Iqaluktuuq Project
Of equal importance to the presence of these archaeological sites is the fact that Inuit Elders living in Cambridge Bay retain detailed knowledge of past activities in the area. Within the lifetimes of some Elders, caribou were still hunted from skin qajaks, and winters were spent living in snow houses on the sea ice, hunting seals at their breathing holes. These direct memories provide an unparalleled opportunity to compare first-hand knowledge of past Inuit life with the archaeological traces, which they left behind.
“The various sites around Ekalluk contain an archaeological record at least 4,000 years long – by far the longest in the region, and even in the earliest time periods there is good preservation of delicate materials such as animal bone, antler, and ivory. Also, the caribou drive system at Ekalluk is one of the largest and most complex in the Central Arctic, and is itself worthy of research. When all of this archaeology is combined with Elders’ traditional knowledge of the area, I think we will be able to produce a particularly detailed picture of past life ways in the Ekalluk River area.” Dr. Max Friesen, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto
These memories are fast disappearing and it is more important than ever to ensure that they are recorded and preserved in perpetuity. The stories, memories and legends collected will make up an important part of the cultural centre. They will be used in the schools and in the community to learn about the history of the area and as a relevant tool to revitalize the Inuinnaqtun language, which is fast disappearing.
Dr. Friesen and his team have applied for a multi-year research grant and an archaeology license through the Nunavut Research Institute. The KHS has also applied for an oral history research license through the Nunavut Research Institute.
Two all-terrain vehicles will be brought out to Iqaluktuuq by snowmobile and sled prior to the field season. The Elders found it very helpful to have the ATV’s on-site last year. The vehicles gave them more mobility and allowed them to visit more archaeological sites.
The KHS will contract a cultural geographer to work with KHS staff. The cultural geographer will look at all relevant historical, ethnographic and archaeological literature, as well as the oral history and archaeological documents thus far produced through the Iqaluktuuq Project. Based on this review, an interview guide will be written to direct the oral traditions research at Iqaluktuuq. On-site, the geographer will conduct individual and group interviews along with the co-researcher who will be hired from the community. He will also work closely with the archaeologist to ensure that the oral traditions work is supporting and illuminating the archaeological work, and that archaeological findings are being considered in the interviewing. All geographical information will be collected on maps and included in a final report.
After the fieldwork is completed the resultant tapes will be transcribed and translated by the co-researcher, and transcripts will be forwarded to the geographer. Based on the transcripts, field notes, and the background research, the geographer will produce a final report that synthesizes the information and gives recommendations for future topics of research. This final report will be valuable to the KHS and Dr. Friesen and will serve to provide us with a direction for future work at the site.