Blog Roll

As we loaded our gear on the boats at the dock in Bamfield, I was filled with both excitement and anxiety. I had no idea what to expect from the next the 14 days living on an island in the middle of Barkley Sound with a group of people I had just met. Within the first couple days of getting oriented and situated with camp life I began to lose track of the days, fully immersed in the gorgeous landscapes of the Broken Group Islands and the research at hand. Our home for the past two weeks was Nettle Island, or Tl’ihuuw’a in Nuu-chah-nulth, which was once a thriving Tseshaht village. Camp life was made possible by our outstanding cook Wanda, Tseshaht First Nations community member whose mother was born at Kakmakimilh, a former Tseshaht village on the nearby Keith Island and the site of our excavation. Having someone who knew people who actually lived at the site we were excavating really put things in perspective for me. This wasn’t just an archaeological site with the sole purpose for research, this was once somebodies home, people were born here and had lived their entire lives here. Hearing stories of peoples lives at Kakmakimilh from Dennis during our lunch break was a constant reminder that we were guests here and extremely privileged to have the opportunity to work alongside the Tseshaht to uncover a part of their rich history.

Starting our excavation on KEITH island we set up two 2x2m units (EU 5 and 6), these units were chosen based on earlier probe tests that yielded what appeared to be a shell absent midden, exemplifying black greasy soil, characteristic of a typical midden matrix. I was assigned to unit 6 which was situated upon a downward slope. This made excavating our first several layers difficult, but provided us with the kinds of challenges in topography archaeologists must adapt to in order to perform effective excavations. Upon excavating our unit, we began to notice the absence of shell, fauna and any sort of cultural material. At the time this made myself and the others in the unit a little discouraged, but from the constant encouragement from the instructors, we learnt that patience and positivity among your excavation unit are fundamental aspects of archaeological research. After about 4 days of excavating, we had discovered what appeared to be an ancient shoreline, encountering isolated patches of sand in the matrix and an abundance of small water worn gravels. Additionally, in this beach layer we discovered what seem to be several chert flakes, with associated charcoal samples for radiocarbon dating.

Continuing our excavations at Keith Island, we opened up two new excavation units 7 and 8. Unit 8 which myself and the others from unit 6 were assigned to, was located on the back of a ridge that ran parallel to unit 7. As a team, we decided where to situate our 2x2m unit, collectively agreeing that it would be best to intersect the sloping ridge. This would allow us to hopefully yield a rich deposit from the midden and have an indicative image of the stratigraphy of the overall site. Upon excavating our top layer, we encountered a moderate amount of historic artifacts, differing from unit 7 where historics were plentiful in the first layer. We then encountered the shell midden layer which to my excitement had a diversity of shellfish species. This layer was also home to an extensive amount of faunal remains, with bird, fish, land and sea mammal all appearing. Amongst the faunal remains we found several modified bone tools, including a deer ulna that had probably been used to pry open shellfish. Holding this tool in my hand was somewhat surreal, It was amazing to think that hundreds of years ago someone had hunted this animal, fashioned this tool and then used it to provide for their family.

Spending this time in a place so unique with such a diverse group of people spanning cultural boundaries and many different fields of research made the last couple weeks truly special. Whether it was around the fire or during dishes, or having lunch at what Iain claimed to be “the best lunch spot in the Broken Group”, every moment of the past 16 days was made special by every person involved. The past few weeks in the Broken Group was overall a grounding experience that helped me grow as a person and taught me invaluable lessons and skills that will help me in future archaeological endeavors. Concluding my 2017 field experience I am grateful to everyone who made it possible, Kleco Kleco!

I have been on more boats in the past sixteen days than any other time during the last twenty-four years of my existence. If things go according to plan, I will have been on at least ten boats by the end of the week and hopefully more by the end of the field school. Although not totally unfamiliar with boats, the reliance on boating was a unique experience for me and has led me to reflect on two closely related concepts, landscapes and movement, and their relation to archaeological field work. In short, and perhaps surprisingly, boats have made me think about archaeology and, consequently, time differently.

Prior to our arrival on Nettle Island, we had been assigned a few readings about Barkley Sound archaeology and ethnography. These readings (particularly McKechnie 2015 and McMillan & St. Claire 2005) described pre-contact Indigenous life on the Broken Group Islands (BGIs) as being territorial wherein access to certain resources, locations, and knowledge depended on one’s cultural affiliation. Being unfamiliar with the area, I at first perceived each island as being simply another landmass within the larger archipelago. This was an oversight that was in some ways compounded by my ideas of “wild areas,” and “natural spaces” that I have inherited from romanticized notions of nature taught to me over the years and which I still find difficult to shake (cf. Cronon and “The Problem of Wilderness”). However, over the two weeks of excavation, which included a daily commute from Nettle Island to Keith Island, I had begun to become familiar with the subtle differences between the islands and water ways that connected them. My short time in the BGIs obviously pales in comparison to the more than 6,000 years of traditional knowledge and oral history developed by the Tsehaht and other First Nations who populate(d) the Barkley Sound area, but it nonetheless reified the earlier readings of socially bounded landscapes we had discussed and made me seriously question the limits of archaeological knowledge. This is to say that if it was not for the oral histories, ethnographic recordings, and living memories of the social boundaries and divisions that once characterized the BGIs, I believe it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to determine these aspects of the landscape from the archaeology alone.

A second, and perhaps more pragmatic, aspect of boating which left a lasting impression on me was simply how much stuff was needed to be carried to and from the docks every day. This was equipment essential to conducting archaeological excavation, our personal gear, the well-loved baked goods by our wonderful cook Wanda(!), and, among other things, people to actually put trowel to ground and make (hopefully) sound observations of what they saw. The sheer amount of things and bodies required to do archaeology in a remote region such as the BGIs came into sharp focus the last day of the field course when a classmate (Joey) and I carried the recovered artifacts for the season down to the dock to be loaded on a skiff. The entirety of our fifteen plus days of camping, cooking, dish washing, swimming, hiking, reading, talking, thinking, and (of course) excavation and inevitable backfilling, resulted in nothing more than a large ice cooler filled with bone, shellfish, and notes and a smaller tote with historic artifacts. The contrast between what we brought and what we returned with was striking and I am still wrestling with the question every archaeologist musk asks themselves: What did we just do and how can we make sense of it? Clearly archaeology is more than recovering the material remains of the past and the second half of the course will be devoted to putting things into context, or at the very least, developing some narrative from what we have found.

The UVic Field School is unique beyond its use of boats. It’s equal attention to traditional archaeological methods, pioneering approach to historical ecology, and incorporation of First Nation communities and oral histories into research is, to my knowledge, unprecedented. I sincerely thank Dr. McKechnie and Denis St. Claire for developing a field course that trains students to think (rather than dig) more deeply about the complex and intertwined relationship between humans and the environment. I know I have gained a considerable amount of insight into how to better conduct archaeological investigations as well as the importance of prioritizing living people and their unique histories when conducting research. I also sincerely thank Cody, Fred, Kevin, and the rest of the Tsehaht Beach Keepers for the wonderful opportunity to see more of the Broken Group than I would have and the Tsehaht First Nation for allowing us to study their history. Thanks also to the other field school students who have made the course an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Four boats loaded for our last voyage from Nettle to the Bamfield Marine Science Center. Not pictured is another boat that left a day earlier with the aforementioned excavated material as well as more project gear. Note the four burner oven to the right. We ate well out in the field. Thanks again Wanda!

Below is a quick view of our recent fieldwork in the Broken Group Islands, including some photos of the happenings. We are very fortunate to have had the support of many institutions and individuals for this opportunity.

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BY ROAD

To get to ‘the field’ from Victoria, we plan to be travelling in a group to Bamfield. This will be a joint effort of caravanning and transporting personal gear and project equipment. The drive takes about 5 hours with a departure from paved road and then going slow on a gravel road for about two hours with twists and turns to Bamfield. We need to give ourselves a bit of extra time as we will be towing two UVic boats and need to gas up, eat lunch etc. That evening we plan to camp on the beach in Pachena Bay. The next morning, we will then depart the Bamfield Marine Science Centre docks and leave for the Broken Group Islands which will be our home for the next few weeks. This will involve transporting our field camp, field equipment, and camping gear as well as gas and water and food. Its a big effort but will serve us well in camp life:)

We will discuss the specifics of the route and caravanning during the first few days of the course.

BY COASTAL FERRY

For folks who plan to visiting us in the field (i.e., invited guests), there are multiple ways to get to the Broken Group islands. The most efficient method of pick up is to travel to the Sechart Lodge on the Frances Barkley from Port Alberni. This ferry departs from the Quay in Port Alberni at 8am and arrives at the Sechart lodge mid-day. It only leaves on every other day however – the detailed schedule is here.

We can then pick you up by boat at the dock which is near to our home basecamp on Nettle Island. Overnight visitors should make arrangements well in advance with the project directors (Iain and Denis) so we can coordinate pick up — particularly given this is a boat trip in the middle of the work day.

By BOAT from Bamfield.

The crossing from the Broken Group to Bamfield is sometimes difficult given weather and ocean conditions and since it is a longer travel distance, we will only make this trip infrequently during the fieldwork. However, when this happens it will be via this route and the docks at BMSC.

In preparation for venturing into field, it will be useful to delve into some of the publications about Nuu-chah-nulth archaeology in Barkley Sound. Below is a selection of the books, articles, and chapters that we will be referring to in our course.

Books

McMillan, Alan D. (1999) Since the Time of the Transformers: The Ancient Heritage of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Ditidaht, and Makah. UBC Press, Vancouver.

McMillan, Alan D., and Denis E. St. Claire (2005) Ts’ishaa: Archaeology and Ethnohistory of a Nuu-chah-nulth Origin Site in Barkley Sound. Archaeology Press, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby.

Articles

McMillan, Alan D., and Iain McKechnie (2015. Investigating Indigenous Adaptations to British Columbia’s Exposed Outer Coast: Introduction to These Outer Shores. BC Studies (187):3–20.

McKechnie, Iain (2015) Indigenous Oral History and Settlement Archaeology in Barkley Sound, Western Vancouver Island. BC Studies (187):191–225.

McMillan, Alan D., Iain McKechnie, Denis E. St. Claire, and S. Gay Frederick (2008) Exploring Variability in Maritime Resource Use on the Northwest Coast: A Case Study from Barkley Sound, Western Vancouver Island. Canadian Journal of Archaeology 32:214–238.

Book Chapters

St. Claire, Denis E. (1991) Barkley Sound Tribal Territories. Pages 13–202 in Eugene Y. Arima, Denis E. St. Claire, L. Clamhouse, J. Edgar, C. Jones, and J. Thomas, editors. Between Ports Alberni and Renfrew: Notes on West Coast Peoples. Canadian Ethnology Service, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Ottawa.

HecArch* made a splash at the 2017 Society for American Archaeology Meetings in Vancouver. Five posters by five students that emerged from their final student projects at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Some photos below.

* the hashtag for Historical Ecology and Coastal Archaeology and the formal name for the course.

Coming into the field school, I was nervous. I wasn’t sure if archaeology was right for me; I had only done one course before, and I kept imagining scenes in which I was the only one not contributing to higher level archaeological conversation. Although I’m still not quite sure if archaeology (specifically) is where I’m meant to be, I am amazingly glad to have participated in this course. I learned skills and knowledge in an astonishing array of different areas that I know will help me in whatever I chose to pursue. The most exciting part of the course, for me, was the many opportunities we were given to listen and interact with inspiring people; including, parks Canada employees, prolific archaeologist’s and ethnographers of all sort, an accomplished ecologist, a well-experienced scholar/engineer/handyman, and Tseshaht members and beach keepers with a lot to learn from.  Most importantly, I learned about possibilities. I gained faith in accomplishing my aspirations, and built knowledge and connections that will help me get there. I gained appreciation for another culture, and learned about myself in the process. I am grateful to Tseshaht for allowing us to work in their territory, helping uncover their history, and learning from their stories and words. Likewise, I’m grateful for the people that helped make that happen: my teachers, parks Canada, Uvic, and my co-students. 100 100 100 thumbs up

My experience in the Broken Group was one I will never forget. Firstly, the scenery was amazing. I have lived in Southern Vancouver Island my entire life, yet the landscape never fails to take my breath away. The forested islands coated in a foggy haze left me with a sense of mystical awe. It was humbling to remember this was the territory of the Tseshaht First Nation and I had the privilege of working here for two weeks. The commute to our work site on Jaques Island from Nettle Island was unreal. Never before could I say that every morning I had to boat amongst tree covered islands to get to work. The work itself was interesting to do. I have never done a field school before, so everything was brand new to me. I enjoyed the hands-on experience and got used to being dirty often. Learning how to properly go about digging a site was valuable and I hope to use that information in the future. Certain aspects of digging up a site were more interesting than others and the crew I worked with certainly helped make this experience a fun one. I was lucky to work with funny, easy-going people that hardly ever created conflict. There were days when motivation was at a low (due to weather etc.), but for the most part everyone still worked hard and pulled their weight. Although I spent a good portion of my day with those in my unit, the group as a whole became quite close. I feel as though we all created a bond that will only become stronger as time goes on. We are like a family unit that looks out for one another.

This bond is what kept me going on days that presented various frustrations or particular tiredness. Everyone’s good nature and sense of humour made working fun no matter what. I do not think I would have enjoyed my experience as much if I did not have such awesome people to work with. Our downtime was just as entertaining as our workday. Going for a swim before dinner or playing games before bedtime were just a few activities I will look back on fondly. However, there were moments when people did not always mesh cohesively. Luckily, even when tensions were running a little high there were never any fights and things got worked out quickly. This experience as a whole taught me quite a few valuable things. First off, it taught me that I can work with just about anybody and things will work out just fine. Secondly, I learned to truly appreciate where I am. I think too many people forget that we are surrounded by cultures that are not talked about often enough. Lastly, I learned a great deal about what it means to be an archaeologist, not only about the work itself but also the impact it can have on others. I found it inspirational how grateful the Tseshaht were to us for helping them recover more of their history. That is something I admire most about archaeological research. Overall, this experience was well worth it. I am walking out of this more knowledgeable in more ways than one, and I have great memories to look back on.

I decided I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was twelve years old and I had dug up an old horseshoe from a creek bed near my house. The excitement and wonder at finding an object completely drew me into the idea of archaeology and I knew immediately that it was something I wanted to pursue. It wasn’t until I started my second year of university that I really began to pursue my passion and put that excitement and wonder into really understanding what archaeology means. When the chance to do the field school in Barkley Sound came up I was more than excited. I had previously done archaeology in the interior of British Columbia for a summer and I was looking forward to being able to do it in a coastal setting. Before starting the field school, I can remember the anticipation but also nervousness I felt for what lay ahead. I remember feeling scared as well for the idea that maybe archaeology wasn’t what I was meant to be doing, and that maybe I wouldn’t be very good at it at all. I carried that feeling with me until we arrived on Jacques Island and within the first few minutes of being there I discovered a stone tool. The feeling of relief that washed over me at that point was unbelievable, and I felt so certain and knew that this was what I was meant to be doing. Without that find I am almost certain I wouldn’t have had the confidence nor the tranquility to complete the fieldwork and have fun while doing it. Besides archaeology I learned a lot about myself and camping in general. I learned that I love being dirty and can handle not having a shower everyday. I learned that I can be myself and that people appreciate it. I also learned that I am stronger than I think and can independently think for myself. Overall the field school taught me a lot and I feel like I have gained so much insight into so many things that I will forever remember, cherish, and be inspired by.

I would like to end by thanking the Tseshaht first nations for welcoming us and allowing us to conduct archaeological fieldwork on their territory. I recognize the responsibility I have to acknowledge the territories I have worked and lived in not only as a white settler but as an archaeologist as well.  I grew up as an uninvited settler on treaty 8 lands and moved to Victoria as an uninvited guest to Lekwungen and Wsanec territories. I didn’t understand what that meant until coming to university and I didn’t understand the significance or nearly understand the importance until hearing David Dick and Denis St. Claire talk. I am again eternally grateful for this opportunity and the knowledge I will carry with me forever.

The time I spent on Nettle and Jaques Island conducting archaeological field work was unlike any experience I have had. Not only were friendships created and special bonds built, but a deeper understanding and knowledge of how ethnographies play a major role in Archaeology specifically on the west coast of British Columbia. Denis St. Claire shared so much of his knowledge of Tseshaht histories with us. Being within and working on Tseshaht land and hearing about these histories made an everlasting impression on me. As well as being able to see and experience firsthand the places which many of the histories took place was truly incredible, or being able to visit areas which still have remains of fishing traditions, such as the fish traps on Jaques Island.

Camp life and the people who made the whole experience possible was the cherry on top for me. Everyone got along so well and worked together as a team to ensure that the task at hand was accomplished. Most of the group had not known each other prior to the field school however, an outsider may not have been able to tell. There was always someone to share their knowledge and interests with whoever was willing to listen. Ted for example, a man of many talents, showed us how to tie many different knots. This was a skill which proved to be helpful over the two weeks in the field. Overall, this experience was been an insight into the life if an archaeologist and a great learning experience that will no doubt resonate with me.