Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Development Project Historic Resources Assessment and Recovery Program Prepared for: Nalcor Energy Hydro Place, 500 Columbus Drive P.O. Box 12800 St. John’s, NL A1B 0C9 Prepared by: Stassinu Stantec Limited Partnership 141 Kelsey Drive St. John’s, NL A1B 0L2 File No: 121414600 Final Report December 20, 2019 LOWER CHURCHILL HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT HISTORIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT AND RECOVERY PROGRAM Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 LOWER CHURCHILL PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................... 1 1.2 CULTURE-HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ......................................................................... 4 1.3 DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA ................................................... 5 1.3.1 Physiography and Hydrology..................................................................... 6 1.3.2 Holocene Geomorphology ....................................................................... 7 1.3.3 Climate and Vegetation ............................................................................ 8 1.3.4 Wildlife and Other Natural Resources ....................................................... 9 1.4 INITIAL STAGE 1/STAGE 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT (1998-2013) .................11 1.4.1 Narrative of Stage 1/Stage 2 Archaeological Assessment (1998- 2013) ...........................................................................................................12 1.4.2 Results of Stage 1/Stage 2 Archaeological Assessment (1998- 2013) ...........................................................................................................13 2.0 STAGE 3 RECOVERY 2012-2017: OVERVIEW AND METHODOLOGY.......................... 16 2.1 OVERVIEW OF RECOVERY EFFORT..............................................................................16 2.2 METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................................21 2.2.1 Stage 1 Assessment ...................................................................................21 2.2.2 Stage 2 Assessment ...................................................................................25 2.2.3 Stage 3 Recovery (Systematic Data Recovery) ......................................26 2.2.4 Stage 3 AFR ................................................................................................28 2.2.5 Artifact Processing and Conservation .....................................................28 3.0 INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS: PRECONTACT PERIOD ................................................. 30 3.1 THE REGIONAL PRECONTACT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SEQUENCE ................................30 3.1.1 South-Central Labrador.............................................................................30 3.1.2 Regional Comparisons: Strait of Belle Isle and Côte-Nord .....................35 3.1.3 Regional Comparisons: Western Labrador and Caniapiscau-La Grande / Laforge.......................................................................................36 3.2 SITE CLUSTER 1: MANITU-UTSHU (MUSKRAT FALLS) SOUTH ..........................................39 3.2.1 The Sites ......................................................................................................40 3.2.2 Site Distribution and Settlement Patterns .................................................40 3.2.3 Site Features ...............................................................................................41 3.2.4 Site Function and Seasonality ...................................................................50 3.2.5 Artifacts and Cultural Relationships ..........................................................51 3.2.6 Summary .....................................................................................................58 3.3 SITE CLUSTER 2: MANITU-UTSHU (MUSKRAT FALLS) NORTH SPUR ................................59 3.3.1 The Sites ......................................................................................................59 3.3.2 Site Distribution and Settlement Patterns .................................................59 3.3.3 Site Features ...............................................................................................60 3.3.4 Site Function and Seasonality ...................................................................60 3.3.5 Artifacts and Cultural Relationships ..........................................................61 3.4 SITE CLUSTER 3: MISHTA-SHIPU (SANDY BANKS) ..........................................................63 i File No: 121414600 LOWER CHURCHILL HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT HISTORIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT AND RECOVERY PROGRAM 3.4.1 The Sites ......................................................................................................63 3.4.2 Site Distribution and Settlement Patterns .................................................64 3.4.3 Site Function and Seasonality ...................................................................65 3.4.4 Site Features ...............................................................................................66 3.4.5 Artifacts and Cultural Relationships ..........................................................70 3.4.6 Summary .....................................................................................................72 3.5 SITE CLUSTER 4: TSHIASHKUNISH (GULL LAKE) .............................................................73 3.5.1 The Sites ......................................................................................................73 3.5.2 Site Distribution and Settlement Patterns .................................................74 3.5.3 Site Features ...............................................................................................74 3.5.4 Site Function and Seasonality ...................................................................79 3.5.5 Artifacts and Cultural Relationships ..........................................................80 3.5.6 Summary .....................................................................................................85 U U 3.6 SITE CLUSTER 5: TSHIASHK -PAUSHTIK (GULL RAPIDS) ...............................................85 3.6.1 The Sites ......................................................................................................86 3.6.2 Site Distribution and Settlement Patterns .................................................86 3.6.3 Site Features ...............................................................................................86 3.6.4 Site Function and Seasonality ...................................................................86 3.6.5 Artifacts and Cultural Relationships ..........................................................87 3.6.6 Summary .....................................................................................................88 3.7 SUMMARY OF PRECONTACT-PERIOD RESULTS ...........................................................89 4.0 INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS: HISTORIC PERIOD HBC OCCUPATION ....................... 94 4.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................................94 4.2 SANDY BANKS (FGCG-01) ...........................................................................................97 4.2.1 FgCg-01 Locus D ........................................................................................98 4.3 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................106 5.0 INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS: HISTORIC INNU OCCUPATION ..................................108 5.1 INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .................................................. 108 5.2 THE SITES .....................................................................................................................109 5.2.1 FgCg-01 Locus A ......................................................................................109 5.2.2 FhCe-36 ....................................................................................................109 5.2.3 FfCi-02 Locus B .........................................................................................110 5.2.4 Miscellaneous Historic Sites .....................................................................112 5.3 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................113 6.0 INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS: HISTORIC LABRADOR TRAPPER OCCUPATION..........114 6.1 INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .................................................. 114 6.2 THE SITES .....................................................................................................................115 6.2.1 Surface-Visible Tilt and Cabin Structures ................................................ 116 6.2.2 Campsites and sites of indeterminate Function and Affiliation ........... 117 6.2.3 FgCg-04 ....................................................................................................118 6.3 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................123 7.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................124 ii File No: 121414600 LOWER CHURCHILL HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT HISTORIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT AND RECOVERY PROGRAM