The Archaeology and History of An Arctic Missions, Herschel Island, Yukon

110 Pages·2013·2.98 MB·English

by  Nancy Saxber

Heritage Branch
Government of Yukon
Hudq Hudin Series
Occasional Papers in Archaeology No.4
THE ARCBAEOLGY AND HISTORY OF AN ARCTIC MISSION,
HERSCHEL ISLAND, YUKON
Nancy Saxberg
This publication is funded through the Northern Oil and Gas Action Plan
YUKON
Tourism
Heritage Branch
Doug Phillips, Minister
1993
ABSTRACT
The following paper is a discuesion of the results of the
excavation, analysis, and interpretation of material from an early
twentieth-century refuse pit on Herschel Island Territorial Park.
Occupations of the island, located off the north coast of the Yukon
Territory, were the focus of excavations of the Qikiqtaruk Archaeology
Project, directed by Max Friesen of McGill University, in the summere of
1990, 1991, and 1992. The feature which is the subject of the present
paper was excavated in 1991 and is part of a large, multi-occupational
settlement site at Pauline Cove, on the southeast shore of the island
(NjVi-3). The site includes historic and prehistoric Inuvialuit dwelling
features and non-native structures dating from the beginning of the
whaling period in the early 1890s to the decline of the fur trade in the
1930s. The feature is associated with the occupation of the mission
house, which dates from 1916 to the late 19208. This paper presents the
archaeological and documentary data relating to this occupation and
discusses it in terms of recent developments in historical
archaeological theory and the environmental, historical, and socio
cultural context of the aite. It is the aim of the paper to demonstrate
that the archaeological features of the site relate in a meaningful way
to the dynamics of social interaction in the Greater Mackenzie Delta
area following the collapse of the whaling fishery in 1906.
En 1991, dans Ie cadre du Projet archeologique Qikiqtaruk, on fouilla un
depotoire au site complexe de Pauline Cove (NjVi-3), eitue dans Ie
secteur Bud-est de l'ile Herschel, au Yukon. On y retrouve des
structures d'habitatioD Inuvialuit prehistoriques et historiques ainsi
que des structures d'origine non-autochtones datant du debut de La
a
periode de la chasse la baleine (annees 1890) et allant jusqu'a la fin
d 1'ere de la trappe, vere lee anneea 1930. La fosee A dechet est
a
aSBoci~e la residence du rniesionnaire qui occupa l'endroit entre 1916
et la fin dee anneee 1920. On y presente des donnees archeologiques et
archivistiques qui portent sur Ie contexte envrlonnemental, historique
et Bocio-culturel de l'endroit. Ces analyses demontrent que les
structures archeologiques du site refletent la dynamique de
l'interaction sociale dans la r~gion du delta du fleuve Mackenzie
a
suivant 1a fin de la p~riode de la chasse la baleine en 1906.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
At the top of my list of people to thank are my parents,
Diane and Bob Saxberg, for their support and good humour throughout
my academic career. No, Dad, it's not War and Peace, but, like I
said} Tolstoy didn't have artifacts.
In addition, the material discussed here was obtained thanks
to the generosity of Max Friesen, director of the Qikiqtaruk
Archaeology Project. Max not only allowed me to analyze the
material, but also lent me some of his precious field time and
crew-members. Those people, Richard Tardiff, Sr., Doris Zibauer,
and for a few hours, Pete Dawson, lent their knowledge and
expertise to the project and were great cOmLades. I was espeCially
glad to work with Doris again as I knew she would love Herschel
Island, too.
The Qikiqtaruk Archaeology Project was supported by the
Northern Oil and Gas Action Plan (NOGAPl, Yukon Tourism Heritage
Branch, the Polar Continental Shelf Project, and the Inuvik
Research Centre of the Science Institute of the Northwest
Territories. I was able to be a part of it thanks to funding
provided by the Arctic Working Group of the University of Toronto
through the Northern Bc lent if ic Training Programme. Dr. Gary
Crawford of the Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto,
assisted me in acquiring the funding and gave valuable advice on my
work.
I am also grateful to the staffs of the General Synod Archives
of the Anglican Church of Canada in Toronto, and the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police Archives in ottawa for their help in finding what I
needed.
In ottawa, I was fortunate to meet Mrs. Shiela C. Thomson, who
was born in the mission house on Herschel Island. She kindly
allowed me access to some of her mother's writings and gave me tea.
Both Hr. and Mrs. Thomson were wonder fully accomrnodat i'ng.
In Tor-onto, I was able to use the Archaeo-Osteology Lab thanks
to the continual generosity of Dr. Howard Savage. I must also
acknowledge my colleagues at the University of Toronto,
particularly my office- and lab-mates, who made the work more
enjoyable. I especially thank Alicia Hawkins for being a friend
and somebody to commiserate with in what was sometime8 a difficult
year.
In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge Mrs. Irene Dawson
for giving me a home while I worked on this and Peter Dawson, the
person who supported me the most and put up wi th all of my
uncertainties. He also dId a great job on the artifact
photographs. I do not know what I would have done without him.
TABLE OF CONTEXTS
LIST OF FIGURES .. ". .•..•....•....••••••.....••.•.••............•. i
LIST OF TABLES ........•......•..•.••............•.............. 11
LIST OF PLATES .•.•....•• _ ......•.••....••...........•......... iii
Chapter 1 - Introduction
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH ••.••....•••.••.•..•••.•••.......•........ 1
SITE BACKGROUND
Environment ...........•...........•••....•••••••••••....••• 6
History ............•.•..•....•...••...••.•..•..•........•.. 7
Social and Cultural Context ............................... 15
THEORET I CAL PER S P ECT I VE .•.....•......•...•..•....•••••....•.... 19
HETHODS OF EXCAVATION AND ANALYSIS ......•....••.......•..•....• 22
Excavat i on .............. 22
6 .......... .to ..... ,. t ... ,. • , ............................... , ....
Artifact Analysis •••••••••••.••••••...••••..•.•......•.... 24
Documentary Analysis •••.••••••••.••..••••••••••••.••...... 26
SUMMARY .... 28
a .... "" ill ..... ill ....... ill .......................... .a .............. a .. " .. " .......... _. ...........
Chapter 2 - Results of Rxcavatlon and Analysis
OVER VI EW ••.•••...•••••.•••••••••..•..............•••••..•.••••• 29
FEATURES AND s·rRATIGRAPHY ••..•..•••....•.•••..•.....•...•.••... 29
ARTIFACTS •••••••...•.•••••.•..•.•••.•.••.••••••..•••..••.•••..• 34
Architectural Artifacts .•••••.••••..••••.•••••••..•••••.•• 34
Dining and Dietary Refuse ••••••.••••.•••••.••••••••••••••• 35
Furniture •.•••....••••. ; ....•..••.•..••..•.........•..•... 48
Arms and Alnmunition ••••.•••••••..••.••....•..•••••••.•••.• 49
Clothing •.....•..••....•..........•.••.•.•••.....•••...... 50
Personal Use Artifacts ••••••••••••••••.••••••..••••••••••• 51
Artifacts Relating to Other Activities ..•••....•.•.••••••. 51
Artifacts with Hultiple Uses •••••••..••..•......••••••••.. 56
Artifacts of Unknown Function .. , .......................... 56
Traditional lnuvialuit Artifacts •••.•••...••••••••••••.... 56
SUIRIIlaI' Y ....... 57
t ........................................... " ........... II ............ t
FAUNAL AND BOTANICAL EVIDENCE
Faunal Remains ••......•.......•.....•....•............•.•. 57
Botanical Remains .•.••••••••••••••••••••••••.••.••.••••..• 63
Summa r y ............ 64
t ...... t • It t ••• tit. It ........................... t ••••••••••
Chapter 3 - Interpretations and Conclusions
I NTRODUCT I ON ....••...•..•••••••••.•••••••..•••••...•....•..•... 65
FEATURES, STRATIGRAPHY, AND THE HISTORY OF HERSCHEL ISLAND ••••• 66
ARCTIC MISSION"S AND ARTIFACT MEANING .•••.•••••••.••••••.••••••• 67
THE EXCEPTIONS: ADAPTING TO THE NORTH .•..•..•.....••••.••••••• 74
CONCL US ION S AND DIRECT I ON S FOR FUTURE RE SEARCH ••... ". ...••...... 75
REFERENCES ••••••••••..••.•..•..•..••••••••...•.....••••••••...• 77
APPENDIX I: HERSCHEL ISLAND CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS •.......•••... 89
APPENDIX II: GLASS VESSEL FORM •••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••.• 92
APPENDIX III: ARTIFACT PLATES ................................. 95
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: HERSCHEL ISLAND AND THE MACKENZIE DELTA ...........• 2
FIGURE 2: HERSCHEL ISLAND SETTLEMENT AREA (AFTER
RILEY 1989) ....••.................................. 3
FIGURE 3: THE MISSION HOUSE ON HERSCHEL ISLAND, AS
SEEN FROM THE WEST, DATE UNKNOWN ..•................ 4
FIGURE 4: THE SETTLEMENT AT PAULINE COVE, HERSCHEL
ISLAND, IN 1916, AS SEEN FORM THE NORTHWEST
I
I N THE COVE ...............•..................... ' .. 10
FIGURE 5: THE SETTLEMENT AT PAULINE COVEl HERSCHEL
ISLAND, IN 1916 AS SEEN FROM THE NORTH,
1
ACROS S THE COVE ..................••............... 11
FIGURE 6: SKETCH MAP OF MISSION PROPERTY, 1924
(AFTER MERRETT, 28 AUGUST 1924) ................... 13
FIGURE 7: MISSION FEATURES AND EXCAVATION AREA •............. 23
FIGURE 8: F3-91 EXCAVATION AREA ............................. 31
FIGURE 9: BOTTOM OF REFUSE PIT, F3-91-1 ..................... 32
FIGURE 10: STRATIGRAPHIC PROFILE, F3-91-1 ................... 33
1
LIST OF TABLES
c
TABLE 1: REPRESENTATION OF ARTIFACTS BY MATERIAL •........... 34
TABLE 2: REPRESENTATION OF ARTIFACTS BY FUNCTIONAL
CATEGOR Y. ...........•.••..•...... : ................. 34
TABLE 3: REPRESENTATION OF ARTIFACTS IN DINING AND
DIETARY CATEGORY BY MATERIAL ...•........... ~ ...•... 36
TABLE 4: REPRESENTATION OF ARTIFACTS BY ACTIVITY ............ 52
TABLE 5: REPRESENTATION OF ARTIFACTS BY FUNCTIONAL
CATEGORY, WITH MINIMUM NUMBER OF METAL
CONTAINERS ...•.....•.......•..•.•....•••........... 57
TABLE 6: REPRESENTATION OF FISH SPECIES ..................... 58
TABLE 7: REPRESENTATION OF BIRD .........•......••..........• S9
TABLE 8: REPRESENTATION OF MAMMALIAN SPECIES ................ 61
11
LIST OF PLATES
PLATE 1 : ARCHITECTURAL ARTIFACTS AND FURNITURE PARTS ..... , .. B6
PLATE 2 : MISCELLANEOUS ARTIFACTS ............................ 96
PLATE 3 : CERAMI CS ............................. 97
< •••••••••••••
PLATE 4 : CERAMI CS ............. ~ 97
III ......... ill .................................. " .......
PLATE 5: CERAMI CS •...••.••••.•.••.....••••••••.••••••••••••. 98
PLATE 6 : ROSE IS L I HE CORD I AL BOTTLES •••••••••••.••..•••••••• 99
PLATE 7 : BURNETT'S STANDARD FLAVORING EXTRACT BOTTLES ...... 100
PLATE 8 : GLASS VESSELS ..............•...................... 100
PLATE 9 : SAUCE BOTTLE S ••..................•..........• 101
c ••••
PLATE 10: GLASS CONTAINERS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••. 101
PLATE 11: MISCELLANEOUS GLASS AND RUBBER ARTIFACTS ......... 102
PLATE 12: DENTAL EQUIPMENT AND HUMAN TEETH ••••••••••••••••• I02
PLATE 13: GLASS ARTIFACTS ..........................••...... 103
PLATE 14: MET AL AR T I FACT S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 3
111
Chapter 1 - Introduction
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
Recent developments in archaeological theory have called for
the examination of a wider range of human behaviours and social
relationships by archaeological means than ever before. with a new
concentration on the active roles of artifacts and the
comprehension of cultural meaning and a move away from normative
frameworks and positivism, archaeologists believe that it 1s
possible to do more than explain the archaeological record in terms
of patterns and general trends. The establishment of context and
the understanding of long-term development are important factors in
decoding meaning (Hodder 1987a; 1987b). Historical archaeologists,
with their access to the documentary record, can and do contribute
greatly to this perspective (see Beaudry 1988; Leone and Potter
1988; Little 1992a; McGuire and Paynter 1991). In such studies,
gardens have become enforcers of a hegemonic status quo and
ceramics and bottles have resisted the ideologies and social
realities of domination.
In this paper, I interpret results of the excavation of an
early twentieth-century refuse pit in terms of social relationships
and social power in a unique situation. The feature is located on
Herschel Island, Yukon, and 15 part of a site once briefly occupied
by many interest groups with various designs on the north, striving
to accomplish their goals. The contents of this particular midden
were deposited by Anglican missionary families and individuals
between 1916 and the late 1920's. I hope to demonstrate that this
site may represent a small-scale expression of a widespread
hIstorical phenomenon and explain that expression as the result of
deliberate actions to advance the cause of the missions and resist
the cultural domination of the local society. I do not imagine
that I can prove what I conclude, since with only this
archaeological feature at my disposal, my data are lImited.
However, I have documentary information, and I can present a
direction for future research on non-native sites in the north.
The excavation of the refuse pit associated with the early
twentieth-century occupation of st. Patr ick s Anglican mission
I
house on Herschel Island, took place in the summer of 1991 as part
of the Qiklqtaruk Archaeology Project. The project was instigated
in 1990 to examine the archaeological expression of changes in
local Inuvialuit culture during the contact perIod and to provide
interpretive material for Herschel Island Territorial Park. Over
the 1990, 1991, and 1992 seasons, the crew, directed by Max Friesen
of McGill University, excavated a series of prehistoric to historic
Inuvialuit houses and middens at Pauline Cove and Avadlek Spit, on
the and southwest shores, respectively, of the island
~outheast
(Pauline Cove is in Figure 1 and the archaeological features
8ho~n
of the site in Figure 2), The goals of the project did not include
the examination of non-native remains on the island, and, an
~hen
historic non-native midden was encountered overlying an ephemeral
native feature in a mound behind the 1916 mission house (Figure 3),
1
o
!l
19....AND
BEAUFORT SEA
N
YUKON TERRITORY
NORTHWEST
FIGURE 1:
HERSCHEL ISLAND
AND
THE MACKENZIE DELTA
o
100 m
Ardic ~d Rim
2
,
Legend: i
\
• Extant Building
CJ Archaeological Feature i,
I. MIssIon House
N
2. R.C,M,P, Officers' Quarters
3, CommunIty House
R,C.M.P. Building \
4. Bonehouse
R.C,M,P. BUilding
S. H,B.Co. House
&. H,B.Co. Store
7-11. H.B.Co. BUIldings
12-\4. Northern ~halin9 and Trading Co. BUildings
PAULTNE COVE
0
0
D
,1. o [] 0 o 0 Cl
0 :--.---':
~ D 0 :, :
'
~ a I __ ... __ ~
0 II. I,
1.
o 0
4
5
o 50 m
BEAUFORT SEA
1
FIGURE 2: HERSCHEL ISLAND SETTLEMENT AREA
(AFTER RILEY 1989)
3