The Northern Gateway Museum in Denare Beach hosted Discovery Day on July 14.
Dozens of people visited the museum, which hosted a free barbecue and a talk from Les Oystryk.
Oystryk outlined the history behind Amisk Lake’s 29 archaeological sites, the first of which began to be unearthed as early as 1931. It was a partnership between Harry Moody and George Custer that located the most well known site on Amisk Lake, a fort built in 1775. Oystryk said the partnership with the Cree people was key to discovering the sites.
“These weren't one trip activities,” he said. “[Moody] conducted at least seven these seven field trips during that period of time (1952 to 1958). The display we have is dedicated to his tremendous effort and and helps to recognize some of the people who were attracted to it and enlisted for assistance. Some were very knowledgeable local Aboriginal people.”
Moody was also assisted by several professional archaeologists from across Canada, who flocked to Amisk Lake to help uncover the sites. Oystryk shared an excerpt from one of Moody’s journals, written in the summer of 1954.
“It has been a wonderful summer,” the entry reads. “There have been many thrills. It isn't that it isn't the gold that I'm wanting so much it’s just finding gold. My goal is finding the steps from those who went before and the further one goes so many more trails appear. Experience brings knowledge back and so much more strongly. All this winter, one will feel there's a whisper in the night with a star gleam to guide us and the wind is calling.”
Oystryk also noted the work of Rosemary Nemeth, a Saskatchewan Conservation Officer who was stationed in the area. In 1979, with the help of Rod McDermott who worked closely with Moody, she documented each of the sites and matched them to records at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
“It's always a pleasure to share some information to do with the local history here,” Oystryk said. "That's kind of what Northern Gateway Museum is all about; trying to try to provide more information and awareness to some of the rich history that we have in the area.”
Oystryk hopes more research and work can be done around Amisk Lake in the future. The archaeological future of the area is looking bright, as the Manitoba and Saskatchewan Archaeological Societies will be holding their first ever joint conference in Denare Beach in September.
“We will be highlighting these and other archaeological stories to, hopefully, further study and further work on as well,” Oystryk said. “We think we know an awful lot about these sites, but there's there's a lot more to be found out.”
