ALBERTA ARCHAEOLOGICAL REVIEW Number 9 ISSN 0701-1776 Autumn 1984 Copyright © 1984 by the publisher, The Archaeological Society of Alberta wJ&?~+ '*••:••>£.••* -:••-. - •. '"-.,,"•-•' ,--••- '*- '""'"• " ' Archaeological Society of Alberta Charter #8205, registered under the Societies Act of Alberta on February 7, 1975. SOCIETY OFFICERS FOR 1984-85 EDITOR'S NOTE President: Dr. John Dormaar I appreciate the co-operation of Gerald T. Conaty and his 634 - 15 Street South co-workers in furnishing so promptly this report on the Blood Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 2Z8 Tribe Historic Sites Development Project carried out this past 327-2357 summer and early autumn. This unique project enjoys the support Executive Sec./ Jeanne Cody of federal, provincial, and Blood Tribe authorities. Mr. Conaty, an Treasurer: P.O. Box 4609, Station C Albertan, received his B.A. from the University of Alberta, his M.A. Calgary, Alberta T2T 5P1 from Memorial University in Newfoundland, and is presently pur­ 243-4340 suing doctoral studies at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. Editor, Review & Dr. T.A. Moore The illustrations are by Mr. Conaty. Publications: The University of Lethbridge The 10th Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Society of 4401 University Drive Alberta will be held in Lethbridge at the El Rancho Hotel, 526 Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4 Mayor Magrath Drive, April 12-14. President Dormaar has organ­ 329-2524 ized the conference on Saturday, April 13, around the theme: Past President: Grant L. Weber human population dynamics across the southern Alberta land­ 979 Ranch Estates Place N.W. scape. Topics to be addressed cover the sweep of time from the Calgary, Alberta T3G 1M5 environmental setting and early prehistoric peoples through to the 239-0774 twentieth century. For further information contact Mr. Peter Vice-President: Janice Andreas Slemko, 306 - 23 Street South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 3M6 or 46 Rossland Crescent S.E. telephone 327-8950. Medicine Hat, Alberta TIB 2B6 The Canadian Archaeological Association will hold its 18th 526-3346 Annual Conference in Winnipeg, April 24 to 27,1985 at the Hotel Elected Sec./ Peter Slemko Fort Garry. For further information please contact the conference Treasurer: 306 - 23 Street South co-ordinator, Elizabeth Snow at 621 Academy Road, Winnipeg, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 3M6 Manitoba R3N 0E7. 327-8950 The efforts of all those who have contributed to the produc­ Calgary Centre: President: Louise (Mrs. L.M.) Travis tion of this issue are appreciated; and a special thank you to Jim 1815 Varsity Estates Drive N.W. and June Carpenter. Calgary, Alberta T3B 3Y7 286-5738 Rep.: David B. Coutts 3817 - 7 Street S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2T 2Y4 243-2101 Members of the Archaeological Society of Alberta receive a Edmonton Centre: President: G.F. Paschen copy of the Alberta Archaeological Review. Non-members and 11911 University Avenue institutions may subscribe to the Alberta Archaeological Review Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z6 for $5.00 per calendar year. Cheques should be made payable to 436-4913 The Archaeological Society of Alberta. Rep.: Nick Sheptycki Unsolicited contributions are welcomed for consideration for 5811- 113A Street possible publication. All communications regarding subscriptions Edmonton, Alberta T6H 1A9 and the Alberta Archaeological Review should be sent to the 434-2316 Editor, Dr. T.A. Moore, The University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Lethbridge Centre: President: Mary Cumming Alberta, T1K 3M4. 1605 - 14 Avenue South Comunications regarding the Archaeological Society of Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 0T6 Alberta should be addressed to the Executive Secretary/Treasurer, 328-1305 Mrs. Jeanne Cody, P.O. Box 4609, Station C, Calgary, Alberta, Rep.: Lawrence Halmrast T2T5P1. P.O. Box 165 Partial funding for this issue is provided by a grant from Warner, Alberta T0K 2L0 Alberta Culture. 642-2126 South Eastern Centre: President: Alan Loose 867 - 16A Street N.E. Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 5W8 526-1768 Rep.: Bill Tidy 35 Garden Place N.W. Cover: Many-Spotted-Horses Medicine Wheel, Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 7R3 Blood Indian Reserve, Alberta 527-1048 Photo by Gerald T. Conaty ARCHAEOLGICAL RESEARCH ON THE BLOOD RESERVE, 1984 by Katie Wells1, John Tallow1, Esther Tailfeathers1, and Gerald T. Conaty5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE PRESENT PROJECT We wish to thank the Blood Tribe Administration, the The Blood Tribe Historic Sites Development Project Environment 2000 Programme of Environment Canada, the has two general objectives: one is educational; the other is Archaeological Survey of Canada and the Archaeological developmental. The primary educational objective is to Survey of Alberta for their support of this project. Dr. David compile an oral history of the Kainai through interviews with Burley, Head of the Research Section, Archaeological Survey tribal elders. In addition, information was gathered regard­ of Alberta, deserves special thanks for his efforts to provide ing historical patterns of land use (especially concerning the funding for the archaeological aspect of this study and for northeastern part of the Reserve) and traditional methods his continued interest and concern. of butchering and of manufacturing tools. As this informa­ tion is accumulated, it will provide future generations with a We wish also to thank the Kainai elders who spared the record of their heritage. time to share their knowledge of the tribal history and culture. In addition, this project would have been much less successful without the interest and dedication of our field A second educational objective concerned the instruc­ assistants. tion of project members in archaeological field methods and in aspects of the regional prehistory. Although the Blood Reserve lies within a segment of Alberta that has a rich and INTRODUCTION varied archaeological record, very little archaeological re­ search has been conducted within the Reserve boundaries. In the autumn of 1983, Alberta Transportation under­ It is hoped that a programme of educating tribal members took the construction of a secondary road (SR 509) across regarding the importance of archaeological data, and the the northeast section of the Blood Reserve. As a part of the need to properly record these data, will lead to fewer of first stage of development, an Historical Resources Impact these sites being destroyed before they can be investigated. Assessment (H.R.I.A.) was undertaken by Lifeways of Can­ ada, Limited. The results of this H.R.I.A. indicated that the The archaeological aspect of this project also provides a area to be affected by the proposed development contains significant time depth to the heritage of the Kainai. The significant historical resources. exposure of project members, and eventually of other Kainai, Among these is Conrad's Post, a late nineteenth cen­ to this archaeological data will increase the awareness of the tury whiskey trading establishment. The remains of this culture history. The availability of the ethnographic and structure are located adjacent to the secondary road right- archaeological information to people beyond the Reserve of-way in Get-Woods-Bottom. In the course of further will increase awareness of the Kainai culture. archaeological investigations in these bottoms, a number of stone circles and stone cairns were recorded and exca­ The developmental aspect is concerned with determin­ vated. In addition, a shallow depression-feature within the ing appropriate and effective means of disseminating the right-of-way was excavated. This feature was found to con­ ethnographic and archaeological information gathered tain human remains, which were removed and re-interred through the course of the project. A proposal has been beyond the bounds of the highway. In light of the discovery made to initiate an extensive commercial and recreational of these historical resources, the tribal administration development in areas adjacent to the proposed new townsite. initiated the Blood Tribe Historic Sites Development Pro­ Such a proposed development includes areas which contain ject. a variety of historical resources. This programme of cultural resosurces inventory and assessment includes both ethnographic and archaeological While such a development will pose some negative aspects, as both the ancient and the more recent heritage of impacts to these resources, it will also provide a forum the Kainai were to be examined. Support was forthcoming within which the results of ethnographic and archaeological from the Archaeological Survey of Alberta, the Archaeolog­ studies can be presented in an interpretive framework. An ical Survey of Canada, the Environment 2000 Programme of important consideration of such developments is the selec­ Environment Canada, and the Blood Tribe. The coopera­ tion of sites which will provide a suitable focus for recrea­ tion of federal, provincial and tribal governments within the tional and educational development. In addition, approp­ framework of a multi-disciplinary study underscores the riate methods for presenting these interpretations must be uniqueness and importance of this project. examined. To meet these ends, the developmental aspect of the project includes an assessment of the historical resour­ ces which have been identified. The criteria for such 1 Blood Tribe assessment include (for the archaeological resources) the 2 Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, state of preservation, accessibility, and the ability to inte­ Burnaby, B.C., V5A 1S6 grate the resources within a broader system of interpretation. FIGURE 1