Cultural Landscapes, Past and Present, and the South Yukon Ice Patches

Abstract

South Yukon First Nations governments are partners in the Yukon Ice Patch Project investigating the mountaintop snow and ice patches where ancient hunting artifacts are being recovered. Heritage programs operated by these governments, which coordinate their citizens' engagement in these activities, emphasize intangible cultural heritage. They view the project as an opportunity to strengthen culture, enhance citizens' understanding of their history, and express First Nations values regarding cultural resources. As the primary mammal subsistence species for south Yukon Indian people is now moose, the ice patch discoveries highlight the historical role of caribou in their culture and increase awareness of the environmental history of their homelands. The cultural landscape concept is used to frame the present indigenous involvement in the Yukon ice patch investigations, as well as the past use of these unique landscape features and ancient land-use patterns. The Yukon Ice Patch Project reflects the contemporary context of the territory, where indigenous governments are actively involved in managing and interpreting their cultural heritage.RÉSUMÉ. Les gouvernements des Premières Nations du sud du Yukon figurent au rang des partenaires du projet des névés du Yukon, dans le cadre duquel des chercheurs font des fouilles dans les névés de sommet de montagnes où d'anciens artefacts de chasse sont retrouvés. Les programmes du patrimoine administrés par ces gouvernements, qui coordonnent la participation de leurs citoyens à ces activités, mettent l'accent sur le patrimoine culturel immatériel. Aux yeux de ces gouvernements, ce projet constitue une occasion de renforcer leur culture, de faire en sorte que les citoyens connaissent mieux leur histoire et d'exprimer les valeurs des Premières Nations en ce qui a trait aux ressources culturelles. La principale espèce de subsistance des Autochtones du sud du Yukon est maintenant l'orignal, mais les découvertes des névés font ressortir le rôle historique du caribou au sein de leur culture et leur font connaître davantage l'histoire de leur environnement. On se sert du concept du paysage culturel pour encadrer la participation actuelle des Autochtones aux fouilles des névés du Yukon ainsi que pour définir l'utilisation passée de ces caractéristiques uniques du paysage et des anciennes tendances d'utilisation des terres. Le projet des névés du Yukon reflète le contexte contemporain du territoire, où les gouvernements autochtones s'adonnent à la gestion et à l'interprétation active de leur patrimoine culturel.

Archaeological Investigations of Alpine Ice Patches in the Selwyn Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada

“…Our working hypothesis is that hunting on ice patches was part of a broader-spectrum summer subsistence economy focused on K'atieh, and that hunters tended to target ice patches near other subsistence locations in this area, such as O'Grady Lake. Other researchers report similar findings: the ice patches used by precontact hunters tend to be located near other important resource extraction areas and travel corridors, particularly fish lakes with evidence of precontact use VanderHoek et al, 2007b;Greer and Strand, 2012).…”

“…In addition, typological and technological analyses of complete projectiles are shedding light on the design of precontact weapon systems Hare et al, 2012), and other studies are generating information on materials such as the feathers and adhesives used in projectile weaponry (Dove et al, 2005;Helwig et al, 2008). Recent research has also focused on situating ice patch hunting into a broader context of precontact land use VanderHoek et al, 2007b;Greer and Strand, 2012). In some cases, this work is drawing on the traditional knowledge of Aboriginal Elders as an important source of information on traditional land-use patterns Greer and Strand, 2012).…”

“…Recent research has also focused on situating ice patch hunting into a broader context of precontact land use VanderHoek et al, 2007b;Greer and Strand, 2012). In some cases, this work is drawing on the traditional knowledge of Aboriginal Elders as an important source of information on traditional land-use patterns Greer and Strand, 2012). Continuity and change in these patterns of land use are being evaluated against an increasingly detailed paleoenvironmental record of the alpine landscape (see Hare et al, 2012), as the biological specimens preserved by alpine ice patches provide rich material for reconstructing long-term trends in vegetation and caribou diet Galloway et al, 2012), the long-term dynamics of caribou populations (Kuhn et al, 2010;Letts et al, 2012), and patterns of ice patch growth and ablation Meulendyk et al, 2012).…”

Inferring demographic structure with moccasin size data from the Promontory Caves, Utah

“…A similar moccasin, dating to 1430 ± 40 14 C yr B.P. (cal A.D. 558–663), was preserved in a southern Yukon ice‐patch, suggesting that potential precursor forms existed in a region widely regarded as part of the proto‐Dene (or proto‐Athapaskan) homeland (Hare et al, ; Greer and Strand, ; Ives, ; Krauss and Golla, ). Fremont, hock and other moccasins in the larger Great Basin region (such as Hogup, Danger, and Wilson Butte Caves, Fig.…”

A High Resolution Chronology for Steward’s Promontory Culture Collections, Promontory Point, Utah

“…BSM 2 [Bb]) that slightly precedes the Promontory examples in age. Most intriguing of all is a low-cut moccasin recovered from the Yukon ice patches (Greer and Strand 2012;Hare et al 2012). This moccasin was left behind during high altitude hunting on ice patches that are now retreating with climatic change.…”