This study presents a reliable and economic model for achieving an accurate Knife River Flint identification, utilizing a macroscopic, microscopic and ultra-violet methodology supported by an experimental protocol. Correct identification of Knife River Flint is essential for understanding of trade and acquisition strategies involving stone tools in the Northern Plains. The identification model is applied to archaeological sites from three ecozones of southern Alberta, all dating to the Late Precontact Period. Knife River Flint decreases in size and quantity the further north the sites are found. However, the quantity of Knife River Flint from this time period is very low so that no firm conclusions about acquisition strategies or trade patterns can be established as yet.

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The health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples, including their nutritional status, is poor compared to the general Canadian population. There are many causes of these disparities, including racism, poor access to health resources, and the nutrition transition. Before colonization, most First Nations across Canada consumed diets purely composed of Traditional Foods (TF) that were hunted or collected from the natural environment. TF are important for their nutritional quality, food security, and culture. However, rates of TF consumption have decreased in recent years contributing to poor dietary outcomes. The diversity and quantity of TF consumed is thought to be primarily dictated by the ecological biodiversity in the surrounding environment; however, this relationship remains untested in Canada. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of First Nations modern food systems by evaluating the relationship between ecozone biodiversity and nutritional outcomes in the form of dietary diversity in First Nations individuals across Canada. We used dietary data and household data collected by the First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study and multiple biodiversity databases for analyses. Spearman’s correlations were used to investigate the relationship between dietary diversity and nutrition. A statistical model was used to evaluate the relative predictive power of biodiversity and multiple other predictive variables in determining dietary diversity. We found that individuals who consume more TF have more nutrient rich diets, and therefore, dietary diversity is a good indicator of nutrition outcomes. We also found that in contrast to previous research and assumptions, in the context of First Nations living in Canada, biodiversity has a negative relationship to dietary species richness. It was also determined that variables related to culture, and accessibility of TF were the most important factors in predicting positive nutritional outcomes. These preliminary results provide key areas for interventions essential for increasing access to TF.

The Byron Bay Sewage Treatment work consists of a conventional treatment system discharging into an 8 ha wetland. The wetland was constructed around the dune and swale remnants of a coastal beach ridge formation. The wetland design incorporated stands of broad leaf paperback, Melaleuca quinquenervia , in two distinct Sections, separated by, and each preceded by, open water Sections fringed by predominantly emergent macrophytes. Spatial and temporal patterns in sediment phosphorus concentrations were examined using sediment cores. Core consisted of three main sediment types - surface organic accumulation, pre-existing organic layers and sand. Results suggest that the design and management of wetland systems should be aimed at maximising the deposition of sediment (and associated phosphorus) and minimising subsequent phosphorus release from the sediment. This might be achieved through the removal of accumulated organic sediments to retain the phosphorus adsorption capacity of the system, consideration of wind direction during periods of high (floating) plant growth (as detritus may accumulate along the up-wind edges of the wetland), incorporation of deep zones to minimise sediment phosphorus release and the inclusion of stands of M. quinquenervia. Results highlight pitfalls in the prevailing approach to wetland design, which ignore the complex functions which occur in natural wetland systems. A more holistic approach incorporating a high diversity of ecozones in wetland design is proposed, in effect mimicking natural systems. / Master of Science (Hons)