Mattagami First Nation Youth and Elder join Côté staff for day of learning and discovery
October 20, 2025
Members of the Mattagami Youth Council took part in an active archaeological dig at Côté Gold this summer. Participants included Trent Thomas, Tessa Thomas, Tatum Naveau, and IBA Coordinator Chelsea Debastos.
The day was filled with learning and exploration, beginning with packing lunches at PCC, followed by a safety presentation and a meeting with archaeologist David Gadzala from Woodland Heritage Northeast. The group also toured the historic explorer’s site at Côté.
They then visited a pre-contact site, where they joined community Elder Leonard Naveau in digging for artifacts. Several stone chips- remnants of ancient tool-making- were uncovered during the excavation.
Artifacts found at the site previously have provided evidence of human activity on this land dating back thousands of years.
