THE METHY PORTAGE - PROPOSAL FOR A HISTORIC AND NATURE TRAIL by Henry T. Epp and Tim Jones, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon

Methy Lake, Lake, Lac the area, with special attention paid La Loche, Methy Portage, Portage La to establishing what sorts of use were Loche—all of these are variant names made of the portage and what sorts for two geographical features found of human occupation of the La Loche in the northwest-central portion of area (if any) occurred in periods of Saskatchewan (see maps). These two the past more distant than the features are a lake and a long portage obviously busy early historic period both of which bore a great deal of the (Turner 1943). The information col¬ early traffic in furs and European lected in the few days we were able trade goods that passed through the to spend in the area indicates that fj whole of the American and Canadian artifactual material representing the northwest from the last decade or so Fur Trade or “proto-historic” period of the 18th century into even the first few years of the present one. Today the portage is more frequently called i the Clearwater Portage or the Clear- h water River Portage by the residents of the La Loche area. The History of the Portage i The importance of the Methy Por- tage during the Fur Trade period of m ’s history was great in com- B parison to various other portages be- 5- cause it was the shortest possible &j route crossing the height of land -■ dividing the vast drainage basins of the Churchill 'River isystem, which emp- 3 ties its waters ultimately into Hud- \t son Bay, and the Athabasca-Mackenzie ti drainage system, which flows into the Arctic Ocean. As such, it was the trail along which traders and trap¬ pers had to travel to get into or out of the Athabasca district. And it was truly a road in the later days, when ox-drawn Red River carts were used to haul goods north from La Loche and furs back south to this settlement (Ells 1936). On July 14, 1968, we set out on foot from the northern shore of to walk the approximately 122- mile-long portage between the lake and the Clearwater River, with the major purpose in mind of examining the archaeological potentialities of

June, 1969 101 inhabitants of the continent naturally followed the course of least resistance in their travels, and, considering the length of the Methy Portage and the drop in elevation from the height of land, this portage certainly fits this category. The footing on the trail is level and sure, for the most part ■— it most certainly is not in many places near or off the trail.

The Area Today It is premature to discuss the archaeological aspects of the Methy Portage area, and this is not the pur¬ pose of this article. Rather, it is to discuss in more general terms what is a too-little-known region of our province. From a natural history and human standpoint, the La Loche area deserves much more attention from the residents of southern Saskatche¬ wan than it has received up to the present day. Now that the village of La Loche is accessible from the south by automobile, it is surprising to find, from conversations with the local is abundant, and /that other material people, that there are as yet only goes back at least to Besant Culture sporadic tourist and other visits from times, approximately 2,000 years ago the south. The 1,400 or so people of (Wettlaufer 1955). La Loche are mainly Chipewyan In¬ This shows that the La Loche area dians and Metis, and their old hunting- was inhabited long before the fur trapping type of existence is now traders and adventurers made use rapidly changing. It is being replaced of the lake and portage, and it is by something of which no one knows highly likely that the portage was the ultimate significance, including used by prehistoric populations as a the inhabitants themselves, let alone trail or canoe portage for several the people of the rest of the province thousand years before it became the (see Handley 1968). important commercial route it was during historic times. Prehistory in this part of Saskatchewan, of course, The Portage Today ends in the year 1778, when Peter By itself the Methy Portage is one Pond, supposedly the first white man of the most spectacular and interest¬ in the area (or at least the first one ing trails in all of Saskatchewan as known to record his travels here), far as nature and history are con¬ passed over the portage to explore the cerned. About two miles from the fur trading possibilities in the Atha¬ north end of the portage one gets basca region. The fact is that most one’s first view of the Clearwater of the fur traders and “discoverers” River valley, an enormous glacial followed only the already well-estab¬ meltwater channel. This, not to men¬ lished routes of travel developed over tion the numerous lakes and varied the centuries by aboriginal experi¬ forest and animal life in the area mentation and use, and in the com¬ which are characteristic of the gen¬ pany of Indian guides. The aboriginal eral scenery of northern Saskatche-

102 THE BLUE JAY Fig. 1. Aerial view of La Loche Creek, emptying into Wallis Bay. The south j end of Methy Portage begins across the creek at the first bend. 4

! wan, is a spot which offers some of The trail is in fairly regular use by , the most breathtaking scenery in the Chipewyan hunters and trappers and province. their dogs, both in winter and sum¬ The trail begins at a large, grassy mer, although there is no evidence of clearing approximately two acres in recent wheeled traffic. In summer, it extent, about 70 yards upstream on forms a route of travel for moose the northeast side of La Loche Creek, hunters from La Loche and West La j which empties into Wallis Bay, the Loche to the good hunting grounds , northwestern part of Lac La Loche along the Clearwater River, and in (Fig. 1). The trail leads north from winter it forms a useful trail for there into a swampy area where one trappers with their dog teams, for in sinks almost knee-deep into muck or most places it is wide enough to per¬ moss if one wanders off the trail. This mit the passage of a good-sized sled part of the trail is nearly overgrown or toboggan. with low, scrubby bushes, along with The portage crosses La Loche Creek small, thin spruce and a few tam¬ nearly a mile upstream, where one arack or larch trees scattered rather walks over a convenient beaver dam, infrequently throughout the area. and then it crosses another small After a quarter-mile or so it leaves stream coming in from the west, about the swamp and enters an area of another mile up. This latter stream sandy ridges covered chiefly with appears to be the only available drink¬ mature, widely-spaced jack pine, and ing water for about the next six other vegetation generally associated miles, where Rendezvous Lake is with such a forest. There was some reached. From this stream bed on, the evidence of recent logging or log¬ ground is extremely sandy for about cutting. Moose tracks and droppings two miles, and then two low-lying, were visible along much of the swampy sections are passed through swampy section of the trail and the in fairly quick succession. Strangely first part of the trail leading through enough, the vegetation of these the sand ridges, probably because of swampy areas seems to be no different the proximity of the lake. from that of the sand ridges south-

June, 1969 103 east of them — fairly thin, but with labor as far as the southern crews tall and uniform jack pine represent¬ were concerned, since they had to ing- the dominant vegetation, with a carry their loads over eight miles scattering of aspen and paper birch instead of four to five miles, which of about the same size growing among was the case for the northern crews. them. Perhaps this is due, at least in But the northern four or five miles part, to the fact that the soil of these involve a considerable climb from the swampy areas is as sandy as that of Clearwater River and are much more the ridges (Fig. 2). difficult than the southern eight miles. About seven miles up the trail the From the campground on the lake | vegetation type changes to one in the trail winds its way along old which the dominant tree is aspen, and sandy beaches to the western shore of a mile or so farther up it changes to the lake and then strikes off north¬ a mature jack pine forest in which westward to the Clearwater River. It the trees are large and rather widely rises for about two miles and then spaced. It is in such a forest that the reaches the height of land, the eleva¬ large opening formed by what is left tion of which is about 1690 feet (Ells of the old campground on the south¬ 1936). The descent from here is eastern shore of Rendezvous Lake gradual at first, leading through occurs. vegetation and sandy ridges similar The lake itself is small, being less to those southeast of Rendezvous than a mile in diameter. According to Lake. Suddenly it approaches a Ells (1936), this was where the nearly vertical escarpment just to the traders from the north and from the left of the trail. From the top of this south and east met, exchanged their escarpment one of the most spectacu¬ goods (furs from the north, supply lar views in all of Saskatchewan pre-ft and trade goods from the south), and sents itself. The entire Clearwater went their separate ways — hence the valley, more than two miles wide, is name, Rendezvous Lake (Fig. 3). visible at this point (Fig. 4). The Looking at the map, this may seem view in summer is one of an intense like an extremely unfair division of green, both from the forests, which cover most of the terrain, and from the grassy meadows visible on the high, hogsback-like, rolling banks on the north side of the river, where, according to Alexander Mackenzie, buffalo and “elk” grazed in large herds when he passed through. Mackenzie, great traveller that he was, considered this to be one of the most beautiful views he had ever seen, a scene of which he said he could not “give an adequate description.” From this point onward the portage winds downward along the steep slopes, and at one point it follows the small, but steep and slippery bed of a stream which runs rapidly down the slope. The forest here is different from that of the sandy ridges south of the escarpment. Everywhere there is evi¬ dence of former logging activity, with Fig. 2. The double ruts of the ox-carts the trunks of large spruce lying scat- may still be seen in some sections of teed in all directions. The forest does the portage, especially in swampy not now consist of spruce, however, I areas. but mainly of second-growth, spindly,

104 THE BLUE JAY mm

Mg. 3. Aerial view of Rendezvous Lake and the Clearwater valley, looking Northwest. Methy Portage winds in toward the lake from the lower right orner of this picture.

Ispen with some jack pine and paper shape considerably. There are few [irch. Where the ground comes to a places in Saskatchewan or in northern [ear level at the bottom of the valley, Canada which can compare with the rhich consists of the flood plain of type of scenic grandeur of the river le meandering Clearwater River, the banks visible from this pleasant camp¬ lecond-growth forest gives way to ground and the surrounding area. The lall timber consisting of very large river is full of fish and the forests are jalsam poplar and spruce, and this in full of game, as was evidenced by the jurn gives way to mainly spruce near camp of Chipewyan moose hunters we |he river. met at the end of the trail, whose Where the portage approaches the families were busy drying meat for river another grassy clearing is use later in the year. [rossed, which is also an old camp¬ The relative plenitude of fish and ground, and is used by Chipewyan game (although this can vary serious¬ loose hunters in the summer to this ly from year to year) is fortunate, lay. This is the end of the trail, because this seems to be almost the rhere the portage ended for those only economic resource that the native rho travelled north of Rendezvous people can rely on with any degree of iake, and where it began for those certainty. Hunting here is not (nor [ravelling south. should it be allowed to become) a The river is not wide here •— per- luxury for surfeited city dwellers or laps 200 or 300 feet — and it has cut tourists, but is a necessity for the |ts way down at a steep angle into the local people if they are to be self- sandy banks at this point about four sufficient. If the game resources are |;o eight feet. The river was once con¬ depleted by outsiders, the measure of siderably higher, however, even with¬ self-sufficiency that does exist will in the lifetime of some of the older probably vanish. residents of La Loche, according to With regard to the vegetation of their information on water levels, the area, there can be no doubt that it 'here is physical evidence for this belongs to the Mixedwood section of ;oo, in the form of an old, not yet the Boreal Forest, growing mainly on entirely overgrown, sandy beach about slightly acid, sandy soils character¬ LOO feet back from the present one. istic of the bituminous sand deposits 'his old beach is neither as deep nor found in the area in is steeply sloping as the new one, but general (Kupsch 1954). The section of feathering has probably altered its the trail with the most varied, inter-

une, 1969 105 Fig-. 4. The Clearwater River and its glacial valley is first seen from the portage about two miles from the north end. esting, and beautiful vegetation and insects during the middle of a sunny spectacular scenery is undoubtedly afternoon) were noticed within the the four or five miles between Ren¬ space of a few hours. Several ravens dezvous Lake and the Clearwater again kept up a clamor. River. According to the local people, mam¬ Birds were continually in evidence malian wildlife of many kinds is also on the lakes and all along the trail. plentiful, and this was made evident On Lac La Loche itself, water birds by sign all along the trail. Snowshoe were abundant, and among those hares, moose, bear, and lynx are abun¬ seen and identified were Canvasback dant, as are also wolves. Trapping is and White - winged Scoter ducks, reported to be usually good during the White Pelicans, Common Loons, winter. Franklin’s Gulls, and a large white Since the trail itself is of consider¬ gull which was not identified as to able historical value, and since it species. Spruce Grouse were extreme¬ leads through an area of very typical ly common along the trail, and usually Saskatchewan Boreal Forest with did not fly far when flushed. abundant wildlife all around, and into The small Rendezvous Lake was one of the most beautifully scenic always full of birds, including all of river valleys in the province, we the above-named water birds except would suggest that at least the north¬ pelicans. Common Terns were abun¬ ern part of the trail, from Rendezvous dant and so were various species of Lake to the river, should be left un¬ ducks, including the Bufflehead. touched by road builders, lumbering Ravens and Gray Jays (or Canada interests, or other commercial enter¬ Jays) were constantly in evidence prises. There is probably no imme¬ near the campground — especially the diate danger of the portage being ravens, for they were their usual destroyed because there is still no noisy selves. On the banks of the access by road to it, and the winter Clearwater River, a number of Black road that leads to the Clearwater Terns, Eastern Kingbirds, and four River has been built so that it goes or five nighthawks (busily catching straight north from La Loche, many

106 THE BLUE JAY miles to the east of the portage. for Northern Studies and by the De¬ This trail, if properly preserved, partment of Anthropology and Arch¬ could easily become a considerable aeology, University of Saskatchewan, attraction for tourists and residents Saskatoon. interested in the history, the forests, the wildlife, and the rugged, unspoiled LITERATURE CITED Ells, S. C. 1936. Portage La Loche. Canadian grandeur of the northern half of this Geographical Journal 12(3) :134-142. province. Kupsch, W. O. 1954. Bituminous sands in the till of the Peter Pond Lake area, Saskatche¬ Acknowledgements wan. Department of Mineral Resources, We wish to thank George LeMaigre Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Regina. for information on local game and Mackenzie Alexander (edited by William J. Grant). 1872. Voyages from Montreal through other animal resources. Thanks are the continent of North America to the also due Ed Banman and Ken Robert¬ Frozen and Pacific Oceans in 1789 and 1793. The Courier Press, Ltd., Toronto. son for help with the maps, and Gus Turner, J. P. 1943. The La Loche Brigade. The MacAuley, Conservation Officer, who Beaver, December, 1943. made it possible for us to take aerial Wettlaufer, B. 1955. The Mortlach Site in the photographs of the area. This research Besant Valley of Saskatchewan. Department of Natural Resources, Anthropological Series trip was supported by the Institute No. 1, Regina.

RICHARDSON PONDWEED by J. R. Allan , Lethbridge, The Richardson pondweed, Potamo- which in turn is of great value as a geton richardsonii, is one of the ten fish food. The plant offers shade and most commonly found, true vascular, shelter as well as a spawning medium bottom-rooted aquatic flowering angio- for young fish. The seeds, parts of sperms inhabiting the lakes and slow the stems and leaves, and the root¬ moving streams on the Prairies. The stocks are readily eaten by waterfowl. plant, named after its discoverer, Sir The Richardson pondweed is a John Richardson (1787-1865), was perennial, aquatic herb that grows first reported in the American litera¬ completely submerged in the water. ture in 1905. The pondweeds are Its thin, membranous, oval to lanceo¬ members of the genus Potamogeton late leaves clasp the stem. The leaves belonging to the family Zosteraceae become progressively shorter towards and derive their name from the Greek the tip of the plant (Fig. 1A). The words potamos (a river) and geiton leaves have wavy margins and exhibit (a neighbor) meaning a river neigh¬ three to seven prominent veins that bor because of its place of growth. tend to run parallel to the long axis The genus has about 90 species of of the leaf (Fig. IB). The leaf which 41 are found in North America, stipules are coarse and fibrous and the remainder being distributed over may readily be reduced to shreds. much cvf the north temperate zone. A The flowers are perfect. The spikes very few species are common to the are sheathed by stipules in the bud shallow oceanic and brackish waters (Fig. 1C) and are elevated to the sur¬ of North America. The various species face of the water on long stalks (Fig. of Potamogeton are notoriously diffi¬ ID). cult to identify. The plant is wind-pollinated and is Plants of the family Zosteraceae known to form hybrids occasionally are of little value except in the con¬ with the white-stem pondweed, Illi¬ servation of wildlife. The Richardson nois pondweed, variable pondweed, pondweed is very important from the and the largeleaf pondweed. Such hy¬ point of view of fish culture. The brids are now being made artificially foliage is considered of little direct in the greenhouse at Lethbridge. All importance as a fish food but indir¬ these species of pondweed are to be ectly it supports extensive insect life, found in Western Canada. The seed

June, 1969 107