Rahemtulla, Farid

The Babine Archaeology Project began in 2010 and since then, many stone artifacts have been recovered. In 2014 and 2015, the project focused on excavations on Smokehouse Island (GiSp-001), on the Babine River. The focus of this thesis is an analysis of a sample of debitage recovered from Unit 8 excavated in 2015. The goal is to determine if differences are evident in how the inhabitants of Smokehouse Island reduced the different stone raw materials. Mass analysis, a modified version of the Sullivan and Rozen technique, and Magne’s scar count method were used to analyze the materials. Results suggest that core reduction is dominant for the two different raw material groups, though tool production is still present for both. Technological mixing impacts the analysis of the different materials.

Biocultural approaches to conservation include the protection and appreciation of other ways of knowing the environment. Studies in traditional resource management systems illuminate the intricate ways culture has coevolved with nature and provide opportunities to incorporate alternate perceptions of the environment into conservation objectives. This thesis examines how traditional resource management systems contribute to biocultural conservation using a case study for the relationship between Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, caribou and Tombstone Territorial Park. Core beliefs about the natural world, including caribou, are central to the strategies Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in employ in resource management. While cultural values and First Nation rights are engrained in park management, a broader understanding of how Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in know the natural world is lacking.