The Payne Lake Project is a private initiative not affiliated with any academic institution or business enterprise. Our success or failure depends entirely upon the uncompensated hours contributed by our volunteers and the services we obtain through the generosity of sponsors like you.

Our Mission
More than a millennium ago the Norse established a colony on the western coast of Greenland which survived for over four hundred years. We know that during that time the Norse Greenlanders sent expeditions south to Newfoundland and possibly beyond, north to high arctic Ellesmere, and west to the Labrador. The intriguing question, whether they also followed Hudson Strait into Canada's interior, has invited much wishful thinking, numerous hoaxes and, for almost a quarter century, little of the careful fieldwork necessary to advance the inquiry. In 1998 the Payne Lake Project was founded to address this deficiency by sending qualified parties into the field and inviting the scholarly analysis of their findings.

Our Model
This is not the place for a detailed critique of what passes for science in some circles. Suffice it to say that the Payne Lake Project does not see persuasive evidence of large scale or long range penetration of the North American continent by Europeans of any nationality prior to the 16th century (please, DO NOT send your 'proof' to the contrary -- the resources of the Project are limited and your submission will not be examined).

The Project believes that the Greenlanders did penetrate the continent, however, but in small parties dispatched for exploration and natural resource gathering. They built no great villages and filed no learned reports in far off Iceland or Norway -- these adventurers were hunters, fishermen, entrepreneurial boat owners and small time traders in search of walrus ivory, hides, iron and timber. If they left their mark, it will be faintly etched, indeed; yet in the form of navigational and outpost structures, chemical traces in iron artifacts, and the genetic and structural signatures of organic artifacts, it may still exist, awaiting our discovery.

Our Predecessors
Robert J. Flaherty (of Nanook of the North fame) was the first qallunaat known to have crossed Ungava by the northern, Payne River, route; he did so in 1912 with four Inuit guides and a single 25 foot freight canoe. He crossed from east to west and did not ascend the upper Payne, pass through Payne Lake, or descend the Kogaluc River en route to Hudson Bay. The first known qallunaat traverse to ascend the Kogaluc, pass through Payne Lake, and descend the Payne River to Ungava Bay was led by botanist Jacques Rousseau in 1948. It was during this latter expedition that curious artifacts were discovered at Payne Lake.

In 1957 Rousseau, then head of Canada's National Museum, sent archaeologist William E. Taylor, Jr. to investigate the Payne Lake site; doing so, he passed through the community we know as Kangirsuk and, while there, Taylor was urged to examine Pamiok Island on the nearby Ungava Bay coast. This he did, and during his brief visit discovered the 'longhouses' that are the island's most intriguing feature. He named the site Imaha ('maybe' in Inuktitut), and never returned.

In 1964 Rousseau dispatched a second archaeologist, Thomas E. Lee, to examine the Payne Lake site. Lee visited Pamiok Island for the first time in 1966. For a number of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with the evidence presented by the sites themselves, he decided that both were tokens of a substantial Norse Ungavan colony. His conclusions, largely unsupported, have long obscured the generally high standard of his fieldwork.

Patrick Plumet first visited the sites as Lee's 1966 field assistant. His own expeditions, better funded and geographically more diverse than Lee's, have given us a more balanced view of Ungava's archaeological resources; his theories regarding Payne Lake and Pamiok Island are economical -- they point to local aboriginal builders -- but not entirely satisfactory. Plumet's mind remains open to the possibility of Norse Ungavan visits.

Our Team
Several positions remain to be filled, but we're excited by those we can announce.

Ian Badgley, Project Archaeologist. It's safe to say there would be no Payne Lake Project without Ian. In addition to participating in Nunavik I and the upcoming Nunavik II, he is one of the few practicing archaeologists familiar with Ungava having worked there, including some time as Plumet's assistant, extensively in the 1980's. His knowledge and perspective have immeasurably enhanced the credibility of the Project, and his willingness to set more financially rewarding opportunities aside for Project business have made our expeditions possible.

John Verby, Traverse Party Leader. The original concept for Nunavik III was to conduct only the archaeological survey of Payne Lake, which would have left the majority of the 1948 Rousseau route unexamined. With John on board to organize and lead the canoe based Traverse Party, the Project will be able to send across Ungava the first expedition specifically tasked to look for and record anomalous features. John has extensive wilderness canoeing experience including a trans-Baffin traverse he described in The Beaver. We are also pleased to note that John will participate in Nunavik II.

Peter Schledermann, Senior Research Associate, Arctic Institute of North America. Peter's work in the Canadian High Arctic is well known inside and outside academic circles, and his open mind and balanced approach much valued. His discoveries on Ellesmere Island have demonstrated conclusively that Norse expeditions reached far to the north of the Greenland settlements and it is not incorrect to state that he is the authority on the Norse in arctic Canada. Nunavik III will be Peter's first Project expedition and his first opportunity to work in Ungava.

George Sollish, Project Manager and Survey Party Leader. Your correspondent and founder of the Payne Lake Project. Unlike the others in this assembly I can make no claims of special arctic, wilderness, or anthropological qualifications -- I'm a mathematical logician by training and design gearboxes for a living. I've always been intrigued by empty places on maps and why roads end at their margins. For centuries the Norse Greenland settlements and Ungava were Europe's 'end of the road'.

Our Plan
In late July of 2002 three canoes at Puvirnituq on Hudson Bay and two freight canoes on Payne Lake will stand ready against our arrival. The six man Traverse Party will embark first, entering the Kogaluc River and beginning their ascent of Ungava's western drainage. Several days later on the far side of the peninsula, the six man Survey Party will depart Kuujjuaq via Twin Otter for Payne Lake. Once in the interior with a fixed Base Camp established , the Survey Party will advertise their location to the Traverse Party.

What occurs next depends upon the location and rate of advance of the Traverse Party, for in addition to surveying the lake for archaeological sites, the Survey Party will be an important part of the former's support structure. By caching the supplies the Traverse Party needs for the eastern drainage descent at Base Camp and coordinating the parties' movements to insure an early rendezvous the speed and reflexes of the Traverse Party will be greatly facilitated without unduly impeding the work of the Survey Party.

Before and after rendezvous the parties will land frequently to examine man made structures visible from the water and natural shore features instinct and aerial photographs suggest might bear evidence of previous occupation. After rendezvous the Traverse Party will continue eastward to Kangirsuk where, if the weather cooperates, they will be met by the Twin Otter carrying the returning Survey Party after the completion of the lake survey. We estimate no more than 30 days for the traverse and 20 days for the lake survey.

Our Expectations
Ungava's great caribou herds have long attracted the attention of Inuit hunters and there are legends of nomadic Inuit bands moving seasonally between Ungava and Hudson Bays, so finding evidence of Inuit movements in the interior would come as no surprise. Nevertheless, the opportunity to collect data from coast to coast is a rare one and, as it may contribute a better understanding of Inuit land use, we expect gathering it will be an important part of our effort.

It is less easy to define our expectations regarding the Greenlanders. The sites examined by Rousseau, Taylor, and Lee at Payne Lake may, or may not, be parts of a Norse puzzle. We do know that along our intended routes only the very eastern end of Payne Lake and the lower Payne River have ever been archaeologically surveyed and a number of enigmatic sites have been revealed in the process, so our expectations of finding additional examples is actually quite high.

Regardless of what we find or do not find while examining this natural trans-Ungavan route, the mission of the Project cannot be fulfilled without making the effort proposed.

Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Nunavik? Nunavik is all of Quebec north of the 55th parallel.

Isn't Nunavik Canada's newest territory? You're thinking of Nunavut (Our Land), which did become Canada's newest territory in 1999. Nunavut was carved from the old Northwest Territories and includes, among other things, all of Canada's eastern arctic north of Hudson Strait. With the exception of Ungava and Hudson Bay's offshore Islands, Nunavik includes the Inuit homelands south of Hudson Strait. There is no administrative connection linking the two.

Where is Ungava? If you think of Nunavik as a mitten, the thumb is the Labrador Peninsula and the fingers are the Ungava Peninsula. Between the two is Ungava Bay. By convention, when the Payne Lake Project refers to 'Ungava' we mean the peninsula. It is convenient, also, to remember that generally speaking the thumb and fingers are above the tree line, and the palm is below it.

Where is Payne Lake? Payne Lake is a narrow lake more than 100 kilometers long deep in Ungava's interior. At its eastern end the 1948 Rousseau expedition discovered curious architectural remains that archaeologist Thomas Lee believed were of Norse origin. His theories have been widely discredited, but a satisfactory explanation for his discoveries at Payne Lake and elsewhere has never been offered. The Payne Lake Project has that as one of its goals.

What were Nunavik I and Nunavik II? Nunavik I actually went north in 1999 with no title at all. It was the Project's first expedition and involved preliminary survey work on the Payne Estuary and the adjacent Ungava Bay coast, including visits to Pamiok and Ivik Islands. The Project's report for 1999, Five Days on A Lee Shore, covers Nunavik I. Nunavik II will take the field in August 2001, pursuing in greater detail the interesting discoveries of Nunavik I in roughly the same geographical area. Two objects of particular importance will be a comprehensive archaeological survey of Pamiok Island and, preparatory for Nunavik III's trans-Ungavan traverse, an examination of the lower Payne River.

What happened in 2000? The Payne Lake Project is largely self funded, and the coffers were nearly empty in 2000. Your correspondent did manage to continue the work of the Project in Hudson Bay, working out of Sanikiluaq in the Belcher Islands. The report on Eastmain I will be issued later this year.

Shouldn't your focus be on Nunavik II? Long range planning for Nunavik III began in early 1999, before Nunavik I, in fact. Nunavik I was, and Nunavik II will be, 'light expeditions' working generally within a day's distance of the Inuit community of Kangirsuk and requiring no special logistical support beyond what is already available locally. Nunavik III is a much more complex undertaking. For example, if we can ship three canoes and our non-perishable provisions north with this year's sealift it will be vastly less expensive than flying them up next year; if we depend on next year's sealift, they may not arrive before our scheduled departure in early August. Planning deadlines for Nunavik III are actually closer than those for Nunavik II.

Is my donation tax preferred? Not yet. To be honest, the money required to qualify and administer the Project as a qualifying Non-Profit under U.S. IRS 501c could be better spent in the field, but we are looking into this. We believe we can qualify -- if this is important to you, please contact the Project and we will keep you posted.

Why doesn't the Project have its own website? Simple economics -- this is significantly less expensive. You can access the site directly by typing 'www.autogear.net/paynelake.htm". Of course, if you want to underwrite the creation and maintenance of a dedicated site, please contact the Project.

Further Reading
Robert J. Flaherty, "Two Traverses Across Ungava Peninsula, Labrador", The Geographical Review Volume 6 No. 2, 1918
Helge Ingstad, Land Under the Pole Star, New York 1966.

William S. Laughlin and W. E. Taylor, Jr., "A Cape Dorset Culture Site on the West Coast of Ungava Bay", National Museum of Canada Bulletin No. 167, Ottawa 1960

Thomas E. Lee, "Payne Lake, Ungava Peninsula, Archaeology, 1964", Centre d'Etudes Nordique Travaux Divers No. 12, Quebec 1966

Thomas E. Lee, "Fort Chimo and Payne Lake, Archaeology, 1965", Centre d'Etudes Nordique Travaux Divers No. 16, Quebec 1967

Thomas E. Lee, "Archaeological Discoveries, Payne Bay Region, Ungava, 1966", Centre d'Etudes Nordique Travaux Divers No. 20, Quebec 1968

Thomas E. Lee, "Archaeological Investigations of a Longhouse Ruin, Pamiok Island, Ungava Bay, 1972", Collection Paleo-Quebec No. 2, Trois Rivieres 1974

Jean Michea, "Exploration in Ungava Peninsula", National Museum of Canada Bulletin No. 118, Ottawa 1950

Patrick Plumet, "Archaeologie de l'Ungava: le site de la Pointe aux Belougas (Qilalugarsiuvik) et les maisons longues dorsetiennes", Paleo-Quebec No. 18, Montreal 1985

Patrick Plumet, "Cairns-balises et megalithes de l'Ungava", Etudes/Inuit/Studies Volume 9 No. 2, Montreal 1985

Jacques Rousseau, "By Canoe Across the Ungava Peninsula via the Kogaluk and Payne Rivers", Arctic Volume 1 No. 2, Montreal 1948

Peter Schledermann, "Eskimo and Viking Finds in the High Arctic", National Geographic Volume 159 No 5, Washington 1981

Peter Schledermann, Voices in Stone: A Personal Journey into the Arctic Past. Calgary 1996

Kirsten Seaver, The Frozen Echo. Stanford 1996

William E. Taylor, Jr., "Archaeological Work in Ungava, 1957", Arctic Circular Volume 10 No. 2, Ottawa 1986