Ruth Gotthardt and Greg Hare

Date award received: 
2019

One of the nominators referred to Ruth Gotthardt and Greg Hare as the Dynamic Duo of Yukon archaeology. They ran the Heritage Department of Yukon Territory for 30 years, where they contributed to northern archaeological research through their joint publications, produced public outreach booklets, and held many successful conferences that have created a lasting dialogue around heritage in the Yukon. They also trained countless archaeology students and professionals in how cultural heritage management is best done in collaboration and conducted a variety of community-based, ethnoarchaeological projects on trans-boundary lands of the Yukon. Moreover, they empowered numerous First Nations people to embrace and strengthen their connections to the deep history of their peoples.

As individuals, Ruth collected large samples of stone tools, and used them to re-write the cultural sequence for the region. Greg pioneered work on the Yukon ice patches, where he provided new information on the adoption of the bow and arrow and helped "rescue" archaeological data at risk of destruction due to climate change. The Ice Patch Project is now on the list of tentative Canadian sites of UNESCO World Heritage.

Ruth Gotthardt and Greg Hare administered a widely respected regulatory system for archaeological research and site management in Yukon Territory. The CAA would like to honour their achievements this evening with the Roscoe Wilmeth Award for 2019.