The University of Calgary’s Archaeological Indigenous Youth Engagement (IYE) program, operated in partnership with Old Sun Community College, focuses on incorporating knowledge students have learned throughout their junior high and high school education into applications commonly used for archaeology. Traditionally, this program has combined in-classroom and on-site teaching activities but during the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded to incorporate a large self-guided digital program, including topics specifically focused on decolonization and reconciliation through archaeology. This paper will discuss the redevelopments of the IYE program during the pandemic, our public education and outreach initiatives, as well as our plans for the future of the program in a post-pandemic world. 

Mass bison kill events, such as the Fincastle site, have been the dominant focus of zooarchaeological work on the Great Plains. A common component of bison zooarchaeological research is a dentition analysis for estimating the seasonality of the kill. This research is possible because bison are born in the spring; therefore, their dentition at death corresponds to a season. Mass bison kill events are often linked to a fall seasonality, as it is theorized these events occurred as a way to stockpile resources for winter. My master’s thesis research analyzed the Fincastle bison mandible assemblage using four common aging methods to assess the eruption and wear patterns of the mandibular molars. The Fincastle site is a single component bonebed; there is no inherent reason for temporal variation in the bonebed that would result in different seasonality estimates. My research identified patterns in the eruption and wear sequence of the Fincastle molar cusps that did not match the four reference methods. This research indicates the complexity of seasonality models and provides evidence that further research is needed in bison dentition analyses to understand the connection between age and seasonality estimates.

Current research on equity, diversity, and inclusion in archaeology has largely focused on academia. For this study, I broadly examine representation in archaeology focusing on the experiences of those in Cultural Resource Management (CRM). Specifically, a survey was distributed to CRM companies across Canada that focused on the role of gender and sexual orientation in the workplace, and the possible inequity as a result. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an underrepresentation of members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in CRM archaeology. As well, CRM has a reputation of being a heteronormative, male-dominated field, and I wanted to look at how this affects marginalized archaeologists. Initial results of the survey indicate issues with working conditions related to gender and sexual orientation. This paper will present the results of said survey, as well as offer insight on how to make archaeology a more inclusive field based on the issues identified.

As part of a cultural resource management program on behalf of the City of Calgary for their Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, Stantec archaeologists have investigated the remains at site EgPm‑137 from 2016 and 2019. Initially the site of St. Dunstan’s Calgary Industrial School from 1898 to 1907, it was purchased by the Department of Defence and used for storage and military training into the 1920s. The site was then used as a feedlot and later, an unsanctioned dump. Within the ruins of the school foundations the material culture recovered is almost exclusively related to the military presence at the site. This presentation will focus on the Department of Defence's occupation of EgPm-137, share the findings and challenges, and explore some historic milestones.

The expansion and development of Western Canada by immigrating settlers was driven by the construction and maintenance of the trans-national rail system built at the turn of the 20^th century. The development of the railway not only allowed for the movement of peoples but allowed for the advancement of industries such as logging and mining. While the effect of the railway on the development of Western Canada is undeniable, analysis of day-to-day activities for the railway construction workers has been relatively understudied from an archaeological perspective. Rail construction camps have been recorded along the original Grand Truck Pacific Railway in the Edson/Hinton and Jasper areas within Alberta but little excavation has been undertaken at these sites. A Stage 1 excavation conducted at site FiQi-27, one of the largest excavations at rail construction sites in the province, was undertaken in 2020 to further investigate the range of  activities, the ethnicities of the workforce, and the function of various structures at the site. The results of these investigations are presented here and will be used to aid in the interpretation of railway activities in this region of Western Canada.