An archaeological history of Ashuanipi, Labrador

This dissertation employs an eclectic approach to archaeology, in which various theories from culture history, processualism, and post-processualism are used together as aspects of a single approach to archaeological history. This multifocal methodology is discussed, and used to organize and present the archaeological survey results from Ashuanipi, a large lake in the Lake Plateau Region of the Quebec Labrador Peninsula. Questions related to predictive modelling, cultural resources management, boreal forest ecology, landscape change, archaeological theory and practice, and Innu history are raised throughout the process – some of these question are answered, while others are guideposts for future research.

Life history and habitat associations of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in Newfoundland waters

Many fish stocks are currently facing collapse or overexploitation as well as warming environments. During the 1950s and 1960s, haddock supported a substantial fishery in southern Newfoundland waters, specifically Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 3LNO and Subdivision 3Ps, but abundance has been comparatively low over the last several decades and there has been no significant fishery in either 3LNO or 3Ps since the late-1950s. The decline in the fishery for haddock coincided with a decline in scientific research on haddock with the last significant research on haddock in Newfoundland waters conducted in the 1950s-1960s. Other haddock stocks have shown major life history changes since the 1980s, including decreased size-at-age and age/length at maturity. In contrast to this, Newfoundland haddock have not shown a significant change in growth or maturity through time. Based on analysis of habitat associations, haddock abundance is expected to increase with recent warming trends as the available optimum habitat for haddock will increase.

The Experience of Dis-placed Communities: Mis-placed Educational Opportunities

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has a long history of out-migration and internal migration between communities in coastal areas within the province. Resettlement programs initiated by the NL government between 1954 and 1975 accounted for the internal migration of approximately 30,000 people from 300 communities. Modern-day encounters with these abandoned communities are relevant to understanding the loss of place and home, as significant numbers of students in NL today are affected by migration. This dissertation is a phenomenological study of the experiences of educators as they explored the remnants of an abandoned community. The participants of the study were six experienced public school educators with teaching experience at the primary, elementary, intermediate, and secondary levels. The study took place in eight abandoned communities located on the western shore of Placentia Bay, where mainly the remnants of Isle Valen, St. Leonard’s, St. Kyran’s, and Great Paradise were explored. Data collection consisted of two personal interviews and one group hermeneutic circle, with the aim to answer one fundamental question: What is the experience of educators exploring the remnants of an abandoned community? Data in this study are represented by lived experience descriptions, which were interpreted hermeneutically and guided by four phenomenological existentials: temporality, corporeality, spatiality, and relationality. The most prominent themes emerging from the educators’ anecdotes were determined to be attunement, tension, and intensity. The results of this study not only provide deeper insight into communities abandoned through resettlement; they also reveal the significance of place in our lives, place as heuristic teacher, the pedagogical power of place, the need for local, meaningful place-based experiences in a curriculum as lived, and their potential for furthering personal and educational insight no matter where in this world we live or dwell.

Educational Videos and Exposure to Nature as Predictors of Environmentally Responsible Behaviours among University Students

The purpose of this study was to examine if the effects of exposure to educational videos on climate change and exposure to a view of nature could elicit environmentalist behaviours and increase one’s environmental identity. It was predicted that participants who were exposed to a view of nature and saw a video on climate change would have a higher likelihood to plant a seed and experience greater connectedness to nature. Fifty-four students (38 females, 15 males, and 1 gender fluid) with ages ranging from 18 to 47 were recruited for the experiment. A 2 (type of video) x 2 (type of view) factorial design was conducted, in which participants were randomly assigned to watch either an educational video on climate change or on popsicles, and they either had a view of outdoors or indoors. There was no significant interaction for setting and video (p = .172) on whether participants chose to plant a seed or not. Likewise, there was no significant interaction for setting and video (p = .262) on planting intentions. There was a significant effect for the video on experiencing connection to nature (p = .039, ηp2 = .08). These findings suggest that this video could change one’s perception of nature.