THE PREHISTORIC OCCUPATIONS OF BLACK LAKE, NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN A Theeis Submitted to the Faoulty of Graduate Studies and Research 1n Partial FUlfilment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Anthropology and Arohaeology by Sheila Joan Minn1 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan @ 1975. S.J. Minn1 l~l/to4 The author haa agreed that the Library, University ot Saskatchewan, may ms.ke this thesis freely e.vailablefor inspection. Moreover, the author has a.greed that permission tor extensive copying of thiethesla for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professors who supervised the thesis work recorded herein or, in thelrabeenoe, by the Head of the Department or the Dean ot the College in which the thesis work was done. It is understood thet due reoognition will be given to the author of this thesis and to the University ot Saskatohewan 1n any use ot the material 1n this thesis. Copying or publication or any other use ot the thesis tor tinanoialga1n without approve.l by the University ot Saskatohewan and the author's written permiseion is prohibited. Requests tor permission to oOPY or to make any other use ot material 1n this thesis 1n whole or in part should be addressed to: Head ot the Department ot Anthropology and Arohaeology, University of Saskatchewan, SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN, Canada. ABSTRACT The results trom the arohaeological investigations at Black Lake 1n northern Saskatchewan d,escrlbe and explain th.e utilization ot the region in prehistoric and early historic times. The 1972 through 1974 survey and exoavation progrs.ma indicate that the Black Ls,ke area has been oooupied by a number ot distinot oultural tra,ditiona. Typological 8,nalyeie suggests that this array of traditiona and oomplexes ranged disoontinuouely in time trom approximately 6000 B.C. up to and inoluding the time ot historic contact. Cultural affiliations ot many ot these oooupants outline the margine,l nature otnorthern Saskatchewan to a number ot physiographic zones. Since poet-glacial times the Black Lake area has been oooupied by Paleo-Indians, Pre-Dorset peoples,Chlpewyan Indians, northern Plaine Indians and Woodland Cree Indians. Anexteneive amount of historical and ethnographioal evidenoe details the almost total dependence ot the historic Chipewyan upon the migratory herds of barren-ground oaribou. This information is used to formulate an economic model whioh outlines this dependence, and tentatively expla.ins the rationale behind the Chlpewyan oocupation of northern Saskatchewan. This model broadens the understanding of the Chlpewyan lite-style in the early historic time period. and, through applies.tioD ot the direct historical approach, 1s oonsidered to have limited prehistoric validity. The ma,Jorlty ot culture,l materials trom Ble.ok La,ke are associated with the later Ch,ipewyan occupations which 1 have been tentatively dated from A.D. 1300 to the time of oontact. This abundanoe permits a more detailed analys1s which is divided into 2 eeotione. These seotions are concerned with artifaot and attribute analysis and with the reoognition and interpretation of patterned human behavior from differential art1fact clusterlnge. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The main funding agenoies of the Black. Lake Arohe.eology Project have been Opportunities tor Youth in 1972 and the Salva,ge Seotion of the Arohaeo1ogical Survey ot Canada" Netional Museum ot Man in 1973. During both tield seasons financial aid, in the form of a summer grs,nt in 1972 and a soho1arship supplement in 1973) along with equipment was reoeived from the Institute tor Northern Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. Summer scholarship supplements from the College of Graduate Studies at the University of Saskatchewan provided further financial a,esistance. A oonsiderable amount of equipment was provided by the Depe.rtment ot Anthropology and Arohaeology at the University of Saskatchewan. The d.evelopment of the project and the initial analysis of the results were made poesibleby echole,rships from the College of Graduate Studies during the academic years of 1971 - 72 and 1972 - 73. Final analysis and the writing 01' this thesis were made possible by a scholarship trom the Institute for Northern Studies during 1973 - 74. The short 1974 season was part 01' an environmental assessment study and was finanoed by the Department ot the Environment of the Saskatchewan Provincial Government. Throughout the field a.nd laboratory research of th.e Black La.k.e Arch8,eology Projeot" a large number of people have greatly aldedand contributed to the success 01' the project. To allot the people listed below and to many l1i others too numerous to mention, I express my sincere ths.nk.s for all of the assistance, guidanoe 8.nd encouragement received throughout the oourse of this proJeot. In acknowledging those who have assisted this project it 1s perhaps moet logical to begin with the support received during the summer field seasone. Such support is often a deciding factor in the $uocess of a project of this nature. During the 1972 s-nd 1973 summer field sessons in northern Saeke.tchewan Mr. F .. W. Terry, then Conservetion Officer of the Department ot Northern 8askatche~an at stony Rapids, provided a cons1derable amount of assistance. In addition to allowing the field crews to use the D.N.S. cabin at Black Lake 8S a hOlDe base and general storage area for supplies, h.e was responsible tor transporting most of the field equipment and supplies between the communities of Stony Rapids and Black Lake. His wife Myrtle will always be remembered for her generous hospitality. others, suoh as Riok and Donna Sanderson, then teachers at stony Rapids; George Meroredi, Community Development Officer of the Saskatchewan Federation of Indians at stony Rapids; Bill Breca and. Jake Wiebe, teachers at Black La.ke; and She.rlene Wiebe, then Indian Health Nurse a.t Black Lake, also aided in the smooth running of the projeot. During April 1974, visits were made to the federal museum and a number of provincial museums in ord.er to view various collections regarding the interpretation of some of the cultural remains trom Black La.ke. Many people were iv moat helpful in this regard. On a number ot occasions Brye.n C. Gordon, Arctic Archaeologist of the Archa.eologlcal Survey of Canada, had expressed an interest in the culture history of northern Saskatchewan B.nd his assistance in April clarified many problems and questions.hle interpretations. Others, such 8S James V. Wright, Head of the Research Seotion at the Archaeological Survey of Canada, Ronald J. Nash; then with the Museum of Man and Nature in Winnipeg, Walter M. Hlady, and the archaeologists involved With the Southern Indian Lake project in Manltoba,provided. useful insights into the material remains from Black Lake. Various faculty members at the University of Saskatohewan were instrumental in the development of the proJeot Bnd subsequently in the development ot this thesis. On the basis of preVious experience in the BlaCk Lake area, Earl N. Shannon of the Department of Geography was able to provide background information on the study area. This information enabled me to plan and implement the logistics of the first field season. James F.V. Millar) Head of the Department of Anthropology B.nd Archaeology, and Urve Linna.mee, along with other faculty members of the departmen~provided general superVision and advice on variou8 ate.ges of the projeot development. The crewe also deserve to be mentioned. Member. of the 1972 field crew were Bonnie Allen, Doug Bone, John Baptiste MacDonald, Joe Tout-Saint and for a short period of time Anita Smith. Members of the 1973 field crew were v Jane Dale, Joan Dale, Gerard Dolan, and tor shorter periods of time Brenda Clark and Michael Forsman. My appreciation is expressed to the members of my thesis oommittee, Urve Linnamae (chairperson), Mary C. Marino, and Patrick C. Hartney, all of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, and Robert M. Bone, Aoting Direotor of the Institute tor Northern Studies, tor their patienoe in reviewing this thesis. Thanks are also extend.ed to Sheila A. Minni for proofreading this thesie. Flns,l appreoiation is extended to Miohael Forsman tor his oontinued enoouragement throughout the entire project. v1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. iil LIST OF TABLES x LIST OF FIGURES . xi LIST OF PLATES xil CHAPTER 1. INTRODUOTION. 1 1.1 Introduction. .. ~ 1 1.2 Theoretioal background 1 1.3 Thesis format 4 PART I CULTURE HISTORY AND PROCESS • 9 CHAPTER 2. BACKGROUND. 9 2.1 Definition of area. 9 2.2 Previous andre1ated work 11 2.3 Methodology. 14 CHAPTER J. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. 18 3.1 Present environment 18 Bedrook geology: • 18 Topography:. 19 So11s: • 22 Climate:. 23 Flora: 25 Fauns.: 28 3.2 Paleo-environment • 31 CHAPTER 4. CULTURE HISTORY . 34 4.1 Nature of sites within the study area 34 Historic sites: 37 Buris.l altea: .. :39 Prehistoric sites: 40 vii Ts.ble of Contents (oont.) Page 4.2 Location of sites within the study area. 42 4.' Culture history. ...• 46 Northern Plano tradition:. .. 48 Early northern related materials: 49 Arot1c Small Tool tradition: • • 51 Talthellel Shele tradition: .53 Southern related materials: 56 Pelican Lake complex: •. .56 Clearwater Lake oomplex:. 57 Historic period: • 58 4.4 Summary statement • 62 CHAPTER 5. CHIPEWYAN SUBSISTENCE MODEL • 64 CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS 82 PART II ARTIFACT ANALYSIS 89 CHAPTER 7. IhNh 2 - ARTIFACT DESCRIPTION • 90 7 .. 1 Introduction. 90 7.2 Diagnostio artifaote . 96 ProJeotile pointe: 96 Sorapers: .. 99 Bifaola1 tools: 103 Un11'80181 tools: 105 Wedges: • 107 Gravers: ..• 109 Hammerstones: . 109 Cores: ... 110 Miscellaneous:. 112 7.3 Flakes. 112 7.4 Conclusions. 116 CHAPTER 8. IhNh 2 - HUMAN BEHAVIOR PATTERNS 118 8.1 Introduction. .. 118 8.2 Blook analysis • 121 Unit 1: • 121 Unit 2: • 126 vi1i Table or Contents (cont.) Page Unit 3: .