Description of Historic Place

Kameshtashtan National Historic Site of Canada is located in north-central Labrador, 150 air kilometres west of Sango Bay, Davis Inlet, and 15 kilometres east of the Quebec/Labrador border. Kameshtashtan, a cultural landscape of profound meaning to the Mushuau Innu of northern Labrador, includes a lake, islands, the lake shore and the surrounding plateau landscape. The lake basin, created by a meteorite impact, features red ochre deposits at the crater rim, while Kameshtashtan Mountain overlooks the southwest shore. The impressive landscape is characterized by rolling upland, valleys, sparse vegetation, lichen, shrubs, exposed bedrock and glacial deposits. Official recognition comprises Kameshtashtan/Mistastin Lake, its islands, and surroundings within two kilometres of the lake edge.

Heritage Value

Kameshtashtan was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2022. It is recognized because:

- as a cultural landscape it is representative of the profound and immeasurable importance of Nitassinan for the Mushuau Innu, and their way of life with and on their homeland. For generations, families have lived along the shores of the lake, and followed the network of travel routes that pass through here. It is a landscape tied to oral histories, to legends, and spiritual meanings. There are known places of births and deaths, and ancient campsites dating back at least 6,500 years;

- it is representative of the migratory lifestyle of the Mushuau Innu and their association with Atiku, the caribou, represented in camp sites situated near caribou drive locations, in water crossing ambush places, in food storage caches, and in the ritual crushing of caribou bone noted in many of the ancient hearths.

For the Mushuau Innu (People of the Barrens) of Natuashish, and for all Innu, the cultural, symbolic, and historical importance of the lake and the surrounding region is profound. Ongoing archaeological work has uncovered many early camps, the earliest dating back 7,300 years, that reveal a way of life that persists today in modern form. Kameshtashtan is situated between forest and sub-Arctic tundra. The place name in Innu-aimun refers to cold, strong winds that move soil and stones. The lake and surrounding barrens are the traditional primary hunting and fishing areas of the Mushuau Innu providing good caribou habitat. The George River caribou herd passes through each spring and fall on their way to and from northern calving ground, and small groups of caribou remain year-round. A caribou crossing at the lake’s east shore near the outflow allowed hunters, in time’s past, to hunt swimming caribou. Terraces around the lake contain evidence of early camps and archaeological sites. The lake’s northern section features eskers of sand and gravel while the more sheltered southern shore supports spruce stands. Near the southwest shore, Kameshtashtan Mountain is the highest point at approximately 450 metres above sea level. Twenty small seasonal cabins around the lake were built by families from Natuashish. Runways are located at the western and eastern ends of the lake while the largest structure is the Tshikapisk Foundation lodge at the north-eastern end of the lake. The combined natural elements and Natuashish buildings create a tranquil, traditional setting that is deeply revered by the Mushuau Innu.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, June 2021.

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements contributing to the heritage value of this site include:

— its location in north-central Labrador, near the Québec/Labrador border;
— the dramatic natural setting in an ecotone between forest and sub-Arctic tundra;
— the combined natural and geographical elements including the lake basin with islands, the lake shore, red ochre deposits, and the surrounding plateau landscape including the terraces, the eskers, long, winding ridges of stratified sand and gravel, the butte-like hill known as Kameshtashtan Mountain, the natural elements including the rounded valleys, sparse vegetation, lichen, shrubs, exposed bedrock and glacial deposits;
— the caribou trails and crossing points;
— the visual character and unimpeded views of the surrounding mountains, trees and lake;
— the integrity of any archaeological remains which may be found within the designation, including features and artefacts relating to the Mushuau Innu, and their way of life in their original placement and extent.