PRAIRIE FORUM Vol. 26, No.2 Fall 2001 CONTENTS Editor's Note Patrick C. Douaud iii ARTICLES The Last Quarter Century in Canadian Plains Archaeology Ian Dyck 143 From Short-term Emergency to Long-term Crisis: Public Works Projects in Saskatoon, 1929-1932 EricJ Strikwerda 169 How Do You Spell Political Success? Candidate Characteristics in the 1999 "Harvest Election" Cora Voyageur andJoyce Green 187 Agricultural Extension and Resistance: Rural Governance as Spatial Practice Rod Bantjes 203 Fictional Manawaka and Tangible Neepawa, Manitoba Sarah Payne and Paul Simpson-Housley 219 The Origins and Development of Manitoba's Provincial Park System John C. Lehr 241 ESSAY Returning to a Little Prairie Town Audrey Pihulyk 257 BOOK REVIEWS BARNHART, Gordon L., Peace, Progress and Prosperity ': A Biography of Saskatchewan's First Premier, T. Walter Scott by David E. Smith 259 ZIMON, Kathy E., Alberta Society ofArtists: The First Seventy }ears by David Garneau 260 FRIESEN, John W., Legends ofthe Elders by C. WHna Hodgson 263 CARDINAL, Harold and HILDEBRANDT, Walter, TreatyElders ofSaskatchewan: OurDream Is That Our Peoples Will One Day Be Clearly Recognized As Nations; RA~ Arthur and MILLER, Jim, Bounty and Benevolence: A History of Saskatchewan Treaties; ST. GERMAIN, Jill, Indian Treaty-Making Policy in the United States and Canada, 1867-1877 by Rob Nestor 266 STINGEL, Janine, Social Discredit: Anti-Semitism Social Credit and theJewish Response byJackie Kuikman 270 MYSYK, Avis, Manitoba CommercialMarket Gardening 1945-1997: Class, Race and Ethnic Relations byJames N. McCrorie 273 CONTRIBUTORS 275 PRAIRIE FORUM: Journal of the Canadian Plains Research Center Chief Editor: Patrick Douaud, Education, Regina Copy Editor: Brian Mlazgar, CPRC, Regina Book Review Editor: Wendee Kubik, CPRC, Regina PRAIRIE FORUM is published twice yearly, in Spring and Fall, at an annual sub­ scription rate of $23.00 for individuals and $28.00 for institutions. In addition, 7% CST must be added to all Canadian orders. Out-of-Canada orders, please make pay­ ment in Canadian funds and add $5.00 for postage and handling. All subscriptions, correspondence and contributions should be sent to: The Editor, Prairie Forum, Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2. PRAIRIE FORUM is not responsible for statements, either offact or opinion, made by contributors. © 2001 CANADIAN PLAINS RESEARCH CENTER ISSN 0317-6282 EDITOR'S NOTE The present issue of Prairie Forum has a distinctly political flavour. Even an unlikely candidate such as our first article, "The Last Quarter Century in Canadian Plains Archaeology," subscribes to this theme: in it Ian Dyck shows the growth of a traditionally local discipline into a full-fledged administrative and political concern with ramifications in most sectors of society spanning the entire country. Eric Strikwerda then describes an effort made by the city of Saskatoon during the depression to keep down unemployment levels through a scheme offering work for wages and dignity, and explains how this was finally abandoned in favour of direct relief. John Lehr's study ofManitoba's provincial park system distinguishes four phas­ es ofdevelopment over four decades: from the concept ofmultiple use of areas of conservation in the early 1960s to the current emphasis on the preservasionist role of the Provincial Parks. Staying with Manitoba, S. Payne and P. Simpson-Housley introduce us to the .town of Neepawa, which served as inspiration for Margaret Laurence's fictional Manawaka, and to the expectations entertained by "literary tourists" when they go there visiting and exploring. The political theme governing this issue surfaces again with the following two contributions. First, C. Voyageur and J. Green detail the unusual aspects of Saskatchewan's 1999 "Harvest Election" and analyze the backgrounds and experi­ ences of those who ran for office. Then Rod Bantjes offers us an in-depth study of rural governance in Saskatchewan, a province where dispersed populations and cli­ matic vagaries have always posed severe problems for spatial practice. Finally, Audrey Pihulyk is the author of this issue's essay, "Return to a Little Prairie Town," which captures the nostalgia of re-visiting the place of one's youth and witnessing its steady decline away from the larger instances of what Rod Bantjes has termed "politics of assembly." Patrick C. Douaud Editor-in-Chief University of Regina The Last Quarter Century in Canadian Plains Archaeology IanDyck ABSTRACT. Over the past 25 years Canadian Plains archaeology has been transformed from a modest­ ly funded, self-disciplined, scholarly enterprise based in provincial museums, archaeological societies, universities and national historic parks, into a government-regulated concern dominated by cultural resource management imperatives, funded largely by developers, and sensitive to Aboriginal interests. This article focuses on change and development in four areas - heritage legislation, Aboriginal involve­ ment, expanded public interpretation, and additions to archaeological knowledge. SOMMAIRE. Au cours des 25 dernieres annees, I'archeologie des Plaines canadiennes est passee d'une entreprise academique auto-disciplinee et modestement financee au sein des musees provinciaux, des societes d'archeologie, des universites et des pares historiques nationaux, aune industrie reglernentee par les gouvernements, dominee par les imperatifs de la gestion des ressources culturelles, financee en general par les agences de developpement, et attentive aux interets des Autochtones. Cet article exam­ ine les changements en fonction de quatre themes : la legislation sur le patrimoine, l' engagement autochtone, I'interpretation du public en general et l'accumulation des connaissances archeologiques. Introduction During the past 25 years, many of the objectives for an archaeology of the Canadian Plains, set during the early 1970s by archaeologists, public and private interest groups, bureaucrats and politicians, have been advanced to a significant degree. One thinks, for example, about desires for broader and more systematic exploration; for a more synthetic knowledge of the archaeological past; for better infrastructure to carry out the necessarywork; for increased preservation ofarchae­ ological remains; for development ofmore empathetic connections among archae­ ology, archaeologists and Aboriginal peoples; and for greater public recognition. We have seen substantial progress in all these areas. In the following pages I will attempt an overview of the last quarter century through a discussion of four themes. The first theme concerns passage and implementation of comprehensive heritage legislation. This had a profound effect on many aspects ofArchaeology. In simple terms, ownership and responsi­ bility for archaeological remains, formerly in the hands oflandowners, collectors, scholars and collection-holding institutions, was vested in government. As gov­ ernments began to exercise their new powers, Archaeology became a truly pub­ lic enterprise affecting many interests beyond the traditional ones. One of the affected groups, Aboriginal peoples, responded by expressing special interest in archaeological objects and by demanding a measure of control over how those materials are treated. Their involvement is my second theme. Another result of government-imposed direction has been a marked increase in the level of public interpretation. That is my third theme. Finally, there have been notable advances in the discovery, analysis and interpretation of prairie archaeological remains. Consequently, subject development will be my fourth theme. Heritage Legislation In regard to heritage legislation, during the 1970s each of the prairie provinces responded to public pressure by passing comprehensive heritage acts. Modelled, at least in principle, on international conventions issued by UNESCO (1956, 1968, 1970, 1972a, 1972b; see also Jones 1978), one ofthe important results of these acts was that they formally vested ownership ofarchaeological remains in the provincial Crown..Another result was that they enabled the application of regulations gov­ erning the treatment of such remains. Alberta was the first with new legislation in 1973. Manitoba and Saskatchewan followed suit in 1974 and 1975. Later federal efforts at control of archaeological materials, developed most fully at the policy level, have had somewhat parallel effects at the national level (cf. Government of Canada 1988, 1990, 1993, 1999,2000; Burley 1994 and attached dialogues; see also the federally supported work of Nicholson, Pokotylo and Williamson 1996). Returning to the provinces, through their acts, later amplified by policies, regula­ tions and revised legislation, the legislatures assumed responsibility for preserva­ tion, study, interpretation, co-ordinated development and promotion of the "her­ itage resources" on lands in their domain. Some archaeologists had reservations about putting the fate of their discipline so fully into government hands. Most, however, were imbued with the idea that this change would be a positive thing. Not only would it enhance public awareness of the ancient human occupations of Canada, but it also was expected to prompt increased government support for the study and protection ofwhat actually remains ofsuch occupations. Thus, archaeol­ ogists generally found themselves sympathetic to heritage legislation. With its pas­ sage they took satisfaction from the fact that archaeological materials