PROJECTS

ELDERS' RECOGNITION AWARD

The Elders' Recognition Award is given to Nunavut Elders to recognize their contributions towards helping other Nunavummiut understand Inuit culture, heritage and archaeology. Many of the Elders have worked within the schools teaching skills to younger children and generally sharing their knowledge. The Inuit Heritage Trust seeks assistance from Regional Inuit Organizations and community members to nominate Elders from each region (Kitikmeot, Kivalliq and Qikiqtani). The Awards Program took place in 1999, 2001 and 2003.

In 1999, the Elders that received this award were: Frank Analok of Cambridge Bay for the Kitikmeot Region, Barnabas Peryouar of Baker Lake for the Kivalliq Region and Cornelius Nutarak Sr. of Pond Inlet for the Qikiqtani Region.

In 2001, the second Elder's Recognition Awards were given out to Jose Angutingnungniq of Kugaaruk in the Kitikmeot Region, Elisapee Tunnuq of Qamani'ttuaq in the Kivalliq Region and Enusilq Nashalik of Pangnirtung in the Baffin Region.

In 2003, the third Elder's Recognition Awards were given out to Frank Analok of Cambridge Bay for the Kitikmeot Region, Seporah Malliki of Repulse Bay for the Kivalliq Region and Mina Inuktaluk of Sanikiluaq in the Baffin Region.

Congratulations and thank you to these Elders who have contributed so significantly to helping Nunavummiut understand their culture and heritage. The Elders' efforts are so vital to maintaining our Inuit heritage.

PLACE NAMES WORKSHOP

The Inuit Heritage Trust held a Place Names Workshop in February 2002 in Iqaluit. The purpose of the workshop was to gather together all groups and agencies that share an interest in getting Inuktitut names onto maps. Topics covered at the Workshop included:
1. A Chronology of Place Naming in the North
2. Place Naming in Greenland and northern Quebec
3. Language Issues
4. Making Names Changes in Nunavut
5. Issues to consider when making maps
6. Summary of recommendations from the Workshop

A report is available in English, Inuktitut, or Inuinaqtun to download.
To open English -Please click here
To open Inuktitut -Please click here
To open Inuinnaqtun -Please click here

To request a printed copy of the Place Names Workshop Report (in Inuktitut/ English/ Inuinnaqtun), please email us.

PLACE NAMES PROGRAM

One of the Inuit Heritage Trust's mandates under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is to review traditional place names in order that these names may become official. When placed on maps, Inuktitut place names offer a tangible record of land use and occupancy over time. They offer a footprint, a graphic illustration, of where people lived, traveled, hunted, starved, celebrated, waited, and died on the land. This record, existing in great detail only in the minds of a few Inuit Elders, is important for future generations so that they may appreciate the extent and quality of Inuit activities on the land over time.

IHT has two major goals regarding place names research in the communities:
1) Support of the production of maps with traditional names so that all may benefit from the Elders' place names knowledge; and
2) Engage the communities in a comprehensive program that will result in traditional place names being made official.

Many communities have had Place Names Projects over the years and many are still actively recording the names. The Place Name Workshops that Inuit Heritage Trust have participated in during the past couple of years were held in Taloyoak (2002), Pond Inlet (2002) and Pangnirtung (2003).

ARCTIC PEOPLES AND ARCHAEOLOGY CD

Inuit Heritage Trust has developed an amazing CD that incorporates text, images and sound to discuss arctic peoples and archaeology in Nunavut. It contains in-depth information on Inuit history from prehistoric times until now. This CD was designed to fit in with a Grade 8 curriculum and contains additional information on arctic plants and their uses, place names and a challenging game based on surviving in the arctic. The English version is completed with the Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun to soon follow.

TRAVELING MUSEUM

The Traveling Museum Project is composed of two cases of reproduced artifacts, photographs and text that was specially designed to travel around to each Nunavut community. This exhibit tells the story of the Thule culture as it progressed from Siberia to Alaska and then to Nunavut. The exhibit is in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and English. We hope this exposure to artifacts in the communities will encourage an interest in archaeology and in the preservation of this important part of our heritage.

This project was made in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Inuit Heritage Trust has been in contact with each community to determine where it is best to display the exhibit and what time is best for the most people to see it. This exhibit will visit each community for one month then travel on to another. It should be traveling around Nunavut for about two years! First it will travel in the Baffin Region, then in the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot.

Listen to your local radio station for announcements just before it arrives in your community!

KUGLUKTUK FIELD SCHOOL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY

An Archaeology Field School was held in Kugluktuk during August of 2002 and an Archaeological Survey outside of Kugluktuk during August of 2003. In 2002, eight Nunavut students joined archaeologist Ken Swayze for the dig. Applications for student participation were solicited from all over Nunavut and included students from all three regions of Nunavut (Kitikmeot, Kivalliq and Baffin).

The students were introduced to archaeology on a site in Kugluktuk next to the Roman Catholic Church. Artifacts including a copper point on a wooden shaft and a muskox horn ladle had been found on this site previously.

In the summer of 2003, a few students and their families participated in an informal field survey in the Tree River area, not far from Kugluktuk. Many Kugluktuk Elders grew up in this area and the area is known to contain many archaeological sites. One of the aims of the survey was to identify and document these sites for their protection.

We are in the planning stages for an Archaeological Field School during the summer of 2004 and will post more information as we have it so check back occassionally!

MENTORING PROGRAM

Training opportunities are essential for Inuit who may wish to choose archaeology as a profession. The IHT wishes to encourage individuals to enter into archaeology as an academic field of inquiry in order that Inuit become more involved in this field. There are currently very few training opportunities for Inuit students to study archaeology. The Mentoring Program aims to link interested Inuit with suitable archaeology projects. The Mentoring Program can support salaries for up to four students. Archaeologists are expected to cover the students' food costs while in camp, training, and an evaluation of the students' performance. In addition to other academic requirements imposed by the students' schools (if they are to receive High School credit), students are expected to submit a short report of their experience to the Inuit Heritage Trust.

POSTER SERIES

Inuit Heritage Trust has produced a series of five attractive full color posters that show archaeological specimens from Nunavut. The posters show uluit (women's knives), harpoon heads, inuksuit (rock figures), figurines and tiny illustrations of Inuit life rarely found by archaeologists. These posters are very popular and can be purchased either as a poster or attractively dry-mounted.

Please go to the 'Store' link on the left hand side to print off an order form that can be sent to us.

INUIT HERITAGE TRUST WEBSITE

A website for Inuit Heritage Trust (www.ihti.ca) was launched in October 2003 and are very happy to present information about us and what we do in another format.

Please tell your friends about our new site and visit often to find updated information about projects and events.

POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Since Inuit Heritage Trust was formed, one of the key tasks they've had was to work in collaboration with the Government of Nunavut and Inuit beneficiaries to create policies and legislation relating to archaeology, ethnographic objects and archives. Currently we're working on a Toponomy Policy.

FUTURE PROJECTS

Kivalliq Field School (Summer 2004); Place Names Workshops (finish up in Taloyoak and Pangnirtung as well as do one in Repulse Bay); Nunavut Heritage Center (actively participate in the creation of this center); Complete the Arctic Peoples and Archaeology CD translations and distribute them to all Nunavut schools; Mentoring project (partially support Nunavut beneficiaries in their work within the archaeological field); and Training Nunavut residents in heritage and culture careers.