Before the team began their recent work at Cambrien Lake, the Naskapi Archaeology Project had already completed several field seasons in the region during 2021 and 2022. During that time, archaeologists and Naskapi team members studied two important sites that belong to a later chapter of Naskapi history, the Fort McKenzie period.
These sites, called NAP22 14 and NAP21 05A in the fieldwork, show how Naskapi families lived and traveled across the land during a time of trade and contact. The discoveries there connect the ancient past to the more recent lives of our ancestors.
The Fort McKenzie period connects to a time when Naskapi people traded with other Indigenous groups and with outsiders who came north in search of furs and resources. The artifacts found at these sites help us understand how our ancestors adapted to these changes while continuing to live according to their own traditions.
At these sites, archaeologists found stone tools, hearths, and traces of dwellings that tell of both continuity and change. The work done here builds a bridge between ancient history and more recent generations, showing how the Naskapi way of life carried forward through every era.
These findings remind us that our ancestors were never still. They moved with the seasons, followed the caribou, and built connections that shaped who we are today.
Next week, the archaeologists will visit Kawawachikamach to present these findings in person. Come and see how the Naskapi story continues through every generation, from the earliest toolmakers at Cambrien Lake to the families who lived during the Fort McKenzie period.