Unit 3
The Natural Environment and First Nations of Alberta

This unit focuses on the natural environment and First Nations of Alberta. Archaeologists base many of their interpretations of how people lived in the past on their knowledge of what the natural environment may have been like then, and on their understanding of how people in the recent past have adapted to similar environments. After reading about the most recent interpretations of the late Pleistocene/early Holocene environments and the descriptions of the modern biogeoclimatic zones, you will learn about the diversity of the First Nations cultures present in Alberta at the time of first contact with Europeans.

During the Wisconsinan, or the final glacial period in North America, Alberta was covered with ice. This glacial ice converged on Alberta from two directions, and the actual extent of the ground coverage and the timing of its retreat are still under discussion. After the retreat of the glacial ice, it took several thousand years for the modern biogeoclimatic zones (climate, vegetation, and topography) and drainage systems to become established. This process produced a sequence of changes in the region’s animal life.

When the first Europeans arrived in what is today known as Alberta, at least ten distinct linguistic and cultural groups had already successfully adapted to the province’s diverse landscape and resources. As you read about the last 10,000 to 12,000 years of environmental change in Alberta, think about how it may have affected the lives of ancient peoples, in terms of travel and communication routes and the nature of their resource bases.

Learning Objectives

When you have completed this unit, you should be able to

1. describe the characteristics of the Late Wisconsinan glaciation in Alberta and the suggested geographical limits of each phase.
2. define the term ice-free corridor, and discuss its implications with respect to human movement into Alberta.
3. describe the sequence of vegetational changes that occurred in each major biogeoclimatic zone in Alberta, and discuss the implications these changes had for human adaptation.
4. describe each major biogeoclimatic zone in Alberta in terms of
   
   1. its modern location;
   2. its climatic characteristics;
   3. its vegetational characteristics;
   4. its faunal characteristics; and
   5. its drainage.
5. briefly compare and contrast the lifeways (how people make their living) of the First Nations discussed in this unit’s commentary.