Archaeological Overview Assessment of a Portion of the Williams Lake Forest District Final Report
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Archaeological Overview Assessment of a Portion of the Williams Lake Forest District Final Report Prepared for: The Ministry of Forests, Williams Lake Forest District and Tsilhqot’in First Nations and Y Williams Lake Band and The Archaeology Branch By: Millennia Research Ltd. March 31, 1998 HERITAGE UBRARY MINISTRY OF SMALL BUSINESS, tOURISM AND CULTURE 101 - 800 JOHNSON STREET BOX 583.1, Cl-N FRCV GOVT VlCTO~~ I,:4 r;!; ‘<~j’icsj $tqV3 -. In January of 1997, Millennia Research Ltd. was contracted to conduct an Archaeological Overview Assessment (AOA) of the Williams Lake Forest District Archaeological overview potential maps are tools, which can be used in the management of heritage resources. The maps produced during the course of this project are intended to be of use to First Nations, the Ministry of Forests, industry, government agencies and others. They shall be used in planning for development activities and the associated potential threat to the integrity of archaeological resources; they are especially helpful in operational planning. All heritage resources which pre-date 1846, and several other site types are automatically protected under the British Columbia Heritage Conservation Act. Timberline Forest Inventory Consultants Ltd. helped develop and produce the potential model and maps in co-operation with Millennia Research Ltd. The following report summarises the background information used to build the model, the modelling development process, the final mapping process, overall final results, and final recommendations. The end goal of the Williams Lake Forest District AOA was to develop a model that could be used to produce maps that show archaeological potential. The development of the archaeological potential model involved finding the relationship of various types of archaeological sites with sets of geographical, cultural, ecological, and geological variables. For example, habitation sites are most likely to be located close to large bodies of water. Document research and ethnographic interviews with present day First Nations were used to help in defining these relationships. All variables for the model were then loaded into the GIS and, using a variety of TRIM data, and other topographic and elevation information, the GIS produced maps which detail polygons of high, moderate to high, moderate and low potential for archaeological remains. The potential that is assigned to an area depends on the types and numbers of variables that are present in that region. Our archaeological site potential model was then tested for accuracy. Using an existing database of archaeological sites in the study area, and site-specific ethnographic information, we ran tests to see if the model successfully predicted these. The results of these tests are given in this report. The modelling was limited by gaps in the available data, especially the lack of archaeological survey in several areas. To address these data gaps, we recommend future Archaeological Inventory Surveys (AIS) be conducted to verify and refine the model, particularly in areas of low potential. As a result of our findings we recommend that high and moderate to high potential areas be subjected to a full Archaeological Impact Assessment @IA) prior to any development activities. Areas of moderate potential should be given a reconnaissance level survey (RECCE). First Nations and the MoF should determine the appropriate level of effort for further archaeological work in low potential areas. The assessment of archaeological potential is limited to the material remains of past human activities. For this reason, issues concerning the extent of traditional use activities and aboriginal rights should not be inferred from these maps or this report. These issues should be Millennia Research ltd. ii Williams Lake Forest District Archaeological Overview Assessment Draft Report addressed through consultation with the Williams Lake Band, Esketemc Band, Yunesit’in Band and Tsilhqot’in National Government. r, J C .a. Millennia Research ltd. 111 Williams Lake Forest District Archaeological Overview Assessment Draft Report Credits Project Director Morley Eldridge Report Authors Morley Eldridge Kat Roberts Tina Christensen Cohn Moyer Owen Grant Colin Grier C Report Editors Morley Eldridge Cohn Grier Tina Christensen * Field Researchers Peter Dady Owen Grant Irvine Johnson L Karen Robbins Tony Meyers William Meyers * Cecelia Quilt Sandra Sauer First Nations Liaisons Tina Christensen C Peter Dady Morley Eldridge Owen Grant z Modelling Cohn Moyer (Millennia Research Ltd.) Morley Eldridge Joy Simrett (Timberline Forestry Consultants Ltd) -. Steve Lipscomb (Timberline Forestry Consultants Ltd) GISMapProduction Timberline Forestry Consultants Ltd. & Map Plot Checking Tal Fisher Graphics James Tin&Jones Owen Grant First Nations Contacts Lymre Gilbert (Williams Lake) Beth Bedard (Esketemc) L Sandra Sauer (Esketemc) Brian Yellowhorne (Yunesit’in) Ronnie Quilt (Yunesit’in) - Don Wise (Tsilhqot’in National Government) Lars Jensen (Tsilhqot’in National Government) Report Production Cohn Moyer Pat Marshall Tina Christensen Millennia Research Ltd. Archaeological Overview Assessment iv Williams Lake Forest District --- ..__- - The staff of Millennia Research Ltd. would like to thank the descendants of the original inhabitants of what is now called the Williams Lake Forest District. What we study and make decisions about ultimately belongs to them. We would also like to thank the numerous people involved in the project including Irvine Johnson, and Karen Robbins of the Esketemc Band for sharing their knowledge of archaeological sites within their territory, and Beth Bedard and Sandra Sauer for their assistance Y in coordinating and overseeing the ground truthing sections of the fieldwork. Helpful assistance was also provided by Lynne Gilbert of the Williams Lake Band. From the Yunesit’in Band we would like to thank Tony Meyers, William Meyers, and Cecelia Quilt for sharing their * knowledge of archaeological sites within their territory. Valuable assistance was given by Ronnie Quilt of the Yunesit’in Band for providing us with adequate maps and precise location descriptions during our fieldwork. From the Tsilhqot’in National Government office in Williams I Lake we would like to thank Don Wise, and Lam Jensen for expressing their concerns about archaeological fieldwork and its implications on TNG territory as well as helping us arrange for First Nations assistants from the Yunesit’in Band. We would also like to thank the principals of the Williams Lake Forest District office for initiating the project including Marian Diamond for her patience, help, and overseeing of the project. We would also like to thank the staff from I.R. Wilson Consulting Ltd as well as the staff from Arcas Consulting Archaeologists Ltd for sharing their information with us. There are many other individuals at Millennia Research Ltd. that contributed in many ways - particularly Donna Eckert. C Millennia Research Ltd. Archaeological Overview Assessment V Williams Lake Forest District -- - --.- F CONTENTS MANAGEMENT SUMMARY . ..*............ II CREDITS . ...*................................................................................................................*................ IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . V TABLE OF CONTENTS ,..........,.,.......,.....,............................................................................................... VI LIST OF FIGURES . ......... VIII LIST OF PLATES ,..,...........,...........,.......................,.................................................................................. Ix LIST OF TABLES ..,..............,,.................................,........,......................................................................*.. X INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Ic REPORT FORMAT ......................................................................................................................................... 2 PROJECT TEAM ............................................................................................................................................ 3 T ERMINOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................ 3 rr RELEVANT LEGISLATION ............................................................................................................................. 3 INFORMATION CONFIDENTIALITY................................................................................................................ 4 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 5 PREDICTIVE MODELLING.. ........................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5 The Role of Predictive Modelling in Cultural Resource Management.. ................................................. 6 L THE PRESENT STUDY .. ................................................................................................................................. 7 Incorporating Existing Inventory Data into the Study.. .........................................................................