grandmother. While I don’t gather berries as much as other people in the community, I still do it when I’m out in the bush hunting, fishing and camping. I do it with my kids. It’s good to have berries out there as they help give you energy when you are going through the bush and of course I’ll eat berries when other community members drop some off. I have harvested Saskatoon Berries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, and Chokecherries (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Over my life time I have gathered and eaten Strawberries, Raspberries, Saskatoon Berries, Blueberries, Moose Berries, Cranberries, High Bush Cranberries, Low Bush Cranberries and Choke Cherries. High Bush Cranberries smell awful but they taste wonderful. They ferment on the bush and Prairie Chickens will eat them and become intoxicated from eating them. (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

84

Berries are very important to our people and played and can continue to play a big role in maintaining health. I was taught that one Fireweed berry contains the same Vitamin C as three oranges do. (PIN-E- DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

That’s why we can and jar berries as they don’t last long when you get them off the bush…We still dry and can berries. (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I just love Chokecherry syrup and manage to sneek in a pail or two every now and again! (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

…It wasn’t long ago we went out with XXXXXX and XXXXXX near Anderson’s Garden to gather choke cherries. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Sometimes you find berries in one spot but the next year they shift. We were always taught to bring a rifle when you went picking because of the bears. You were always told and taught things and even if it didn’t make sense as a kid. You carried a rifle because you could be picking berries in a bush and bear would stand up on the other day of the Saskatoon bush. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There is also a Red Currant and a Black Currant but those aren’t too plentiful. You can’t beat Red Currant and Black Currant jam! (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Blueberries are very tough to get these days. They don’t grow just anywhere. It depends on the vegetation that’s there. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

3.11 Harvesting of Medicine Plants and Medicine Plant Harvesting Areas Utilized by DFN Families

As with Berry Harvesting, not a great deal of information has emerged about DFN member harvesting of plants for food or medicinal purposes. A few references can be found in witness statements prepared for the 2009/11 DFN survey and some documentation has occurred as a result of the 2018/2019 research effort. Again, that may be due in part to the makeup of the community survey sample or it could have to do with the fact that many DFN people are of the view that due to the healing and sacred properties of certain plants, that they should not be discussed, identified or mapped within the context of a community study to be shared with an external audience. That option was held out to community participants in all of DFN’s research efforts out of respect, the need for care with this subject and protocol. In the following section, some references are highlighted about the importance of harvesting plants in the past and in the present day:

We also pick many medicines out there from the land. We make teas to help us feel better and to cure certain sicknesses. We should not talk about those or put these things into writing. But it’s important that companies and government start knowing about some of the areas, where certain medicines grow and the places they need to grow. We have to honor and take care of those medicines. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We still south of the reserve down the Peace. A lot of DFN families do this because it’s a great place and there are still animals and fish there. Also, the farmers have worked with us over the years to make sure we can cross their fields to get there, although we don’t really need their permission. I have camped in about four places along the Peace and the Smoky River. We pick medicines there. It’s good to pick sweet grass in this area – the smell is so strong in the summer…(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

85 I have also hunted and gathered medicines in recent years west of Blueberry Mountain. We mostly go for day trips to this area. The best way to get into this area is going by Blueberry Mountain past Silver Valley and in that way. We will also go south of Highway 40 into that high ground area and pick berries and medicines between White Mtn and the little lake – that I think is called Cutbank. The hills, high areas and conditions are right down there for wesamasagin and other very valuable medicines…(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY

I’ve also hunted in recent years out near the BC – Alberta border east of Pouce Couple and Dawson Creek. That area was always good for medicines and we used to get a lot from there...we have picked medicines around some of those little lakes and rivers south of Gordonale while my family went hunting. (PIN 14 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I like to pick Saskatoon berries, raspberries, chokecherries and strawberries. While I don’t pick medicine plants, other elders give me rat root or “wataskmatsu” or diamond willow fungus also known as “weeksamasagin” (PIN 15 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

To this day, I still pick plants for teas. Everyone still uses peppermint, laboum and spruce for teas. Spruce trees were very important and we would use the gum and stick it on the wound if someone got hurt in the bush. It really helped and would save lives. The black diamond willow is an important tree as our people use the fungus that grows on them. There are many more important plants, but these are just some of them. Our people also use parts of birds, fur – bearers and bears to use in our medicines. We use all the parts of the animals. However, we should not talk about these medicines too much. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We’d also spend a lot of time in the summers out in the bush where we would set up camp and hunt, fish and harvest berries. We would also gather medicine plants like the fungus from Black Diamond Willow stands, sweetgrass and sage. (PIN 601 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I did a lot of hunting with my step-father. I did a lot of berry picking, root picking and medicine picking with my grandmother. I also learned about medicines and where to find them from xxxxx’s grandmother... I used to travel with an elder out in the bush and we would share knowledge and information with one another about the importance and uses of certain plants. After he passed away, I continued on and did my best to carry on and pass on what knowledge I had to others, that had an interest in learning or where in need of traditional medicines. (PIN 605 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Grandmother was very knowledgeable in plants. I helped her pick these plants and medicines and she said then, there will be a time, when you won’t be able to find these medicines. They will be under rock. She also said you will need to be observant as to what seasons that you see medicines and at what stages so you will know where and when to go gather those. She would only gather what we needed for the winter. Some plants grew in the muskeg. She also taught me how to treat them at home and store them. She tried to teach me these things – bless her soul. I knew when they taught you these things, they also gave you the knowledge of how to take care of it, prepare and administer them. It’s only done in a certain way and you give a protocol – you just didn’t take it and not give back. At that time, there were quite a lot of medicines. There were spinal, heart, lung, eye and pain medicines and that list goes on… (PIN-B-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Agriculture has also got in the way. My grandmother said that you are going to see that our people are not going to find the medicines they need to cure themselves and they won’t have money to go see the doctor. I have been on natural medicines all our life. We had medicines for freezing and birth control. My grandmother said that we cannot share that information as it will be taken. She taught me to leave the

86 strongest plant there so that it would help bring the medicine plants back the following year. (PIN-B- DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Agriculture has taken away a lot of our medicine areas. For every disease, we had something that could help us. We had medicines for migraine headaches, macular degeneration and for the heart. We don’t advertise it but we pass on knowledge through word of mouth. We have medicines for cancer which does help people. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

The birch has many properties that help us…we won’t get into details, but we have medicines in the natural world that can cure everything that affects us. The knowledge comes when you are ready for it. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Today, the way is that if you haven’t got a handful of money you can’t go to the gas station. In the days of wagons and horses, the protocol was that you gave your rifle or a horse or a dog team to one of our healers. There was a guy that brought a horse all the way from Tepee Creek and led that horse all that way to the south of Whitelaw and gave it to my Grandmother to help him for the medicine and the help. Today, it takes a lot to get those medicines and you to travel down south and up into the mountains for some medicines. But we still do this work. (PIN-A-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

Today, if we tried to give a blanket to a gas station, well we’d get in trouble. For old people on a pension, it takes a lot to go gather our medicines and you are lucky if you have a vehicle in your yard. We just accept what people give to us. Sometimes it’s a shirt. You give what you value and can afford. (PIN-B- DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

From: DFN Workshop Report: February 2019 – Identification of Medicine Plant Harvesting Areas:

PIN-A-DFN and PIN-B-DFN have identified a recent Medicine Plant gathering area in the Doig River area that am labelling as Feature Code MP-15-A…MP-15-A. This feature is being attributed to PIN-A- DFN

PIN-A-DFN and PIN-B-DFN have identified another Medicine Plan gathering area in area that takes in the Eureka River, the South Whitemud River drainage and that runs over to Sulphur Lake where they have recently gathered medicines. I am labelling this area as Feature Code MP-16-A…MP-16-A. This feature is being attributed to PIN-A-DFN.

PIN-A-DFN and PIN-B-DFN have identified a further a current Medicine Plant gathering area. I am marking that with a polygon as Feature Code MP-17-B….MP-17 B. This area runs from the east side of Sulphur Lake that runs down to Silver Creek. This feature is being attributed to PIN B.

PIN-A-DFN and PIN-B-DFN have also identified an additional area where they have recently gathered Medicine Plants. This area takes in both sides of the Hotchkiss River and the pipeline area. I am labelling this as Feature Code MP-18-B…MP-18-B and I’m registering this to PIN-B-DFN.

PIN-A-DFN and PIN-B-DFN have also identified an additional area where they have recently gathered Medicine Plants. This area takes in both sides of the Hotchkiss River and the pipeline area. I am labelling this as Feature Code MP-19-A…MP-19-A and I’m registering this to PIN-A-DFN

Also from PIN-A-DFN and PIN-B-DFN’s map, I am entering in another Medicine Plant gathering area which I am marking as Feature Code MP-20-A…MP-20-A which I’m attributing to PIN-A-DFN. This is also in the Hotchkiss and pipeline area.

87

From: DFN Workshop Report: October 2018 – Identification of Medicine Plant Harvesting Areas:

I gathered medicine plants recently along the Notikewin River in areas close to the river. (Map as MP- 07-001-DFN-2018N)

There is also another area that I have gathered medicine plants in that runs along the Notikewin River. (Map as MP-08-001-DFN-2018N)

I also actively gather medicine plants by Whitemud River. (Map as MP-09-001-DFN-2018N)

3.12 Summary of DFN Exercise of Treaty Rights and the Current Use of Lands and Resources Within the Peace River Basin

As with the historical information, references to DFN’s exercise of rights, use of lands and resources and cultural practices are summarized based on highlighted statements from the 2009/11 DFN Traditional Land and Resource Use Survey and the 2018/19 Indigenous Knowledge survey. This is to support review, analysis and discussion by DFN and external reviewing audiences. Tables are provided for the following headings:

• Summary of References to DFN Cultural and Family Connections to Places in Peace River Basin • Summary of References to DFN Resource Use and Cultural Practices in Peace River Basin • Summary of References to Identified DFN Family Resource Use and Hunting Areas Within Peace River Basin • Summary of References to Identified DFN Fishing in Waterbodies and Watersheds Within the Peace River Basin • Summary of References to Identified DFN Berry and Plant Harvesting in Peace River Basin

3.13 Summary of References to DFN Cultural and Family Connections to Places in Peace River Basin

Based on one-on-one interviews conducted with DFN elders and community members in 2009/11 and 2018/19, an interesting and significant web of cultural and family connections can be discerned. This pattern of relationships extends from the present-day location of the Duncan’s First Nation and the location of former Duncan’s reserves along the Peace River, in all directions and to many identifiable locations within the Peace River Basin. The following list summarizes those places referenced by DFN community members in interviews of where their family came from, where they were born, where they lived for a period of time and where they travelled to, to spend time with extended family and relations to hunt, fish, trap and harvest:

Summary of References to DFN Cultural and Family Connections to Places in Peace River Basin

Sucker Creek Sturgeon Lake Paddle Prairie

Kelly Lake Horse Lake Assumption

Ft. Vermillion Keg River Snipe Lake

88 Triangle William Mckenzie IR Gage IR

Eureka/Golden Meadow Dunvegan Grouard

Fort St. John Ft. Resolution Hay Lakes

Rocky Mountain House Indian Cabins Grand Cache

Flying Shot Lake Golden Ridge Bear Lake

Peace River Crossing Keg River

3.14 Summary of References to DFN Resource Use and Cultural Practices in Peace River Basin

Based on a review interviews conducted with DFN elders and community members in the 2009/10 and 2018/19 studies, it possible to identify and highlight the exercise of rights by DFN members in relation to specific species and certain cultural values. The following listing does not reflect the totality of DFN rights exercised or the totality of values and resources utilized and relied upon by the DFN. With that said, the following list can provide an indication of reoccurring species and values of clear importance that DFN exercises rights in relation to:

Summary of References to DFN Resource Use and Cultural Practices in Peace River Basin

Right Exercised / Integral Activities/Cultural Species Utilized / Value Referenced Practices

Right to Hunt Large Mammals – General Large Mammals – General Right to Hunt Moose Moose Right to Hunt Caribou Caribou Right to Hunt Elk Elk Right to Hunt Black Bear Black Bear Right to Hunt Brown Bear Brown Bear Right to Hunt Mule Deer Right to Hunt White Tailed Deer Right to Hunt Buffalo / Bison Buffalo / Bison Right to Hunt / Trap Small Mammals Small Mammals – General Right to Hunt / Trap Rabbits Rabbits Right to Hunt / Trap Beaver Beaver Right to Hunt / Trap Muskrat Muskrat Right to Hunt / Trap Lynx Lynx Right to Hunt / Trap Weasels Weasels Right to Hunt / Trap Squirrels Squirrels Right to Hunt / Trap Marten Marten Right to Hunt / Trap Wolves Wolves Right to Hunt / Trap Coyotes Coyotes Right to Hunt Birds – General Birds – General Right to Hunt Partridge Partridge

89 Right to Hunt Prairie Chickens Prairie Chickens Right to Hunt Geese Geese Right to Hunt Ducks Ducks Right to Hunt Swans Swans Right to Hunt Whooping Crane Whooping Crane Right to Hunt Sandhill Cranes Sandhill Cranes Right to Hunt Wild Turkey Wild Turkey Right to Harvest Duck Eggs Duck Eggs Right to Fish – General Fish – General Right to Fish Jackfish / Northern Pike Jackfish / Northern Pike Right to Fish Trout Trout Right to Fish Rainbow Trout Rainbow Trout Right to Fish Bull Trout Bull Trout Right to Fish Grayling Grayling Right to Fish Pickerel / Walleye Pickerel / Walleye Right to Fish Goldeye Goldeye Right to Fish Ling Cod Ling Cod Right to Fish Whitefish Whitefish Right to Fish Sucker Sucker Right to Harvest Berries – General Berries – General Right to Harvest Saskatoon Berries Saskatoon Berries Right to Harvest Wild Strawberries Wild Strawberries Right to Harvest Blueberries Blueberries Right to Harvest Raspberries Raspberries Right to Harvest Chokecherries Chokecherries Right to Harvest Low Bush Cranberries Low Bush Cranberries Right to Harvest High Bush Cranberries High Bush Cranberries Right to Harvest Moose Berries Moose Berries Right to Harvest Fireweed Berries Fireweed Berries Right to Harvest Plants – General Plants – General Right to Harvest Diamond Willow Fungus Diamond Willow Fungus Right to Harvest Rat Root Rat Root Right to Harvest Peppermint Tea Peppermint Tea Right to Harvest Laboum Laboum Right to Harvest Spruce Spruce Right to Harvest Sweet Grass Sweet Grass Right to Harvest Sage Sage Right to Harvest Wood – General Wood – General Right to Harvest Wood for Cabins Wood for Cabins Right to Harvest Wood for Domestic Use Wood for Domestic Use Right to Harvest Wood for Tepees Wood for Tepees Right to Harvest Wood for Overnight Shelters Wood for Overnight Shelters Right to Harvest Wood for Fuel – Camps Wood for Fuel – Camps Right to Harvest Wood for Domestic Heating Wood for Domestic Heating Right to Quarry Rock – General Rock – General Right to Quarry Rock – Pipestone Rock – Pipestone Right to Quarry Rocks – Ceremonial Purposes Rock – Ceremonial Purpose Right to Collect Potable Water – For Camp Water – For Camp

90 Right to Collect Potable Water – Domestic Water – Domestic Purposes Purposes Right to Construct / Maintain Cabins Cabins Right to Construct / Maintain Camps Camps Right to Construct / Maintain Overnight Shelters Overnight Shelters Right to Travel to / Access Hunting, Fishing, Travel to / Access Hunting, Fishing, Trapping and Trapping and Harvesting Areas Harvesting Areas Right to Build, Use and Maintain Trails Build, Use and Maintain Trails Right to Use Land / Water Travel Routes to Use Land / Water Travel Routes to Access Access Hunting, Fishing, Trapping and Hunting, Fishing, Trapping and Harvesting Areas Harvesting Areas Other Other

3.15 Summary of References to Identified DFN Family Resource Use and Hunting Areas Within Peace River Basin

The following tables summarize areas and places that were referenced by DFN elders and community members in interviews during the 2009/11 and 2018/19 community studies. The entries track the references as they appear in the preceding interview highlights. Thus, there is repetition, however that is not considered a negative feature as it highlights key resource areas used and frequented by different community members.

The text of the interview was also reviewed to determine the temporal time frame in which the key resource and hunting areas where used. Below, the reader will note that the time frames of “Within Living Memory” (WLM) or “Current Use” (CT) is used. This has been done to demonstrate DFN’s interest in attempting to classify places and areas that were used historically, the distant past and the recent past. While there is no definitive definition for the “recent past” or “recently used”, the DFN sees “recent” as being akin to or synonymous with “current use” or “active use” or “ongoing use”.

Summary of References to Identified DFN Family Resource Use and Hunting Areas Within Peace River Basin

Geographic Reference Right Exercised/Cultural Time Frame Practice WEST OF PEACE RIVER WEST OF PEACE RIVER WEST OF PEACE RIVER Fort St. John to Red Earth Hunt, Fish, Trap Within Living Memory (WLM) DFN to Hay Lakes Hunt WLM Cardinal Lake to Keg River Hunt, Fish Trap WLM Keg River-Fontas River-Beatton Hunt, Fish, Trap WLM River Last Lake to Notikewin Hunt Current (CT) Crossing DFN IR to Chinook Valley to Hunt CT Eureka Valley Hotchkiss – Chinchaga Valley Hunt CT Headwaters of Chinchaga River Hunt CT to Ladyfern BC to Boundary Lake

91 DFN IR to area west Worsley to Hunt WLM Bear Canyon DFN to Manning to Paddle Hunt WLM Prairie Area north of Weberville and Hunt CT Highway #986 Leftbank of Peace River to Hunt CT Whitemud and up Whitemud valley Hotckiss and 30 – 40KM west Hunt, Trap, Fish, Camp LM North side of Peace River valley Camp, Plant Harvesting CT and across from Smoky River/ Peace River confluence Old Wives Lake to west side of Hunt and Use of Trail LM Bear Lake (Cardinal Lake) Flood Lake – Lick / Trail Hunt LM Complex West of Dixonville and General Resource Use LM Manning DFN-Bear Lake – Whitemud Travel / General Resource Use LM River Sulphur Lake Hunt / Camp LM Whitemud River valley Fish LM Notikewin River valley Fish LM Chinchaga River valley Hunt, Fish, Trap, Travel by Boat LM Keg River – Dryden Creek – Hunt, Use of Trail LM Hotchkiss River Hotchkiss River-Chinchaga Hunt, Fish LM valley to BC / ALTA border Peace River valley south of Hunt, Fish, Trap, Camp LM DFN IR Eureka across BC /ALTA Hunt LM border to Blueberry River FN Moonshine Lake near Spirit Hunt LM River Lake Cardinal General Resource Use LM Deadwood and east to Peace Camping, General Resource Use LM River and along banks of Peace River Last Lake General Resource Use LM Figure 8 Lake General Resource Use LM Whitemud River valley Camp CT Fairview – DFN – Notikewin Hunt (“DFN Hunting Grounds” LM DFN IR to Whitemud Lake to Hunt (“DFN Hunting Grounds”) LM Running Lake to Chinook Valley

Whitemud River to Rambling Hunt CT Creek Notikewin valley and tributaries Hunt CT

92 Chinchaga Valley to BC / Hunt CT ALTA border Between Highway #743 and Hunt CT Peace River Chinchaga valley Hunt CT Around Sulphur Lake Hunt CT Whitemud valley Hunt CT Blueberry Mountain Hunt, Plant Harvesting CT Around Cutbank Lake Berry Harvesting, Plant CT Harvesting Dixonville, west to Sulphur Hunt, Camp CT Lake and around Sulphur Lake Twin Lakes Hunt, Camp CT North along Peace River from Hunt, Fish CT Carcajou From BC / ALTA border to east Hunt CT of Pouce Coupe and Dawson Creek Small rivers and lakes around Plant Harvesting CT Gordondale Bottom end of Chinook Valley Hunt CT Bear Lake (Lac Cardinal) to Hunt CT Flood Lake to Clear Hills Sulphur Lake Fish CT Manning to Notikewin to west Hunt CT bank of Peace River Sulphur Lake General Resource Use LM Whitemud and Notikewin General Resource Use CT valleys Bear Lake (Lac Cardinal) to Hunt CT DFN IR to Peace River valley, south of the DFN IR Bear Lake (Lac Cardinal) Hunt CT South Whitemud Lake – Hunt CT Rambling River – Flood Lake Clear Hills IR to Worsely to Hunt CT Clear Prairie Along Peace River, east of Hunt CT Manning Around “KM 60” out on Hunt CT Chinchaga Road In area around Sulphur Lake and Hunt CT that takes in the “300 Road” In area south of Flood Lake Hunt CT In area north of Cleardale and Hunt CT up to Running Lake In area that runs through Eureka Hunt CT River across the South Whitemud River area and up into the Whitemud River area

93 In area between the Clear Hills Hunt CT and the Chinchaga River Near Smith Mills in the Chinook Hunt CT Valley near Flood Lake Around Eureka River into area Hunt CT near Ray Lake and over into the Notikewin River Out at the end of the Chinchaga Hunt CT Road and areas beyond North of Doig River near Square Hunt CT Creek Area east of Cup Lake and Hunt CT Town of North Star With family and friends a lot of Hunt CT the time in the Notikewin, Sulphur and Chinchaga Areas North and south of the Hunt CT Notikewin River and south to the Clear Hills IR Out of Sulphur Lake Hunt CT West of Worsley and up into the Hunt CT Clear River area Along BC – Alberta border west Hunt CT of the Chinchaga park area EAST OF PEACE RIVER EAST OF PEACE RIVER EAST OF PEACE RIVER William Mckenzie IR to Hunt, Fish, Trap LM / CT Kimiwan Lake to Winagami Lake to Peavine Southside of Peace River across Hunt, Fish, Trap LM / CT from DFN IR to confluence of Peace River and Smoky River William Mckenzie IR into Hunt CT Harmon valley and Seal Lake area William Mckenzie IR to Hunt LM Benjamin Creek to Heart River to Cadotte River William Mckenzie IR to Heart Hunt LM / CT River to Upper Cadotte River to Carmon Lake, up DMI Road on north side of the Peace River Bear Head Creek near William Camp CT Mckenzie IR Dunvegan to confluence of Hunt CT Smoky and Peace Rivers Three Creeks, up DMI Road to Hunt CT area on east bank of Peace across from Manning Around William Mckenzie IR Camp CT

94 Carmon Creek / up on DMI Camp CT Road Top of Heart River to Carmon Hunt CT Lake Where Carmon Creek crosses Camp CT DMI Road Where Cadotte River crosses Camp CT DMI Road William Mckenzie IR to Seal Hunt CT Lake Up north on the DMI Road Hunt CT Around Otter Lake Hunt CT Around Haig Lake Hunt CT Wolverine River watershed Hunt CT William Mckenzie IR into Hunt / Camp CT Harmon valley SOUTH OF PEACE RIVER SOUTH OF PEACE RIVER SOUTH OF PEACE RIVER South to Grouard and Hunt LM Valleyview Area south of DFN IR to Peace Hunt LM / CT River and on both sides of Peace River to Dunvegan South of DFN Reserve in area Fishing, Hunting, Berry and LM known as the “Flats” along Medicine Plant Harvesting, Peace River Camping “Yelina Coulee” Camp LM Grouard to Rocky Mountain Hunt / Traded LM House Down to the mountains outh of Hunt LM / CT Grande Cache Saddle Hills and the rivers that Hunt, LM flow from the Saddle Hills and around Cutbank Lake Between Wapiti and Little Hunting, Fishing, LM Smoky River / South of Grande Trapping,Camping Prairie east and west of the Forestry Trunk Road and down to Grande Cache Wapiti – Little Smoky River Hunt CT Large winter camp on the south General Resource Use, Ice LM side shore of the Peace River, Fishing, Winter Access Across Cross the Peace River when the Peace River, Camping frozen, south of the DFN IR North of Grande Cache and Hunt, Fish, Camp LM around Muskeg Around Huckleberry Tower and Hunt LM Beaverdam South of Wapiti towards Rocky General Resource Use Oral History / Transmitted Mountains and Northern Knowledge Rockies

95 Peace River Crossing to Hunt, Use of Traditional Trail Oral History / Transmitted Dunvegan to Spirit River to Knowledge Slave Lake Pipestone Creek Quarrying Oral History / Transmitted Knowledge Lands between Wapiti River and Hunt CT Little Smoky River Around Grande Cache and areas Hunt LM east and west of Highway#40 Areas south-east of Grande Hunt LM Prairie Fishing in Muskeg River, north Fishing, Residing LM of Grande Cache Muskeg River and areas around Hunting, Fishing, Camping, CT Grande Cache General Resource Use South of Grande Prairie between Hunting LM the Wapiti and Little Smoky South of Grande Prairie and General Resource Use Oral History / Transmitted towards Grande Cache, South of Knowledge Wapiti, Simonette, Latournel and Little Smoky River West of Kelly Lake near the Trapping, Hunting, Harvesting LM Kiskatinaw River South of Musreau Lake, west of Hunting CT Highway#40 through the Cutbank Valley and Kakwa Valley

South of the Cutbank River Hunting CT around Bearhole Lake Park / East and West of Highway#52 Areas and slopes around Hunting CT Thunder Mtn. Lone Mtn. and Nose Mtn. South of Valleyview via Hunting LM/CT Highway #43 and along forested sections along the Smoky River Between Pinto and Nose Creek Hunting LM/CT and south to Nose Mtn. along the Cutbank River West of Highway#40 north of Hunting LM/CT the Cutbank River Area between Highway #40 and Hunting LM/CT where the Two Lakes and Bald Mtn. Road meet South of Simonette River ans Hunting CT where Norton Creek runs into Deep Creek An area parallel to Highway #40 Hunting CT east of Grande Cache that takes

96 in the Little Smoky and Simonette River An area that takes in the Pinto Hunting CT Creek and Berland Creek South side of the Simonette Hunting CT River and to the north of the Canfor Road West of Highway #40 east of Hunting CT Highway #734 and east to the Simonette River West of Highway #40 into the Hunting LM/CT area by the Two Lakes Road, Nose Mtn. Road and Bald Mtn. Musreau lake and out along the Hunting CT Cutbank and Kakwa valleys West of Crooked Lake and Hunting CT south of Deep Valley Creek West of Crooked Lake and east Hunting CT of Deep Valley Creek An area near Hinton that runs Hunting CT form the Wilmore Wilderness Park up to the ANC Raods and past Rock Creek South of Grande Cache to the Hunting CT north and east Highway #40 and near the Cabin Creek airstrip An area due south of Little Hunting CT Smoky Lake An area south of Crooked Lake Hunting LM / CT and west of Smoke Lake North and south of the ANC Hunting LM/CT Road and between the Little Smoky River and Berland River East of Highway#40 to the east Hunting CT of Muskeg and south of Donald lake and west of Pinto Creek North of the Pierre Grey Park Hunting LM/CT area and into the Simonette watershed The Smoky River watershed far Hunting CT north and south of the ANC Road A group of small lakes west of Hunting CT the Narraway River near Chinook Ridge Either side of Nose Creek above Hunting CT where Nose Creek runs into the Wapiti River South of the Wapiti River Hunting CT

97 South of the Wapiti River and Hunting CT Pipestone Creek area Between Highway #40 and the Hunting CT Forestry Trunk Road along Latournell Creek and up into the headwaters of the Kakwa River Along the Simonette River and Hunting CT north of the Little Smoky River Sheep Creek valley north of Hunting CT Grande Cache

3.16 Summary of References to Identified DFN Fishing in Waterbodies and Watersheds Within the Peace River Basin

Summary of References to Identified DFN Fishing in Waterbodies and Watersheds Within the Peace River Basin

Water Body-Watershed Right Exercised Time Frame Haig Lake Fish Living Memory (LM) / Current (CT) Snipe Lake Fish LM / CT Peace River Fish CT Twin Lakes Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT Peace River Fish LM Carmon Lake Fish LM Lubicon Lake Fish LM Cadotte Lake Fish LM Peace River from “Camp Island” Fish Unknown to above Town of Peace River Old Wives Lake Fish CT Running Lake Fish CT Sulphur Lake Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Figure 8 Lake Fish CT Peace River Fish CT Whitemud / Peace River Fish CT confluence Figure 8 Lake Fish CT Peace River Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Peace River / Cadotte River Fish CT confluence Peace River / Carmon River Fish CT confluence

98 Sturgeon Lake Fish LM Haig Lake Fish LM/CT Sulphur Lake Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Running Lake Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT Old Wives Lake Fish CT Whitemud / Peace River Fish CT confluence Carmon River / Peace River Fish CT confluence Cadotte River / Peace River Fish CT confluence Whitemud River Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT Sturgeon Lake Fish LM Peace River Fish LM Snipe Lake Fish LM Pearless Lake Fish LM Cadotte Lake Fish LM Sturgeon Lake Fish LM Sulphur Lake Fish LM Figure 8 Lake Fish CT Running Lake Fish CT Sulphur Lake Fish CT Peace River Fish CT Great Slave Lake Fish LM Winagami Lake LM (Note: Recent matter involving DFN Member for exercising fishing rights at LM Winagami Lake) Figure 8 Lake Fish LM Sturgeon Lake Fish LM / CT Lesser Slave Lake Fish CT Whitemud River Fish LM Notikewin River Fish LM Sturgeon Lake Fish LM Peace River Fish LM Winagami Lake Fish CT Peace River Fish LM Figure 8 Lake Fish LM Sulphur Lake Fish LM Chinchaga River Fish CT Heart River Fish CT Water bodies in Grande Cache Fish CY Area

99

3.17 Summary of References to Identified Berry and Plant Harvesting in the Peace River Basin

Summary of References to Identified DFN Berry and Plant Harvesting in Peace River Basin

Area / Referenced Right Exercised Time Frame South of DFN IR across Peace Berry Harvesting LM/CT River Close proximity to the DFN IR Berry Harvesting LM so that berries could be brought home for canning before spoiling Near the former DFN Gage Berry Harvesting LM Reserve Near Paddle Prairie Berry Harvesting LM Near Sturgeon Lake Berry Harvesting LM Near Grande Prairie Berry Harvesting LM Approx. 2KM SW of the DFN Berry Harvesting LM Brownvale IR and along the Peace River south of the DFN Brownvale IR An island in the Peace River Berry Harvesting LM south of the DFN Brownvale IR Along the Shaftesbury Trail Berry Harvesting LM heading towards the Peace River South of the DFN IR along the Plant Harvesting LM/CT Peace River Near the confluence of the Plant Harvesting LM/CT Peace and Smoky River West of Blueberry Mountain Plant Harvesting LM/CT South of Highway #40 in the Plant Harvesting LM/CT high ground near White Mtn and a little lake Around little lakes and rivers Plant Harvesting LM/CT south of Gordondale The Doig River area Plant Harvesting LM/CT An area that takes in the Eureka Plant Harvesting LM/CT River, South Whitemud River and over to Sulphur Lake East side of Sulphur Lake down Plant Harvesting LM/CT to Silver Creek Both sides of the Hotckiss River Plant Harvesting LM/CT Along the shores of the Plant Harvesting CT Notikewin River Along the Whitemud River Plant Harvesting CT

100 3.18 Geo-Spatial Data and Maps Depicting DFN Exercise of Rights and Practice of Culture within the DFN Traditional Territory and Peace River Basin

DFN’s research efforts over the past decade (e.g. 2009/2011, 2012 and 2018/19) identified and recorded examples of DFN members’ exercise of rights and practice of culture in qualitative terms (as set out and summarized in the previous sections) and by quantitative / geo-spatial means via maps. Not all information provided by DFN interview participants could be expressed in geo-spatial terms and mapping, however a considerable amount could. Geo-spatial data gathered during the DFN 2009/11, 2012 and 2018/19 research efforts are presented in data sets or map sets out in the appendices of this document:

• Appendix 1: 2009/2011: DFN Sustenance / Big Game Hunting Areas

• Appendix 2: 2012 DFN Identified Example Traditional Land and Resource Use Sites and Areas

• Appendix 3: 2018/19 Large Game Hunting Areas Recently Utilized by a Sample of DFN Members within the Wapiti – Little Smoky Fan and the Clear Hills –Chinchaga Refuge

• Appendix 4: Identified DFN Large Game Hunting Areas and Cultural Practice Areas within the DFN Traditional Territory and the Peace River Basin (2009/11, 2012 and 2018/19)

• Appendix 5: Magnified Projection: Correlation of Identified DFN Geo-Spatial Data with NGTL Project Areas and Areas in Vicinity of Projects

The maps presented in this appendices of report have been scaled to fit into the report format. Clearly more detailed presentations and map sheets can be produced for viewers who are interested in obtaining a clearer and an enhanced view of the depicted data. The DFN will provide the maps in these reports to external parties where an appropriate information sharing agreement is in place with measures to provide a suitable level of confidentiality.

3.19 Root DFN Studies and Limitations

This report is based on studies that the DFN has made available and which has been placed on public repositories. The DFN can and will make available the 2009/2011, 2012 study reports to DFN members and external parties that have an interest in reviewing the non-confidential root study documents.

Each of the above noted studies have limitations. Each study (2009/2011 and 2012 and the current study) contains a section noting and describing limitations that may have had some impact on the study results and qualitative and quantitative data collected and recorded. A description of the associated are set out in the Section 6.0 of this report.

101

Part 4: Ongoing Exercise of Rights and Cultural Practices in the Clear Hills - Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

102

4.0 Ongoing Exercise of Rights and Cultural Practices in the Clear Hills - Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

In the following section, DFN utilizes relevant qualitative information from the 2009/11 and 2018/19 Indigenous knowledge land survey to highlight examples of the ongoing exercise of rights and practice of culture by DFN community members in the Project area and areas in the vicinity of the Project within the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge.

Each paragraph or section represents an excerpt from a witness statement prepared with participating DFN members. As with the preceding sections of this document, relevant information is also broken out in table form for quick reference purposes and to assist with analysis and application of the findings.

4.1 Exercise of Right to Hunt in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

The research undertaken by the DFN confirms that many DFN members, over their lifetime and have more recently (a.k.a currently use / use on an ongoing basis) utilized the lands between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga watershed to exercise their right to hunt large game. Moose and elk are the species now sought most in this area within this time frame. The following table highlights references from DFN community members’ interviews that identify areas where the hunting of large game occurs that has and continues to occur between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga watershed:

Back then, we covered a huge area to make a living off of the land. Life was different then. We hunted, trapped and fished all the lands between Ft. St. John and Red Earth Creek in the east. We also hunted all the way down to Grouard and Valley View and north up to the Hay Lakes. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

In the last thirty years of my life I have hunted, fished, trapped and lived off the land through… a huge area from south of Cardinal Lake or Bear Lake north to Keg River and the Fontas River and westwards over the BC border to the Beatton River near Ft. St. John (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Today, I use a smaller area and don’t go as far as I once did, but I still cover a lot of ground with my truck and spend a lot of time hunting through. Some of the areas that I still go to this today are:

• the area as far south as “Last Lake” to the crossing on the Notikewin River, to the west of Notikewin Tower and as far east as the Chinook Valley to an area just south of the Eureka River • the Chinchaga valley area from as far east as Hotchkiss to across the BC border in the headwaters of the Chinchaga River into the Lady Fern area and come out at Boundary Lake

(PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family hunted through a broad area on the west side of the Peace River and they required the whole area, given changes in animal populations and animal movements through the year…would travel in other seasons across the BC border, west of Worsley and Bear Canyon and north to Manning and up to Paddle Prairie. They would move north from the William Mackenzie Reserve up the main creek areas such as

103 Benjamin Creek, the Heart River, the Cadotte River and Carmon Creek. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family hunted through a broad area on the west side of the Peace River and they required the whole area, given changes in animal populations and animal movements through the year…would travel in other seasons across the BC border, west of Worsley and Bear Canyon and north to Manning and up to Paddle Prairie. They would move north from the William Mackenzie Reserve up the main creek areas such as Benjamin Creek, the Heart River, the Cadotte River and Carmon Creek. (PIN 01 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

When I went to stay with my grandfather in Manning, we would hunt west of Hotchkiss, up the Hotchkiss River. I remember the old trading post, store and post office at Notikewin. We might have travelled out west about three days hunting, snaring and fishing as we went. So, I would estimate that we would hunt 30 – 40KM west of Hotchkiss. We would travel and set camps- kind of like temporary staging or base camps. We would then pair up with someone and hunt in a large radius around the camp for maybe five to six miles…(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

There was a trail that ran from Old Wives Lakes on the reserve, to the west side of Bear Lake. We would hunt through that whole area. We used to be a massive lick and wildlife trail area all around Flood Lake….it was a good place to go and was close to the reserve so anyone could up there. (PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family would spend every year in the winter and summer out in the area west of Dixonville and Manning. I have good memories of this place. We used to travel from the Duncan’s reserve and take the old road that ran to the west side of Bear Lake and north of the Whitemud River. We would camp at different locations but we generally camped between Sulphur Lake and a little lake at the top of Jim Creek. There was great moose hunting in here. I remember catching jackfish and walleye in the Whitemud and Notikewin River….we also used to get a lot of jackfish and grayling out of the Notikewin. (PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My father had a trapline east of Paddle Prairie. We travelled all over the lands in the lands west of manning and Paddle Prairie over into BC. We would travel in boats up and down the Chinchaga River, hunting, fishing and trapping as we went….We would go to the traplines on a series of trails that went west out the west side of Paddle Prairie. The trail would follow Keg River then head south towards Dryden Creek…in the winter we would head south and hunt all through a large area around the Hotchkiss River. We would also leave the traplines and head up to the Chinchaga river across the border. We would fish in the summer and the fall through this area. (PIN 16 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

The Testawich family lived at Eureka for many years and traveled and hunted all through the area into BC. To this day, we have relations and connections to the people at the Blueberry River First Nation near Ft. St. John. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We travelled to and camped at places near Moonshine Lake, near Spirit River, Lac Cardinal, Smith Mills, Deadwood and along the Peace River. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family spent a great deal of time on the land - in fact we were born and raised most of our lives out through the Peace area. My family used to spend a lot of time to the north of Lost Lake and Figure 8 Lake. When the ground had dried out, we would travel by horses and wagons. In the winter, we would use dog teams and walk in the winter months to get where we needed to go. We set up camp all over the land and where we needed to stop. Most often, we would stop near bodies of water for drinking water

104 supplies and that's where we used to find the animals as well. (PIN 03 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family has traditionally used much of the lands through the Lower Peace areas stretching across the BC - Alberta border, south of the Peace River along the Smoky River, east to the Lubicon Lake area and north to the Paddle Prairie settlement area. We spent a lot of time on the land, hunting, fishing and trapping as we were growing up. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunted through a large area to the north. Our hunting grounds went from Fairview and the Duncan’s reserve in the south up to the Notikewin River in the north, west to the White Mud Lake and Running Lake and east to the Chinook Valley, near Dixonville. We covered a large area as we had to follow and go where the animals where. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I still go hunt up into the Whitemud Rivers. We hunt along there and then go north up through Rambling Creek. We get there by driving north from the reserve and going up into area through some of the old access roads. We also drive up and go into the Notikewin River valley and hunt up many of the smaller rivers that flow into it. To get there, we drive up through Manning, go up the Chinchaga, then head south down to the Notikewin River valley area. We’ll then spend time in that area. There are a lot of good licks and trails that we’ll walk to. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

On days trips we will drive north of Weberville and go up route 743 and hunt on the lands between there and the Peace River. I have camped on the Whitemud River, just above where it flows into the Peace. We hunt through the Whitemud and up along the banks of the Peace River, south towards Peace River. We are pretty successful in this area, as its tough for people to get down along the banks of the Peace. I’ve taken a boat and hunted on the islands and west shore of the Peace River. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

There are a lot of hunters at Duncan's. My dad is one of them and is out in the bush almost all the time. He hunts for us and other families here at Duncan's. I've been going out in the bush with him as long as I can remember. That's what we like to do. I've always liked to go out and hunt, fish, camp, pick berries and do other things out in the bush. He shows me how to hunt and where to hunt. I've gone to a lot of places up north, along the Peace River, out over the BC border, the Chinchaga and around our reserve on the other side of the river (William Mackenzie I.R.). (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I hunt in the same areas my dad hunts in. In the last three years, we've hunted up in the Chinchaga, around Sulphur Lake, in the hills north of the Whitemud River and up where the Notikewin river comes from, I've hunted around our reserve on the other side of Peace River (William Mackenzie) and into the oil fields (Seal and Cliffdale) north of there, up the DMI road along the Peace River and on this side of the Peace River from the Notikewin River, around the Whitemud River and south towards Peace River. (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

In the last five years, we’ve gone back to the area where my family used to go west of Dixonville and out around Sulphur Lake. Some of the old trails are grown over...I think a could were turned in access roads. We’ve set up camps in the area away from Sulphur Lake where it’s more quiet. This is still a very good area and the bush is not so cut up. There are a lot of moose around Sulphur Lake...We’ve also seen caribou north at the bottom of the hills where Rambling Creek runs and Whitemud Creek meet near the airstrip…(PIN 10 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

So, I’ve been back (hunting) to the following areas in the last five to ten years:

• North of Clear Prairie, north over the Doig River and into the bottom of the Chinchaga Park;

105 • North of Worsley, around Ray Lake and down to the Notikewin River;

• North of the Clear Hills up to the Cub Lakes. We have a camp to the east of Sulphur Lake. I have gone there every year for the past ten years…

(PIN 11 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I killed my first moose to the north of Bear Lake, just at the bottom end of the Chinook valley. This was another important area where we hunted and – that was the Whitemud Hills. We still go out there as its close to the reserve. That area runs from the south side of Bear Lake, up to Flood Lake and over to the Clear Hills reserve. It went as far west and south as George Lake near Hines Creek. Another cousin had a trapline in the southern part of the Chinook valley. There were cabins along the Whitemud River in that area. That area is still important, but it’s harder to find moose there because of all the logging. My cousin xxxxxx had a trapline on the north side of Bear Lake. We used to fish at Sulphur Lake, then it got fished out. Now I don’t go there because of the Grizzlies. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I also hunted up north of Manning down the Notikewin River and out on the west side of the Peace River. That area was a good area and is still pretty good for moose. A few of our hunters still go there because all the moose you can find. The moose move up and down the Notikewin River to the Peace River. I was there last year. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I used to go the Sulphur Lake area to hunt, but don’t go there now because all the Grizzlies in there. It’s okay to have some of those bears around, but they moved too many into the area from down south. They did that in the Chinchaga too. I go out with xxxxx a lot through Whitemud and Notikewin. We were just up there a few weeks ago. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We hunt a lot around the Notikewin Tower area. This area stretches from the South White Mud Lake – Rambling River to the west over to Cub Lake and Flood Lakes in the east. I take moose, elk, deer and other types of animals from this area. This area is probably one of the best areas still to go in the whole area. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I also hunt to the west out to and across the BC border. That area runs from the Clear Hills Reserve in the east to out past, Worsley and Clear Prairie. You can still find some animals in this area, especially along the Eureka River, and Clear River. (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

Last year, my brother and I were hunting in areas around Kilometer 60 on the Chinchaga road. (PIN-E- DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

My father and I were also out in the same area recently, hunting for moose in area around Sulphur Lake that takes in the “300 Road”. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I hunted in another area with XXXXXXXXX between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga that runs south of Flood Lake. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I also attempted to recently hunt in an that runs from the north of Cleardale that runs up to Running Lake. I went into the area but there was a large camp in the area with lots of movement and helicopters working so I determined that area wouldn’t be good for hunting at that time. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

106 Recently I was out hunting with XXXXXX and XXXX in area that runs through Eureka River across the South Whitemud and into the Whitemud River area. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have hunted for moose in several places between the Chinchaga and Clear Hills. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There is one small part in this area where we have been lucky for moose out near Smith Mills in the Chinook Valley just east of Flood Lake. We’ve hunted there for moose. I’ve been out there with my dad, my uncle XXXXXX and my Mooshum. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There is one area we were hunting in and we took chickens but there wasn’t any moose. There is another location around the Eureka River near Ray Lake that runs over to the Notikewin River. We hunted along this trail. You go in by your main access, then when you see something you go in and explore and follow smaller wildlife trails. When we hunt, we do other things such as looking for plants. It goes hand in hand. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We head out to the end of the Chinchaga – to the end of the road and beyond. We hunt out there as there is not a lot of development out past the road. I have also recently hunted in area to the north of Doig River near Square Creek. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

We use the Canfor or the “300 Road” to access areas between the Chinchaga and Clear Hills and branch out to the east and west of the road. Moose are attracted to the poplar and willow seedlings that come in cutblocks and we’ll go in check those out. That’s something you learn. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

There is another area that I have recently hunted in which located east of Cup Lake and west of the Town of North Star. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have up in the Notikewin, Sulphur and Chinchaga areas in recent times. I go up there hunting quite a bit up with friends and family. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have hunted all over in this area recently. It’s an area that is both north and south of the Notikewin River and that runs south to an area north of the Clear Hills reserve. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I’ve hunted actively for moose and elk down this area...and here too…and back in here. It’s an area out of Sulphur Lake. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I’ve been hunting west of Worsley for Elk and Moose too. There was also lots of deer out in this area. This area runs north of the Clear River and heads up to Fish Lake and takes in some of the headwaters of the Clear River. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I recently hunted for moose and elk over by the BC – Alberta border west of the Chinchaga Wildland area… I have also hunted in recent times down by Mearon Creek. (PIN-101-DFN, 2018 /19 DFN IK SURVEY)

4.2 Exercise of Right to Fish in Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

107 The survey reveals that DFN members exercise their right to fish and undertake cultural fishing practices within rivers, creeks and lakes in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge. The Project will traverse some of the watersheds and waterbodies actively utilized by DFN members:

I don’t fish as much as I did, but I still fish in Haig Lake, Snipe Lake east of Valley View, along the Peace River, Twin Lakes, the White Mud River and the Notikewin River and the streams that flow into them. (PIN 00 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

A lot of our people still fish on the Peace River, at the little lake to the north of the Duncan’s Reserve, Running Lake and Sulphur Lake. We also take time to fish as we travel through the bush to hunt when we camp. You can find fish up in the rivers like the Notikewin and WhiteMud. (PIN 18 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family fishes at Figure 8 Lake, the Peace River, in the lower part of the Whitemud River where it runs into the Peace River. While there is less fish along the Peace, you can still catch fish where the rivers run into the Peace. We catch a lot of fish, dry them, can them and cook them in different ways. (PIN 02 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY

I have fished in a lot of places. Sometimes, we'll just go up to Figure 8 Lake and fish there. I've been fishing along the Peace River. I've stayed at camps at the Whitemud River and have fished there. I have also fished on the other side of the Peace from or our other camps over there. We go up the DMI road and set up camp, then go down to the Peace River and fish for walleye and jacks. (PIN 04 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We used to go to my mother’s home and fish at Sturgeon Lake. We used to and still fish at Haig Lake, north of Cadotte Lake. There is really good fishing at Haig Lake. We used to and still fish at Sulphur Lake. We also fish along the Whitemud River for smaller fish, all the way up to Running Lake. Sometimes we will throw in a line when we are hunting and camping up along the Notikewin River. We still also fish at “Old Wives Lake”, here at the Duncan’s Reserve. We also fished along a good stretch of the Peace River. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We also fish when we camp in this area. We catch fish in the fall where the rivers run into the Peace. I’ve caught fish at the Whitemud and the Peace, and the Carmon and the Peace and the Cadotte and the Peace and the Notikewin and the Peace. The conditions are good where the two rivers meet and mix and there is a good drop off. We’ve netted fish here as well as further up the Peace near the BC border. (PIN 05 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We do a lot of fishing. We have fished from a boat along the Peace River with a net at the Whitemud River, down the hill on the Peace River from the DMI road, at the Notikewin River and also along the River south of our reserve and Dunvegan. I've caught jackfish, walleye, gold eye and those ugly ling cod. I like to fish and eat what we catch. (PIN 07 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

I've camped out with my family on the Whitemud River, just above where it flows into the Peace River. It's good for fishing down there in the fall, but I've never ice fished there in the winter (PIN 08 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

We used to fish at Sulphur Lake, then it got fished out. Now I don’t go there because of the Grizzlies. (PIN 19 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

108 I fish at Figure 8 Lake for rainbow trout, Running Lake for rainbow trout and whitefish, Sulphur Lake, and on the Peace for Ling Cod and Jackfish (PIN 20 DFN, 2009/11 DFN TLU STUDY)

My family would spend every year in the winter and summer out in the area west of Dixonville and Manning. I have good memories of this place. We used to travel from the Duncan’s reserve and take the old road that ran to the west side of Bear Lake and north of the Whitemud River. We would camp at different locations but we generally camped between Sulphur Lake and a little lake at the top of Jim Creek. There was great moose hunting in here. I remember catching jackfish and walleye in the Whitemud and Notikewin River….we also used to get a lot of jackfish and grayling out of the Notikewin. PIN 11 DFN 2009/11 TLU STUDY)

I used to fish a lot with my Dad at Great Slave Lake, in Hilliard’s Bay on Winigami Lake and around Figure Eight Lake. (PIN 01 DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

You can catch fish in stocked lakes. If you look at Figure 8 Lake, there used to be nothing in there but then they started to stock that. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

You could fish for trout in Sulphur Lake but you have to watch it because of all the Grizzly Bears that are in the area now. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

I have fished up in the Chinchaga River. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)

4.3 Exercise of Right to Construct, Use and Maintain Camps in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

In recent times I have stayed in camps in areas between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga River. One camp I made and stayed in was on the north side of Sulphur Lake. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY) (Map Reference: CP-21-E-DFN-2019)

I have also camped recently at a camp to the north of Sulphur Lake. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)(Map Reference: CP-22-E-DFN-2019)

I have also camped a location on the north side of the Notikewin River. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)(Map Reference: CP-23-E-DFN-2019)

I have recently stayed out overnight in a camp to the east of Silver Creek and south of Waving Creek. (PIN-E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)(Map Reference: CP-24-E-DFN-2019)

I have also camped at site along the north side of the Hotchkiss River just off the Chinchaga Road. (PIN- E-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)(Map Reference: CP-25-E-DFN-2019)

There was place I stayed at that is on this map. It’s to the north of Town of Hines Creek, just north of where that old mill was. It was called Stoney Lake and the area was turned into a Provincial Camp Ground. There’s the old Hines Creek Highway…that’s it – that little lake right there. (PIN-C-DFN, 2018/19 DFN IK SURVEY)(Map Reference CP-26-C-DFN-2019)

4.4 Exercise of Right to Harvest Berries in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

109 No specific references identified to date.

4.5 Exercise of Right to Harvest Medicine Plants in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Area in the Vicinity of the Project by the DFN

From: DFN Workshop Report: February 2019 – Identification of Medicine Plant Harvesting Areas:

PIN-A-DFN has identified a recent Medicine Plant gathering area in the Doig River area. (Map Feature: MP-15-A-DFN-2019)

PIN-A-DFN has identified another Medicine Plant gathering area in area that takes in the Eureka River, the South Whitemud River drainage and that runs over to Sulphur Lake where they have recently gathered medicines. (Map Feature: MP-16-A-DFN-2019)

PIN-B-DFN has identified a further a current Medicine Plant gathering area…. This area runs from the east side of Sulphur Lake that runs down to Silver Creek. (Map Feature: MP-17-B-DFN-2019)

PIN-B-DFN has also identified an additional area where they have recently gathered Medicine Plants. This area takes in both sides of the Hotchkiss River and the pipeline area. (Map Feature: MP-18-B-DFN- 2019)

PIN-A-DFN has also identified an additional area where they have recently gathered Medicine Plants. This area takes in both sides of the Hotchkiss River and the pipeline area. (Map Feature: MP-19-A-DFN- 2019)

Also from PIN-A-DFN and PIN-B-DFN’s map, I am entering in another Medicine Plant gathering area which I am marking as Feature Code MP-20-A…MP-20-A which I’m attributing to PIN-A-DFN. This is also in the Hotchkiss and pipeline area. (Map Feature: MP-20-A-DFN-2019)

From: DFN Workshop Report: October 2018 – Identification of Medicine Plant Harvesting Areas:

I gathered medicine plants recently along the Notikewin River in areas close to the river. (Map Feature: MP-07-001-DFN-2018N)

There is also another area that I have gathered medicine plants in that runs along the Notikewin River. (Map Feature: MP-08-001-DFN-2018N)

I also actively gather medicine plants by Whitemud River. (Map Feature: MP-09-001-DFN-2018N)

4.6 Summary: DFN Exercise of Treaty Rights Within the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

As with the preceding sections of this report, references to the DFN exercise of rights, use of lands and resources and cultural practices are summarized based on highlighted statements from the 2018/19 DFN Indigenous knowledge survey. This is to support review, analysis and discussion by DFN and external reviewing audiences.

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4.7 Summary: DFN Family Resource Use and Large Game Hunting Areas in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

Summary: DFN Family Resource Use and Large Game Hunting Areas in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

Geographic Reference Right Exercised/Cultural Time Frame Practice Fort St. John to Red Earth Hunt, Fish, Trap Within Living Memory (WLM) DFN to Hay Lakes Hunt WLM Cardinal Lake to Keg River Hunt, Fish Trap WLM Keg River-Fontas River-Beatton Hunt, Fish, Trap WLM River Last Lake to Notikewin Hunt Current (CT) Crossing DFN IR to Chinook Valley to Hunt CT Eureka Valley Hotchkiss – Chinchaga Valley Hunt CT Headwaters of Chinchaga River Hunt CT to Ladyfern BC to Boundary Lake DFN IR to area west Worsley to Hunt WLM Bear Canyon DFN to Manning to Paddle Hunt WLM Prairie Area north of Weberville and Hunt CT Highway #986 Leftbank of Peace River to Hunt CT Whitemud and up Whitemud valley Hotckiss and 30 – 40KM west Hunt, Trap, Fish, Camp LM North side of Peace River valley Camp, Plant Harvesting CT and across from Smoky River/ Peace River confluence Old Wives Lake to west side of Hunt and Use of Trail LM Bear Lake (Cardinal Lake) Flood Lake – Lick / Trail Hunt LM Complex West of Dixonville and General Resource Use LM Manning DFN-Bear Lake – Whitemud Travel / General Resource Use LM River Sulphur Lake Hunt / Camp LM Whitemud River valley Fish LM Notikewin River valley Fish LM Chinchaga River valley Hunt, Fish, Trap, Travel by Boat LM

111 Keg River – Dryden Creek – Hunt, Use of Trail LM Hotchkiss River Hotchkiss River-Chinchaga Hunt, Fish LM valley to BC / ALTA border Peace River valley south of Hunt, Fish, Trap, Camp LM DFN IR Eureka across BC /ALTA Hunt LM border to Blueberry River FN Moonshine Lake near Spirit Hunt LM River Lake Cardinal General Resource Use LM Deadwood and east to Peace Camping, General Resource Use LM River and along banks of Peace River Whitemud River valley Camp CT Fairview – DFN – Notikewin Hunt (“DFN Hunting Grounds” LM DFN IR to Whitemud Lake to Hunt (“DFN Hunting Grounds”) LM Running Lake to Chinook Valley Whitemud River to Rambling Hunt CT Creek Notikewin valley and tributaries Hunt CT Chinchaga Valley to BC / Hunt CT ALTA border Between Highway #743 and Hunt CT Peace River Chinchaga valley Hunt CT Around Sulphur Lake Hunt CT Whitemud valley Hunt CT Dixonville, west to Sulphur Hunt, Camp CT Lake and around Sulphur Lake Area around Twin Lakes Hunt, Camp CT Bear Lake (Lac Cardinal) to Hunt CT Flood Lake to Clear Hills Sulphur Lake Fish CT Manning to Notikewin to west Hunt CT bank of Peace River Sulphur Lake General Resource Use LM Whitemud and Notikewin General Resource Use CT valleys South Whitemud Lake – Hunt CT Rambling River – Flood Lake Clear Hills IR to Worsely to Hunt CT Clear Prairie Along Peace River, east of Hunt CT Manning Around “KM 60” out on Hunt CT Chinchaga Road In area around Sulphur Lake and Hunt CT that takes in the “300 Road”

112 In area south of Flood Lake Hunt CT In area north of Cleardale and Hunt CT up to Running Lake In area that runs through Eureka Hunt CT River across the South Whitemud River area and up into the Whitemud River area In area between the Clear Hills Hunt CT and the Chinchaga River Near Smith Mills in the Chinook Hunt CT Valley near Flood Lake Around Eureka River into area Hunt CT near Ray Lake and over into the Notikewin River Out at the end of the Chinchaga Hunt CT Road and areas beyond North of Doig River near Square Hunt CT Creek Area east of Cup Lake and Hunt CT Town of North Star With family and friends a lot of Hunt CT the time in the Notikewin, Sulphur and Chinchaga Areas North and south of the Hunt CT Notikewin River and south to the Clear Hills IR Out of Sulphur Lake Hunt CT West of Worsley and up into the Hunt CT Clear River area Along BC – Alberta border west Hunt CT of the Chinchaga park area

4.8 Summary: DFN Fishing in Waterbodies and Watersheds Within the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

Water Body-Watershed Right Exercised Time Frame Twin Lakes Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT Running Lake Fish CT Sulphur Lake Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Sulphur Lake Fish CT Whitemud River Fish CT Running Lake Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT

113 Whitemud River Fish CT Notikewin River Fish CT Sulphur Lake Fish LM Running Lake Fish CT Figure 8 Lake Fish LM Whitemud River Fish LM Notikewin River Fish LM Sulphur Lake Fish LM Chinchaga River Fish CT

4.9 Summary: DFN Overnight Sites in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

Summary: DFN Overnight Sites in the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

Location / Reference Right Exercised Time Frame North side of Sulphur Lake Construct, Maintain and Use CT Camp North of Sulphur Lake Construct, Maintain and Use CT Camp North side of Notikewin Construct, Maintain and Use CT Camp North side of Hotchkiss River just Construct, Maintain and Use CT off Chinchaga Road Camp

4.10 Summary: DFN Berry and Plant Harvesting Within the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

Summary: DFN Berry and Plant Harvesting Within the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

Area / Referenced Right Exercised Time Frame The Doig River area Plant Harvesting LM/CT An area that takes in the Eureka Plant Harvesting LM/CT River, South Whitemud River and over to Sulphur Lake East side of Sulphur Lake down Plant Harvesting LM/CT to Silver Creek Both sides of the Hotckiss River Plant Harvesting LM/CT Along the shores of the Plant Harvesting CT Notikewin River Along the Whitemud River Plant Harvesting CT

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4.11 Geo-Spatial Data and Maps Depicting DFN Exercise of Rights and Practice of Culture within the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and Areas in the Vicinity of the Project

DFN’s research efforts over the past decade (e.g. 2009/2011, 2012 and 2018/19) identified and recorded examples of DFN members’ exercise of rights and practice of culture in qualitative terms (as set out and summarized in the previous sections) and by quantitative / geo-spatial means via maps. Not all information provided by DFN interview participants could be expressed in geo-spatial terms and mapping, however a considerable amount could. Geo-spatial data gathered during the DFN 2009/11, 2012 and 2018/19 research efforts are presented in data sets or map sets out in the appendices of this document:

• Appendix 1: 2009/2011: DFN Sustenance / Big Game Hunting Areas

• Appendix 2: 2012 DFN Identified Example Traditional Land and Resource Use Sites and Areas

• Appendix 3: 2018/19 Large Game Hunting Areas Recently Utilized by a Sample of DFN Members within the Wapiti – Little Smoky Fan and the Clear Hills –Chinchaga Refuge

• Appendix 4: Identified DFN Large Game Hunting Areas and Cultural Practice Areas within the DFN Traditional Territory and the Peace River Basin (2009/11, 2012 and 2018/19)

• Appendix 5: Magnified Projection: Correlation of Identified DFN Geo-Spatial Data with NGTL Project Areas and Areas in Vicinity of Projects

The maps presented in this appendices of report have been scaled to fit into the report format. Clearly more detailed presentations and map sheets can be produced for viewers who are interested in obtaining a clearer and an enhanced view of the depicted data. The DFN will provide the maps in these reports to external parties where an appropriate information sharing agreement is in place with measures to provide a suitable level of confidentiality.

4.12 Root DFN Studies and Limitations

This report is based on studies that the DFN has made available and which has been placed on public repositories. The DFN can and will make available the 2009/2011, 2012 study reports to DFN members and external parties that have an interest in reviewing the non-confidential root study documents.

Each of the above noted studies have limitations. Each study (2009/2011 and 2012 and the current study) contains a section noting and describing limitations that may have had some impact on the study results and qualitative and quantitative data collected and recorded. A description of the associated limitations are set out in Section 6.0 of this report.

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5.0 The Traditional Territory of the DFN

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5.0 Sources for and Mapping of Duncan’s First Nation Traditional Territory

As a result of its various research streams and anecdotal reports provided by DFN community members, the DFN is of the view that it can and has established a basis to assert and demarcate a Traditional Territory.

Like many First Nations, the DFN has demarcated or set out a “Traditional Territory”. There are of course many concepts of what a traditional territory constitutes and the basis for such a territory. In the case of the DFN, the Traditional Territory tracks and incorporates areas of documented historical, ongoing and current land and resource use and utilization and the exercise of rights by DFN members. Such maps are updated and revised as more research is conducted and more is known about the land utilization patterns of community members. This holds true with DFN where DFN has the ability and reserves the right to amend the meets and bounds of its Traditional Territory based on new information and ongoing analysis of that information.

Notwithstanding the fact that DFN community members have the ability to exercise their rights on a much broader basis (e.g. at the Treaty 8 area level and in provinces to which the NRTA applies), the DFN has and continues to utilize and attempt to rely upon its usual and accustomed lands, that it’s ancestors also relied upon.

Of importance, the DFN acknowledges that other Indigenous groups have done the same in identifying their own respective traditional territory boundaries and areas. The DFN supports their right to do so and their requests to the Crown to honour its sacred commitments, promises and legally enforceable Treaty obligations to them as well.

Based on the information obtained via the DFN’s research efforts of 2009/100, 2012 and 2018/19, the DFN is able to delineate two Traditional Territory Maps – one that demarcates DFN’s Traditional Territory with Alberta and British Columbia and one that demarcates just those portions of its Traditional Territory that lies within the bounds of the Province of Alberta. These maps are included in the appendices of this report. (Appendix #6)

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6.0 Supplementary Information and Appendices

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6.1Supplementary Information

This report provides some information in respect to the DFN’s ongoing exercise of rights and practice of culture within the DFN’s Traditional Territory, the Clear-Hills Chinchaga Refuge, the Project area and areas in the vicinity of the Project. As described in this report, the information and accompanying maps need to viewed within the context of the limitations that applies to each research stream that feeds in and supports the report. This report will be tabled and reviewed with NGTL, the NEB and Crown agencies.

Following the transmittal of this report, the DFN intends to complete and submit two additional documents related to the state of the DFN’s territory and the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge.

The second report will include community derived information in respect to the on-the-ground conditions DFN community members deal with and trends they observe in relation to their ability to exercise their right hunt to large game and undertake associated cultural practices. This information is based on DFN individuals’ and families’ close and ongoing connection to their Traditional Territory and the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge.

The third report will be authored and prepared by the ALCES Group – external experts that the DFN has engaged to assist it in preparing geo-spatial mapping and analysis in respect to its Traditional Territory, the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge, the Project Area and areas in the vicinity of the Project/s. The analyses is vital and needed for all parties to develop an informed understanding of the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts and implications of NGTL’s pipeline projects.

The DFN wishes to acknowledge the support provided by NGTL and the NEB to date to assist with the production of this report.

6.2 Limitations of DFN Research Conducted to Date

This section provides a brief summary of the approach and methods employed for the DFN 2009/11, 2012 and 2018/19 DFN research efforts conducted to date entitled:

• “Duncan’s First Nation: Consolidated Traditional Use Scoping Project of the Upper Peace” (DFN: 2009/11)

• “Duncan’s First Nation 2012 Traditional Land and Resource Use Survey” (DFN: 2012)

• “2018 Wapiti – Little Smoky Fan Indigenous Knowledge Survey Conducted in Relation to the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. 2021 System Expansion Project Report” (DFN: 2018/19)

• “2019 Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge Indigenous Knowledge Survey Conducted in Relation to the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. North Central Corridor Loop Project and North Corridor Expansion Project” (DFN: 2018 / 19 - this document)

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“Duncan’s First Nation: Consolidated Traditional Use Scoping Project of the Upper Peace” (DFN: 2009/11): Summary of Scope, Method and Limitations

Background to 2008 / 20011 Traditional Land Use Survey Data

The following sections summarize why and how the 2009 / 2011 Duncan’s First Nation (DFN) traditional land use survey data set came to be produced:

Prior to 2008, the DFN had not been afforded the opportunity to undertake a traditional use study (a.k.a. Use and Occupancy Study, Traditional Land and Resource Use Study, Indigenous Knowledge Study, Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Study etc.;

Between 2000 and 2010, the Government of Alberta (GOA) began to develop / refine a consultation framework and directed industry to forward applications and referrals to First Nations including the DFN as part of this consultation framework;

In addition, the GOA also began to develop and implement a traditional land use study program. In 2003, the GOA (Alberta Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development) released a document a guide entitled ‘Best Practices Handbook for Traditional Use Studies” (GOA TUS Guide);

In 2009, the GOA and DFN signed a Contribution Agreement (CA) that provided a limited amount of funding to the DFN support the conduct of traditional use study, limited in scope and scale. The DFN took the above noted GOA TUS Guide into account when it planned and implemented its program of research to fulfil the GOA deliverables outlined in the 2009 CA;

The DFN utilized the research undertaken under the auspices of the 2009 CA to address pressing information needs in relation to several major developments being advanced within the DFN’s Traditional Territory at the time. Among others, these projects included:

• the Carmon Creek Expansion Project (est. timeline: 2009 – 2011) • the Shell Canada 3-D seismic Project being conducted in the Carmon Creek area (est. timeline 2009-2010) • the Ironstone Resources mining exploration project being proposed north of the Clear Hills

DFN TUS information (including summary interview statements and bio-maps) was provided to the proponents advancing the above projects and GOA agencies including Alberta Environment, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and Alberta Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development between the years of 2008-2011;

For example, the DFN TUS information was referenced and presented in different formats to the above GOA agencies within the three studies entitled:

• Duncan’s First Nation Information Package on Shell Peace River 3-D Seismic Project: December 2008;

• ‘Duncan’s First Nation Current and Traditional Land Uses and Shell Canada’s Carmon Creek Project’: Prepared by Martyn Glassman: July 2009;

121 • ‘Duncan’s First Nation Current and Traditional Land Uses and Shell Canada’s Carmon Creek Project’: Supplementary Information Binder’: Prepared by Matthew General: July 2009, and

• ‘Here We Still Stand: Duncan’s First Nation Traditional Use Scoping Project of the Upper Peace’: 2011

The information presented in these studies were all based on the interview and mapping work undertaken by the DFN in 2009/11 period.

The DFN notes that since the filing of these documents almost a decade ago, that DFN experienced a damaging flood in its old office building and numerous files were damaged and lost. As a result, the DFN has the original text of these studies but does not have the corresponding attachments that form part of these documents. The DFN is working to recover these and will provide updates to the GOA and proponents as they become available. Notwithstanding the above occurrence, the DFN does have the majority of interview statement summaries and bio – maps that the above documents were based upon and referenced.

Methodology of DFN Interviews Conducted Between 2009 – 2011

The DFN opted to undertake its first round of community pilot interviews between 2009 and 2011 based on information and recommendations within (GOA TUS Guide) and according to the direction and content contained within GOA-DFN CA. The DFN also consulted with other parties and took into account other guidance available at the time. The basic approach taken by the DFN in its 2009/11 research effort is summarized as follows:

Planning the Research

• consulted with DFN leadership, staff, elders and community in relation to community interests and initial research priorities; • one of the initial priorities identified by the DFN was to undertake a set of scoping interviews with identified DFN elders and knowledge holders. Given the importance of hunting to the DFN community and culture, emphasis was placed on working to identify hunting areas that were and relied upon by a sample of DFN community members; • a secondary objective was documenting participating DFN elder and knowledge holder observations in respect to the role of land use change / development in altering the land and resource use patterns of the community; • develop guiding research principles and directions with the same constituent groups; • develop a draft interview guide in consultation with same constituent groups and to ensure the same basic approach and set of questions was asked of every community participant; • select base maps of a sufficient scale, mylars and other interview tools to accurately capture mapped data documented during interviews; • develop consent forms to be reviewed at outset of interviews and upon review and validation of interview statements and maps by community participants; • retaining and briefing community coordinators to assist in explaining rationale for interviews, coordinate interviews, set up appropriate space for interviewing and storing of data

122 Implementing the Research

• Set up interview room and mapping space conducive to conducting organized interviews with community members in a comfortable setting; • Explained purpose of research, confidentiality provisions and reviewed consent forms with participating community members; • Administering interview guide in consistent way for each interview conducted; • Asking probing questions to obtain as detailed information as possible; • Applying flexibility to ensure that interview participants could speak to those matters that were relevant and important to them; • Taking and maintaining written notes during interview to capture main points; • Focus on identifying larger areas to scope and identify areas in which people hunted and procured large game vs. specific sites; • Attempt to identify large game hunting areas / subsistence areas used over the DFN participant’s lifetime with attempts to ascertain use that occurred earlier in a person’s life and use that occurred in more recent times; • Following interviews prepare interview statements for review and validation by interview participants; • Following interviews prepare draft map biographies (converted from base map / mylar overlays) to GIS format for review and validation by interview participants • Review interview statements and map biographies with interview participants, undertake amendments with input from interview participants and sign consent forms • Utilize interview information sets within written studies prepared and submitted to Government of Alberta and relevant proponents • Store information and set out follow up instructions for backing up information and storing in a secure place with DFN file rooms

Documentation of Methodology

The DFN included summaries of the basic research methodology in the document entitled, ‘Duncan’s First Nation: Consolidated Traditional Use Scoping Project of the Upper Peace’, 2011). The following excerpt from this one study outlines the scope, method and limitations of the 2009/11 survey noted at the time:

‘7) Government of Alberta Funding and Best Practices for TLUS

The first challenge to overcome was that of funding. The DFN simply did not have adequate funding to undertake the required research for a comprehensive traditional use study. In 2009 the DFN and the Alberta Aboriginal Relations entered into an agreement where the Government of Alberta agreed to fund a limited traditional use study to be conducted by the DFN. The DFN Chief and Council expressed their thanks to Alberta Government for supporting this study, while pointing out that much more research and funding was needed.

The funding and agreement was in place from April 1 2009 to March 31 2011. In return for the funding the study, the Government of Alberta needed to receive several things from the study effort. These included:

• Lists of those who were interviewed as part of the study • List of those interviews that were summarized

123 • Lists of specific traditional use sites identified with a GPS • Resulting mapping based on the study • This Final Report

8)TLUS Study Based On Alberta Guidance

As noted, there are lot of ways to approach a traditional use study project, however there is not a lot of guidance on what a good traditional use study should look like, be based on, what it should include and how it should be undertaken.

Given that the Government of Alberta funded the study, the DFN based its traditional use study planning and methodology or approach on a how to booklet produced by the Government of Alberta in 2003 called, ‘Best Practices for Traditional Use Studies’ (Attachment #1)(note – not included in this document but available upon request).

This guide provides some advice and instruction on how to plan and carry out a traditional use study, which DFN took into account when planning its survey. In summary then, the DFN’s methodology or approach to the study and the way in which it actually conducted the study followed recommendations set out in the Alberta guide. Some of these steps and elements included:

• Discussed and built agreement in the community for the need for an initial traditional use study.

• Developed a funding proposal and research plan that was accepted and funded by the Government of Alberta.

• Developed an information sharing protocol and interview consent form to ensure that community participants understood the purpose of the study and how their information would be managed and utilized.

• Ensured that elders and community members were respected in the interview process and paid them as project research partners and experts on their own culture and history.

• Decided to use the map biography approach to traditional use studies where individual community members are interviewed on a one – on – one basis where possible and their information is recorded in written summaries and maps.

• Decided the focus of the initial traditional use study - which is the identification of the key hunting and fishing areas that community members have and continue to use.

• Decided to map important hunting and fishing areas along with examples or some specific sites such as camps, trails, fishing sites.

• Obtained additional information on how community members think their land use patterns are changing and the reasons for this through additional questions.

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• Split the interviews where a group of people would be asked to show those areas that they have used over their whole lifetime. Another group would be asked to show separately, those that they used historically from those that they use today. This was done to provide a comparison to guide future research.

• Given the limited amount of funding, decided to conduct twenty initial one – one – one interviews with community members who are known to use the land a great deal – attempting to get a good balance of elders, men and women and youth.

• Designed a questionnaire / interview to guide the interviews and to ensure that the interviews were conducted in a consistent way or the same way each time.

• Appointed two people (one community member and one non community member) conduct interviews so that one person could ask the questions and the other to accurately record the interview sessions.

• Decided to map data and information from one – one –one interviews on one base map at a scale of 1:325,000. While this is larger than what Alberta recommended, DFN did so as it was aiming to identify key hunting areas within DFN’s Traditional Territory. Using 1:50,000 would have resulted in using numerous maps making the exercise more complicated at this initial stage.

• Decided to record data in interviews with a base map and mylar overlays – a clear film to cover the map. In this way the same base map is being used for each interview.

• Decided to use the same markings on maps on every interview to make sure that all hunting areas are marked the same way and fishing areas marked the same way.

• Mapped information in a consistent way on base maps for every interview. The information and data drawn on maps was transferred to digital maps with the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) technologists.

• Held workshops with community members to provide additional information on hunting and fishing values and sites. Some of the moose kill sites and important fishing sites were identified in follow up visits to the field. These were documented with the use of a GPS.

• Reviewed the interview summaries and map biographies with participating community members to make sure that information recorded was accurate and to see if the interview summary and map helped the participants remember additional information that might be documented in future studies.

125 • Managed the study as a project with a project leader who reported on progress to the DFN Council and held ongoing meetings with the community to track progress and to manage the budget.

• Prepared a plan and make arrangements for how to care for the information and protect the information gained from the study.

• Shared and discussed initial results with community and make a plan for further research steps given the limited amount of funding provided’

(Source: “Duncan’s First Nation: Consolidated Traditional Use Scoping Project of the Upper Peace”, 2011)

Survey Results

At the conclusion of the 2009/11 research effort, the DFN had conducted interviews and follow up validation discussions with 28 DFN community members. Witness statements and map biographies were prepared for 19 (then revised down to 17) of 28 participants.

The first set of maps were prepared by a GIS technician (D. Cameron) who worked in house within DFN who prepared a first initial set of map-biographies which were incorporated into studies provided to the Government of Alberta.

A second set and improved set of maps (largely undertaken to have identified DFN use areas stand out) on map PDFs was prepared by an Edmonton based GIS technician (L. Yellowbird). These were provided to the Government of Alberta in the document entitled: “Duncan’s First Nation: Consolidated Traditional Use Scoping Project of the Upper Peace”, 2011.

Limitations Associated with the 2009/11 DFN Research Effort

As with all traditional land use surveys, there were some important limitations associated with the research conducted that may have had some limited impact on the survey results and data depicted on the 2009 / 2011 Bio-Maps. These include:

• Several elders had some difficulty with identifying specific land and resource use areas on the topographic maps used. In some cases Bio Maps were not produced to accompany witness statements in several cases, as a limited number of DFN elders were able to talk about their life experience on the land in general terms but not able to identify specific areas (e.g. “ I / we went everywhere”);

• Initially DFN opted to reject a site-specific mapping approach given community comments during the study’s planning phase where it was pointed out that what’s important to the community, is the area in which and over which rights and cultural activities are exercised. Example sites of where someone happened to kill an animal, catch a fish or harvest berries and plants were seen as important features to capture at some point but not as relevant to the

126 community and the Crown as working to identify key community land and resource use areas / sustenance areas / large game hunting areas;

• As DFN was mapping at a large scale (1:325:000) on paper base maps with mylar overlays, some generalization occurred. Notwithstanding, extreme care was taken in the interviews to draw polygons that corresponded carefully with the area utilization descriptions, instructions and guidance of DFN interview participants with feedback occurring through the map-biography process;

• Markers used for data marking on the mylar overlays were not as fine as they could be which may have led to some slight deviation during the initial data marking and subsequent GIS digitization process. With that said, digitized maps tracked hand drawn polygons on raw data map as accurately as possible and the hand drawn polygons were drawn as carefully as possible as per the directions, instructions and descriptions;

• Hunting areas / sustenance areas / large game hunting areas were depicted with polygons which took in water bodies. When viewing these polygons, generally audiences should exclude the water in waterbodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, streams) as hunting generally did not / does not occur on the water itself. In up two cases however, two DFN members discuss hunting along the Peace River and Chinchaga River by boat thus the hunting area could be taken include a portion of the river contiguous to the shorelines (distances from shores unknown);

• Initially the DFN attempted to map land use areas into areas utilized in the earlier part of a person’s life and areas utilized more recently. Quite quickly it became apparent that attempting to break a person’s life lived on the land into two artificial discreet time periods proved to be confusing, bogged the interview process down and detracted from the primary research objective. Thus, DFN switched to asking DFN interview participants to identify areas they recalled using over their lifetime, then sought to qualify that with temporal references with additional probing questions. The corresponding interview statements help in determining the temporal context of mapped use / mapped polygons;

• The DFN selected interview participants based on community, leadership and staff input of who initially should be interviewed. Selection was also based on who happened to be available within the selected periods in which interviews were to be conducted. In retrospect, a more structured approach to creating a more representative sample frame from which to draw participants would have provided greater balance between off reserve and on reserve community members, family groups and greater gender balance;

• The community opted to focus its initial efforts areas north of the Peace River given the need to inform consultations and environmental assessments of the time being conducted in respect to a major projects occurring north of the Peace River;

• The sample size of the group interviewed and involved was of course limited due to limited time and resources. Thus mapped data cannot be held as being representative of the community as a whole however does provide an informative snap shot of examples of community land and resource utilization;

• The resulting information and mappable data clearly did not reflect or constitute the scope or totality of DFN’s rights, DFN livelihood and cultural practices or use of lands and resources for traditional purposes;

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• Since the 2009/11 survey was completed, the DFN moved offices from its old small band office across the road to the new site of the administration. It appears that most of the original raw data maps and mylars that were drawn on and have been misplaced in or damaged by water damage. This is unfortunate as it would have provided additional back up evidence of how the end product maps and data they depict was arrived at. With that said, the DFN does have most copies of the completed interview statements and most of the corresponding map-biographies. It is working to address the few gaps in its 2009/2011 information set. Notwithstanding, sufficient information remains to enable a viewer to discern DFN land and resource utilization patterns identified in the research period of 2009/2011;

• In retrospect, while some aspects of the survey’s methodology could have been improved on, the survey was sufficient in scope and detail for the Government of Alberta to subsequently refer to and base land and resource use consultation decisions upon. The results of the survey were taken into account and incorporated into planning by a proponent and GOA decision making in respect to a major oil sands project and to inform the GOA’s ongoing Geo-Data initiative. At the end of the day, the strength of the resulting data is due to the fact that it accurately conveys and depicts what DFN members said they do on the land and where they go, and

• Lastly, numerous people that participated in the 2009/11 survey have sadly left us and would not be available for additional or follow up consultation and dialogue. The DFN views this information as important and relevant to guiding land use decisions and consultations. Just because a person is now deceased does not negate the information that they provided and knowledge they contributed. It is still relevant and should be deemed so by external parties.

Updating of DFN Information in 2018/2019

In 2018, the DFN determined the need to take stock of the traditional land use research it has undertaken to date and begin the work of supplementing that information and utilizing that information to address ongoing requests for the DFN to engage in consultation on various projects and matters. The DFN is actively considering and planning to undertake a new research stream and will do so if and when it can obtain the necessary resources to undertake a comprehensive Indigenous Rights and Knowledge Study.

In 2018 / 2019, the DFN undertook work to re-digitize the 2009/11 Bio-Maps using open source GIS and brought that data into ALCES Online so that the information could be utilized more readily by the DFN in relation to various matters and proposed projects. To date, DFN’s traditional use information could only utilized by referencing and PDF format maps to letters and correspondence. Further, the original data housed in the GIS station could not be accessed as DFN did not have the resources to maintain a GIS function for any significant period of time.

The 2009/11 geo-spatial data was digitized by Mr. Tim Barker of the ALCES Group in summer of 2019 at the request of DFN. As per DFN instructions, Mr. Barker digitized “Identified DFN Sustenance Area” polygons from the 2009/11 bio-maps and prepare updated data layers and mapping. In 2010, the GIS mapper that prepared the initial set of maps identified hunting areas where DFN members hunted large game as ‘Sustenance Areas’. In the updated data layer / maps prepared by Mr. Barker, the DFN re- labelled these as ‘Large Game Hunting Areas’. The new map titles provides this important clarification to support understanding of what is being depicted on the maps – identified Large Game Hunting Areas.

The DFN notes that in recompiling the maps in 2018/19, one error has been made. In respect to PIN 002, the Bio Map for PIN 002 was transposed with the All Sites or Consolidated Map showing all mapped data

128 for all DFN respondents. Thus, the Bio Map for PIN 002 generally shows data for all respondents / all PINS when it should only show the data for PIN 002. The data for PIN 002 can be viewed in the 2009/11 consolidated map set as produced as of 2009/11. The DFN will make this correction to the 2018/19 data set when time and resources permit and issue an update.

As noted, the DFN is attempting to address the gaps resulting from the loss of some of the original raw data from 2009/11 from the DFN office flood. To assist audiences in understanding what information is present and is being shown, the DFN prepared a meta-data table that allows audiences to link interview statements and bio-maps to DFN members and their unique Personal Information Number (PIN) used for the 2009/11 research effort. (Meta-Data Table not included in this document but is available on request

As noted, the DFN will reissue an updated information set if and when some of the old information is recovered.

“Duncan’s First Nation 2012 Traditional Land and Resource Use Survey” (DFN: 2012): Summary of Scope, Method and Limitations

There is one additional piece of TLRU research conducted by the DFN that is of importance and relevance. It has been separated out from the 2009/11 and 2018/19 DFN research given the different approach and methods employed. In 2012, DFN opted to build on the 2009/11 survey effort by undertaking another form of map-biography survey utilizing the approach and method advocated by Mr. Terry Tobais as set out, in what was likely the first academic treatment and text on traditional use studies entitled, ‘Living Proof: The Essential Data-Collection Guide for Indigenous Use-and-Occupancy Map Surveys’. (Source: Tobias, T. N. (2009). Living proof: The essential data-collection guide for indigenous use -and-occupancy map surveys. Vancouver, B.C: Ecotrust Canada.

The DFN opted to focus again on the north Peace region to build on what was accomplished with the 2009/11 DFN traditional land use survey. Of interest was to see whether and how applying a different map biography approach and method would reveal differing or similar land and resource use trends and patterns by the community.

While Tobais advocates that every First Nation and researcher should chart their own research course, he in fact advocates a very prescriptive approach and little deviation with his preferred methodology and exacting set of rules. In contrast with other approaches and models, his method generally produces maps demarcating examples of traditional land and resource use sites identified by participating community members, rather than identifying larger areas in which the exercise of rights occurs. Given that this academic text was the first of comprehensive treatment of traditional land use study methodology, had just become available and the positive reception of the guide by many parties, the DFN opted to test and implement its key research features and recommendations.

Over the course of the research project, up to forty-six DFN community members were interviewed on a one-on-one basis with a set questionnaire. At project end, the DFN interviewed 46 respondents out of 284 community members translating into a response rate of 16.9% and a participation rate of 92%. Tobias suggests that TLUS projects should aim to achieve a 70 – 80% response rate, thus DFN did not achieve this benchmark and the survey results cannot be held to be representative of the community as a whole. With that said, the DFN did identify and demarcate over a thousand examples of traditional land and resource use sites in BC and Alberta. During the interviews, community participants identified and demarcated specific the following types of traditional land and resource use sites:

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Wildlife Kill Sites Moose Elk Mule Deer White Tailed Deer

Caribou Black Bear Grizzly Bear Other Mammals

Ducks Geese Grebes Grouse

Cranes Ptarmigan Other Birds

Fish Catch Sites

Walleye Jackfish Dolly Varden Rainbow Trout

Bull Trout Whitefish Gold Eye Grayling

Ling Cod (burbot) Other Fish

Plant and Earth Material Harvesting Sites

Berries Food Plants Medicine Plants Sacred Plants

Construction logs Fire wood Drinking water Specialty rock

Other plant/earth material site

Overnight Sites

Cabin Site Tent Site Lean To Site Other Overnight Site

Cultural Sites

Birth Site Old Settlement Site Sacred Site Burial Place Site

Cache Site Other Cultural Site

Production of Maps in 2012

The resulting data was set out in a series of bio-maps, category maps and thematic maps which was originally digitized in 2012 in collaboration with BC Hydro’s Site C Clean Energy Project environmental assessment team which produced the maps according to the following process:

130 Step 1) Photogrammetry Department Creation of Digital Map Files

Platform used Microstation (dgn files) a) Scanned the reference map sheet (Mylar Bio Map Sheets) to jpg format using a large format scanner b) Downloaded and opened a geo-referenced version of the same map sheet c) Imported the jpg of the reference sheet and matched it to the geo-referenced version, copied the reference circles d) Scanned each layer into a jpg file e) Opened a unique dgn file for each overlay using the reference circles and matched each layer to its corresponding reference map circles f) Digitized all pertinent data (point with associated text for each interview) g) This unique file was then converted to shapefile format using FME to a point with attribute information h) The file was then checked against the original for completeness

This product was then transferred to BC Hydro’s GIS group

Step 2) GIS Department Creation of End Product Maps a) The provided shapefiles for each interviewee were merged into one shapefile, maintaining all attribute information. b) New blank columns called Province, Category and Group were created in the merged shapefile. For each record, the Province attribute was populated with the appropriate code (alb or bc) after intersecting the data points with provincial boundary polygons. The code in the FEAT_ID_CO attribute was then used to populate the Category column after comparing values with the category codes document. These were then grouped in the Group column (e.g. the Cabin, Lean To and Tent Site categories were grouped into the Overnight Sites group). c) In the maps, the merged shapefile was displayed so that only the desired data showed and symbolized accordingly using the PIN, Category and Group attributes d) The finalized maps / end mapping products were then reviewed with the DFN.

2018/2019 Enhancement of 2012 Map Data by DFN

The data set produced by Hydro’s Photogrammetry and GIS sections was brought into the current research project as a discreet information layer by Mr. Tim Barker of the ALCES Group.

One additional step was taken with the mapped data for this project to enhance its utility. The updated set of maps include the original site specific data points identified in the 2012 survey and in now addition, with convex polygons that link that outermost data points for each DFN respondent / interview participant. As a result, a viewer can view particular example sites of where DFN member killed a large game animals, but also the area over which the right to hunt large game animals has been exercised and associated cultural practices occur. The updated 2012 map set is attached in the appendices of this report.

The methodology section report of the DFN 2012 project report contains the following statements in respect to the methodology employed:

131 ‘In respect to the methodology employed in the 2011 (Note: 2012) research effort, the DFN did its utmost to conduct this map biography survey within the framework of science and according to social science research standards. The initial Research Proposal set out DFN’s proposed plan for the collection and documentation of data. This Methodology Report sets out how the data collection actually occurred. The two documents are companion documents that can assist the DFN and external parties by providing a record of the methodology employed in this research effort and demonstrate how the resulting map data was arrived at. It also helps ensure that the end map products and the data they depict are considered and viewed within an appropriate context….

The DFN takes the view that its TLUS research project was designed according to a recognized social science standards and the best practices and prescriptive standards set out by Tobias within ``Living Proof``. Its subsequent review and analysis of the actual way in which the land use data was elicited and documented, strongly indicates that the research implementation mirrored the initial research plan and that the map data goes a long way in satisfying the data quality standards of Objectivity, Reliability, Validity, Precision, Accuracy, Integrity, Auditability and Representativeness. Thus, DFN takes the view that the resulting TLUS maps depict and purport to represent what they say they do. The aim of this Methodology Report and its companion Research Proposal document is to support other parties in considering, testing and hopefully validating this view’.

As with the 2009 (Note: 2009/11) study, DFN made note of the limitations associated with the 2011 (Note: 2012) study which included:

• size of the survey sample (number of community members interviewed) based on available project and time limitations; • the site-specific approach to map biography research represents a quantitative form of research and does not allow for the expression or documentation of important community member qualitative observations, the contribution of IK and does not address the role of climatic and industrial factors that influence where, when, how and if people can exercise their right on the land; • documenting community members’ land and resource use examples based on a recall interval / time frame based on “within living memory” which can make determination of recent or current use challenging; • only allows for the documentation of site specific examples of land and resource use by community members which does not take into account the total land area being used and or required by a community member in the conduct of their livelihood, sustenance and cultural practices (e.g. where someone actually managed to kill a caribou vs the total land used and relied on to get to that result); • resulted in interviews with more men than women in the community thus not addressing important issues and differences in gender in respect to land use hence resulting in a focus on mammal kills sites over berry and medicine plant harvesting or fishing, and • that the study as best represents an incomplete snap-shot of DFN land and resource patterns and does not depict the full scope of the exercise of rights by the DFN or the totality of DFN’s rights, cultural practices and livelihood pursuits’

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“2018 Wapiti – Little Smoky Fan Indigenous Knowledge Survey Conducted in Relation to the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. 2021 System Expansion Project Report” (DFN: 2018/19): and “2019 Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge Indigenous Knowledge Survey Conducted in Relation to the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. North Central Corridor Loop Project and North Corridor Expansion Project” (DFN: 2018 / 19 - this document): Summary of Scope, Method and Limitations

Whereas the 2009/11 DFN traditional land use survey focused on the upper Peace River region, the DFN 2018/19 Indigenous knowledge survey focuses on two areas:

• the Wapiti – Little Smoky Fan , or those lands and waters that fall between the Wapiti River watershed and the Little Smoky River watershed, and

• the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, or those lands and waters that fall between the Clear Hills and the Chinchaga River watershed

While mappable data for both of the above areas is presented in this report, the primary focus of this report deals with the DFN exercise of rights and practice of culture in Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge, given NGTL’s interest in developing additional infrastructure in this area.

The methodology for the survey can be summarized as follows. DFN:

• Considered its own information gathering needs /priorities vis a vis the Clear Hills – Chinchaga Refuge; • Considered NGTL’s information gathering needs and reporting requirements in relation to key regulatory documents such as the former NEB Filing Manual; • Coordinated meetings with community elders, community members and leadership regarding the information needs and obtained comments on the direction that should be taken in respect to community research; • Employed a hybrid map biography – qualitative information gathering approach to document the spatial extent of exercise of rights and current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by interviewed DFN members and to capture DFN land user qualitative information and observations about the state of hosting landscape and potential Project impacts; • Prepared a draft interview questionnaire with DFN staff and legal counsel input; • Reviewed the draft interview questionnaire with a community focus group; • Prepared base maps with a satellite imagery base to use with mylar overlays; • Conducted interviews with an initial set of community members / Mapping was conducted in a manner that tracked the recommended Bio Mapping method of Terry Tobias; • Conducted a field reconnaissance of the immediate Project corridor; • Conducted in an infield mapping / reporting exercise; • Provide raw mapping data to a qualified mapper (Mr. Tim Barker) to digitally plot the data with open source QGIS software; • Prepared, reviewed and finalized witness statements with members; • Review rights, TLRU, IK information results and plot on landscape using ALCES On-Line; • Highlighted community information directly relevant and applicable to the Project area and areas in the vicinity of the Project; • Reviewed and prepared synthesis of existing DFN TLRU / IK information, and • Reviewed the initial project report with the DFN leadership

133 Bio Maps (one map prepared depicting all of the data identified by a DFN respondent / interview participant during an interview) were prepared for the participating community members. The geo-spatial data for these community members were then collated into one Consolidated Map depicting identified data. The data was digitized by Mr. Tim Barker which produced a discreet data layer and map set listed in the appendices of this report.

The DFN notes the following limitations in respect to the 2018/19 IK Survey:

• Following the release of the report and discussion with the community, the DFN may be able to identify additional community members that actively exercise their rights and currently use lands and resources in the Clear Hills-Chinchaga Refuge for traditional purposes. Should that occur, it will notify NGTL and provide such supplemental information to NGTL on a timely basis;

• The survey efforts were largely confined to the on-reserve population so community members that live in Grande Prairie area and Edmonton were not surveyed;

• The resulting information and mappable data clearly did not reflect or constitute the scope or totality of DFN’s rights, DFN livelihood and cultural practices or use of lands and resources for traditional purposes, and

• Again, an elder and community member with immense knowledge of the land, that participated in the 2018/19 effort have passed on

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7.0 Appendices

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Appendices

Appendix 1: 2009/2011: DFN Sustenance / Big Game Hunting Areas

Appendix 2: 2012 DFN Identified Example Traditional Land and Resource Use Sites and Areas

Appendix 3: 2018/19 Large Game Hunting Areas Recently Utilized by a Sample of DFN Members within the Wapiti – Little Smoky Fan and the Clear Hills –Chinchaga Refuge

Appendix 4: Identified DFN Large Game Hunting Areas and Cultural Practice Areas within the DFN Traditional Territory and the Peace River Basin (2009/11, 2012 and 2018/19)

Appendix 5: Magnified Projection: Correlation of Identified DFN Geo-Spatial Data with NGTL Project Areas and Areas in Vicinity of Projects

Appendix 6: Duncan’s First Nation Traditional Territory Maps

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