Appendix I Traditional and Other Land Uses
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CONSTRUCTION OF THE NORMAN WELLS TO CANYON CREEK ACCESS ROAD OCTOBER 2015 | ISSUED FOR USE APPENDIX I TRADITIONAL AND OTHER LAND USES LUP and WL Application Docs NW to CC APPENDIX I – TRADITIONAL AND OTHER LAND USES OCTOBER 2015 | ISSUED FOR USE APPENDIX I – TRADITIONAL AND OTHER LAND USES TABLE OF CONTENTS I-1.0 GENERAL OVERVIEW OF TRADITIONAL AND OTHER LAND USES......................................... 1 I-2.0 HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES...................................................................... 1 I-2.1 Human History Summary ................................................................................................................. 1 I-2.2 Prehistory........................................................................................................................................ 2 I-2.2.1 Historic Period..................................................................................................................... 2 I-2.3 Ethnography .................................................................................................................................... 3 I-2.4 Previous Archaeological Studies...................................................................................................... 4 I-2.5 Recorded Heritage Resources......................................................................................................... 5 I-2.6 Archaeological Overview Assessment.............................................................................................. 5 I-2.6.1 Terrain Potential.................................................................................................................. 6 I-2.6.2 Recorded Site Proximities ................................................................................................... 6 I-2.7 Heritage Site Locations and Types................................................................................................... 6 I-2.8 Heritage Resources Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 7 I-3.0 TRADITIONAL LAND USE AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE..................................................... 7 I-3.1 Relevant Comments Collected in 2010 and 2011............................................................................. 8 I-3.2 Traditional Knowledge, Land use Conclusions ................................................................................. 8 I-4.0 PAST AND EXISTING LAND USES .................................................................................................... 8 I-4.1 Winter Access Trails........................................................................................................................ 8 I-4.2 Oil and Gas Activities....................................................................................................................... 9 I-4.3 Material Resources/Material Sites.................................................................................................... 9 I-4.4 Timber Sources ............................................................................................................................... 9 I-4.5 Mineral Resources........................................................................................................................... 9 I-4.6 Communications Line .....................................................................................................................12 I-4.7 Winter Road ...................................................................................................................................12 I-4.8 Barge Landing Sites .......................................................................................................................12 I-4.9 Tourism and Recreation..................................................................................................................12 I-4.10 Visual and Aesthetic Resources......................................................................................................12 I-5.0 NATURAL RESOURCES HARVESTING.......................................................................................... 13 I-5.1 Wildlife ..........................................................................................................................................13 I-5.2 Caribou ..........................................................................................................................................13 I-5.3 Moose ..........................................................................................................................................13 I-5.4 Bears ..........................................................................................................................................14 I-5.5 Furbearers......................................................................................................................................14 I-5.6 Waterfowl and Game Birds .............................................................................................................15 I-5.7 Berries and Other Plants.................................................................................................................16 REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................ 17 I - i Appendix I - Traditional and Other Land Uses APPENDIX I – TRADITIONAL AND OTHER LAND USES FILE: V33103186-01 | OCTOBER 2015 | ISSUED FOR USE LIST OF FIGURES Figure APP I-1 Existing and Proposed Land Uses...................................................................................... 10 LIST OF TABLES Table APP I-1: Recorded Archaeological Sites near the Proposed Access Road (EBA 2011)................. 6 Table APP I-2: The Sahtu Settlement Harvest Study – Caribou Harvest Data, 1998-2005* ........... 13 Table APP I-3: The Sahtu Settlement Harvest Study – Moose Harvest Data, 1998-2005* ............. 14 Table APP I-4: The Sahtu Settlement Harvest Study – Bear Harvest Data, 1998-2005* .................. 14 Table APP I-5: The Sahtu Settlement Harvest Study – Furbearer Harvest Data, 1998-2005* ........ 14 Table APP I-6: The Sahtu Settlement Harvest Study – Bird Harvest Data, 1998-2005*.......................... 16 . I - ii Appendix I - Traditional and Other Land Uses APPENDIX I – TRADITIONAL AND OTHER LAND USES FILE: V33103186-01 | OCTOBER 2015 | ISSUED FOR USE I-1.0 GENERAL OVERVIEW OF TRADITIONAL AND OTHER LAND USES The Sahtu Settlement Area (SSA) has been occupied for millenia by the Sahtu Dene. Traditionally, the Sahtu Dene occupied an area including Great Bear Lake and its borderlands, the Mackenzie Valley lowlands between Blackwater River and Travaillant River, large portions of the Anderson Plain north of the Mackenzie River and west of Great Bear Lake, and the Mackenzie Mountains and foothills, well into the Yukon Territory. The Sahtu Metis are descended from the intermarriage between Sahtu Dene and Euro-Canadians who began to move into the region with the fur trade in the early nineteenth century (SHPSJWG 2000). For centuries, the Sahtu Dene and Metis have travelled and used the resources within the Sahtu. Critical subsistence resources include moose, woodland caribou, Dall’s sheep, beaver, marten, muskrats, waterfowl and other birds, fish, hare, and other small game. Caribou are of prime importance and are a critical food source (SHPSJWG 2000). Several areas within the SSA have traditional land use significance and are specially managed. Due to the rich natural resources in the area, non-traditional land uses such as transportation infrastructure, industry and recreation are either existing or proposed for development. Much of the information presented here is adapted fromthe work completed in the Tulita District for the Department of Transportation, Government of the Northwest Territories in 2010 and 2011. General information is presented as an overview, and information specific to the Norman Wells to Canyon Creek Access Road is identified. I-2.0 HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES Legislation, including the Northwest Territories Archaeological Sites Regulations, and the Mackenzie Valley Land Use Regulations, and the Conformity Requirements of the Sahtu Land Use Plan (discussed in Section 8.4 of this Project Description Report) protect archaeological sites, archaeological artifacts, historical sites, burial sites, and other sites of heritage, archaeological, cultural and/or traditional significance from disturbance or destruction. This section provides an overview of the known conditions that exist within the vicinity of the project. The project will be developed in accordance with the legislation and plans relative to known sites, and sites that may become evident during the development The follow provides an overview of known conditions that exist within the vicinity of the project. Based on information known at the present time, the project does not impact and is suitably set back from known and potential sites. As discussed in Section 6.0 of this Project Description Report, the mitigation for sites that may become evident during the development is avoidance in accordance with the setback requirements set out in the legislation or as conditions of the land use plan. I-2.1 Human History Summary The following summary is based on extensive research of documentary data. Sources that were consulted include archaeological site inventory records held by the Northwest Territories government,