Month: July 2017

Odd Birds, Good Eggs: Traditional Human Exploitation of Alberta’s Waterfowl

editor, RETROactive

Each March, the vanguard of spring arrives in Alberta on thousands of pairs of wings. Tired, hungry, and honking, near-countless flocks of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) either stop over here or complete the northern leg of their annual migratory path – to rest, refuel, breed, nest, and brood – at or near the edge of Alberta’s many ponds, sloughs, lakes, creeks, and rivers. In the weeks that follow, these geese will be joined by many different bird species, particularly waterfowl, in one of the world’s most abundant migratory bird areas – the Mackenzie-Great Lakes-Mississippi Flyway that crosses western Canada.

Canada geese at Jasper National Park. Photo Credit: Tourism Jasper and Travel Alberta.

The seasonal comings and goings of different kinds of birds is particularly significant to Indigenous groups. According to war chief Fine-Day, the Nehiyawak (Cree) names for six different moons or months describe bird activities within those periods: “Mikiciwpi-cim, Bald Eagle Moon. That is when these birds are seen. Mis-kihpi-cim, Goose Moon … Pinawewipi-cim, Egg Laying Moon or paskawehowipi-cim, Egg Hatching Moon. Paskowipi-cim, Feather Moulting Moon. Ohpahowipi-cim, Starting to Fly Moon. No-tcihitopi-cim, Breeding Moon.”1 Many of these names relate to time periods when certain Read more →

VISIT ALBERTA’S HISTORIC SITES AND MUSEUMS: EDMONTON AREA

Jared

Last month we showcased some historic sites and museums located in southern Alberta—this time we’re going to take a look at a few sites in and around the Edmonton area. From living museums to restored mansions to historic chapels, there’s a ton of history for you and your family to explore this summer.

Father Lacombe_201265
Father Lacombe Chapel
Located in beautiful Mission Park in St. Albert, the Father Lacombe Chapel is Alberta’s oldest still-standing building. Historical interpreters can lead you through the chapel and historic Mission Hill, and you can visit the crypt where Father Lacombe is buried. Father Lacombe has been restored to look much as it did in the early 1860s.

More info…

Admission: by donation
Hours: 10 a.m.  to 5 p.m., daily until Labour Day Read more →

Early Plant Use in Alberta

Alberta's Historic Places

Often when we talk about dietary evidence at archaeological sites in Alberta, we are referencing a multitude of game animals, such as bison, elk, moose, etc. What is often missing from these dialogues is the reliance First Nations had on native and traded plants. For the most part, organic material does not survive the test of time; this is especially the case in Alberta’s boreal regions where acidic soils rapidly decompose organics. However, missing data does not mean it was not there in the first place. A wide variety of plant species were utilized by Alberta’s First Nations for subsistence purposes. At archaeology sites, evidence of plant remains can be recovered from sediments, stone tools, and ceramics. Plant microfossil analysis is one method that can be used to identify what plants people were using in the past.

Residue on Sherd
Residue on a ceramic sherd, this can be extracted and processed to identify plants cooked in the vessel (Burchill 2014).

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Canada Historic Places Day 2017

Alberta's Historic Places
Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, Longview (Photo Credit: Andrew Penner/Travel Alberta).

July 8th is Canada Historic Places Day, a new initiative of the National Trust of Canada to celebrate more than 12,000 historic places across the country. Each place tells a unique story and more than twenty historic places in Alberta are participating this year.

Visiting these amazing places is reward enough, but you also have a chance to win $1,500! Post a photo of yourself at a participating site on Instagram with the hashtag #HISTORICPLACESDAY, tag the photo’s location, and follow National Trust for Canada on Instagram.

For more information on these and other historic sites, visit the Canadian Register of Historic Places at www.historicplaces.ca.