Washeo Whiskiheggan: examining the Hudson's Bay company fur trade post in Fort Severn, Ontario through archaeological analysis and community engagement

Abstract

This thesis is a two-part examination of the assemblage from the Hudson’s Bay Company Post site (GlIv-1), a fur trade post in Fort Severn, Ontario. Part One of this thesis analyzes the historic archaeological materials which were surface collected from the site between 1950 and 2017. Using Stanley South’s (1977) method of artifact patterning, the GlIv-1 assemblage is found to closely correlate to South’s Frontier Artifact Pattern. Part Two presents the results of a community engagement project which was conducted with middle school classes from Wasaho Cree Nation School in Fort Severn. This project asked students to draw on lessons from the classroom and from community members to write a story about an artifact from the site. By conducting this research in two parts, this thesis aims to understand more about life at a northern trading post, and to create opportunities for the descendant community to engage with their heritage.