GIS Mapping of a Métis Cabin

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This poster examines ways of living of Métis Hivernants through a GIS analysis of a Métis wintering cabin completed as a part of the EMITA Project (Exploring Métis Identity Through Archaeology) directed by Kisha Supernant. Located in Southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada, the cabin was likely occupied sometime during the 1880s by an overwintering Métis family. This cabin was used as a home and base for bison hunting and beading through the winter months, both of which are vital to the Métis way of life. The GIS analysis consists of data taken during excavations from 2017-2019. It includes fauna, small beads, stones from the cabin chimney, glass, and other domestic artifacts. Point data of each artifact located in the field were used to identify patterns in artifact distribution that were not clearly visible while excavating. The maps were utilized along with remote sensing techniques such as ground penetrating radar and magnetometry to confirm the location of the cabin wall. This research provides unique insight into Métis ways of life and the Canadian Frontier of the late 20th-Century as the first GIS mapping of a Métis cabin and promotes further research into Métis modes of living and spatial interpretation of activities within homesteads.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32888