Author Description

This study was prompted by my participation in two archaeological surveys of the Mackenzie Basin, Northwest Territories, in the early 1970's. This survey work was undertaken in anticipation of the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline, and involved locating prehistoric and historic archaeological sites along the Mackenzie River and in the interior regions east and west of the river. Field parties had the opportunity to meet Dene individuals living along the Mackenzie, and on occasion, to work with two elderly Dene who acted as informants in our attempt to identify a birchbark artifact recovered in the test excavation.