8maw8gan: Zooarchaeology of Changing W8banaki Fishing Practices at Fort Odanak on Alsig8ntegw

This dissertation examines change and continuity in w8banaki fishing practices, following Euro-Canadian colonization of their territory in Québec from the 18th to the 20th century. To document these practices, I study fish and other animal remains found in archaeological contexts at the Fort Odanak site, a Jesuit mission and military fort on Alsig8ntegw (St-Francis River) in Québec. This project was performed in collaboration with the W8banaki Research Coordination Committee to better understand early practices and foodways.Pit features found in archaeological contexts at Fort Odanak contain numerous animal bones. Faunal identifications and quantification allow for the documentation of changing exploitation practices through time. Particular attention is paid to archaeological fish length reconstruction. As fishing tools influence the size of fish caught in a fishing event, the use of regression equations to predict fish total lengths from archaeological bone measurements allows for the reconstruction of fish size profiles which can be linked to specific fishing strategies. My results show that 18th century faunal exploitation practices at Fort Odanak were geared toward the fur trade and fishing. Many fish taxa were obtained, but the brown bullhead, channel catfish and Catostomidae species were the focus of most fishing activities. Size reconstruction shows the use of line and basket fishing to capture small fish, while net fishing was used to capture larger fish. Few domestic animals introduced by the Jesuits were raised at the mission during this time. The variety of exploited species decreased in later centuries and an increased reliance on domestic animals over wild ones is noted. The diminution of the fur trade, the clearance of land for agriculture and the increased colonization of traditional land can explain this loss in access to resources and land to carry out traditional activities. Still, the perpetuation of traditional subsistence practices throughout a period of change attests to w8banaki cultural resilience. The adoption of domestic animals and agricultural practices in the 19th century is seen as a strategic adaptation to ensure physical and cultural survival in the face of colonial pressures.

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