Abstract

This paper reports on a recent archaeological evaluation of the Matawaasis (GhGk-1) site, located at the mouth of the Great Whale River, in southeastern Hudson Bay. The project resulted in the recording of over 350 surface structures and the testing of a sample of these structures. Included are circular earthen tent rings, elongated house structures and canoe building platforms, most dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. Read in association with Cree oral tradition and documentary history, these finds permit some initial statements regarding the significance of beluga whale hunting for northern Crees during the historic period.