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Understanding Inuit-European Contact Along the Labrador Coast: a Case for Continuity

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Understanding Inuit-European Contact Along the Labrador Coast: a Case for Continuity Understanding Inuit-European Contact along the Labrador Coast: A Case for Continuity By © Amelia Fay A Dissertation submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Archaeology Memorial University of Newfoundland September 14, 2016 St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador [email protected] ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the effects of an increasing European presence on Labrador Inuit society from the late sixteenth- through early nineteenth centuries. Previous research on this topic has tended to focus on site-specific analyses and often divided the coast into North and South, creating a dichotomy that ignored Inuit mobility and emphasized the arrival and placement of Europeans along the coast. I explore this topic diachronically, highlighting the Inuit response to their changing social landscape by investigating its effects on constructions of gender, status, and prestige within Inuit society. Archaeological data collected from Black Island, Labrador were selected as the focal point for this research as the occupants of this dwelling were noted in a 1776 Moravian census and included Mikak, a Person of National Historical Significance. The data from this site was compared with extant collections from eight other sites (10 houses and 3 middens) spanning over 200 years from various locations along the Labrador coast. Using quantitative and qualitative analyses I compare artifact categories representing both European-made and traditional Inuit materials to explore any significant changes over time or regional differences. Quantitatively these assemblages differ, but not in a uniform pattern, suggesting that access to these items was not limited to a particular region along the coast nor did it differ greatly from the earliest encounters to the established period of intensive contact. The same cannot be said for the qualitative analysis as some sites presented unique and prestigious artifacts in their assemblages. i The results of this study show that for roughly 250 years Inuit sites spanning the coast had more in common than previously assumed; perceived changes in their settlement, subsistence, and material culture strategies were not simply reactionary. Instead these changes were part of gradually evolving relationships within their physical, social, and material worlds. I suggest that exploring the nature of Inuit-European contact through a long-term perspective situates these changes and removes the peaks from previous work that highlighted change over continuity and emphasized difference over similarity. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A project like this, one that spans nearly eight years, obviously requires a tremendous amount of support. I have been very lucky to have received incredible intellectual, emotional, logistical, and financial support during my doctorate. It makes this section both easy and challenging to write as there is a need to be concise, and yet I have so many people to thank, please bear with me. First I would like to thank the people of Nunatsiavut for welcoming me and allowing me to conduct research on their land, nakummek. Gary Baikie sparked my interest in Mikak’s story as we sat in his cabin on Black Island back in 2007. At the time I was fascinated, but had no idea that her story would become such an important part of my life. My time in the Nain area over the years has yielded some of my fondest memories, and I am forever grateful to nearly the entire Webb family (Ches, Joe, Henry, Herman, Eric, and all of their lovely children!). Bonnie and George Lyall helped make Black Island a home-away-from-home for two summers. Their generosity with me and my crew will never be forgotten. Lisa Rankin deserves nearly an entire dissertation on her merits as a mentor and supervisor, but I currently lack the brain power to do it justice (but the other members of Team Rankin could probably write contributing chapters!). I approached Lisa near the end of my Masters with an idea for a project. She encouraged me to see it through, and has kept encouraging me all along the way, even when I have been very resistant! I can’t thank Lisa enough for helping me become a more confident researcher and writer, for pushing me when I needed the push and backing off when I started to fall apart. You have no idea what it means to have someone believe in me with such conviction that I start to believe it myself, thank you. I am also indebted to my comprehensive exam and thesis committee members. John Kennedy, Barry Gaulton, and Peter Ramsden pushed me through my comps kicking and screaming. Their critiques were at times soul-crushing, but incredibly valuable as I iii learned so much under their guidance. Peter also served on my thesis committee, and unfortunately bore the brunt of my comma misuse (sorry!), but again found a way to push me to think about the past in way that my poor addled brain couldn’t muster on its own. Thank you Peter for all of your insightful comments, the good chats over pints, and for helping me with stats. My thesis committee was rounded out with the abounding expertise of Pete Whitridge. I am grateful to Pete for introducing me to the beauty of Labrador, and the fascinating history of the Labrador Inuit, and for challenging me to stay true to my research goals. This thesis also benefited greatly from a wonderful examination committee: Hans Rollmann, Andrea Procter, and Charles Arnold. I appreciate the thoughtful comments and insights each of you provided in your reports and within the oral defence. I’d also like to thank two important people who no longer work in the archaeology department, Robert Tucker and Annette Sullivan. Both of whom epitomize the spirit and kindness of Newfoundlanders, and saved my arse on many occasions. None of my research would have been possible without the financial support I received from the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), the J.R. Smallwood Foundation, the Provincial Archaeology Office (PAO), the Labrador Institute, and in-kind support from Jim Woollett. It also wouldn’t have been possible without a fantastic crew! Josh Keddy was my right-hand man during my first field season on Black Island. He helped hire our local crew, Sam Tuglavina and Kelly Okkuatsiak, and kept me sane when the stress mounted. I was very fortunate that my good friend Lindsay Swinarton’s doctoral research was on nearby Dog Island, especially during our second field season when my gear was delayed on the Dutch Runner. Her supervisor, Jim Woollett, had stockpiled (hoarded?) enough supplies for me and my crew to join them on Dog Island while we waited for our stuff. We ended up combining crews for the full 2011 season, and it was an incredible summer. Jim’s generosity and guidance was invaluable, and I appreciated all the time he spent assisting me with my excavation strategy, but it was Lindsay who helped me run my excavation and map the house floor! Our combined 2011 crew was a great mix of characters: Mélissa Burns; Andréanne iv Couture; Ashlee Pigford; Amy Ranay; Susan Geddes; Stephen England; Dan Pedder; Martin Merkuratsuk; and Walter Piercy. Finally, Abdullah Alzaid was one of the best cataloguers to volunteer for me, and he wasn’t an archaeology student at all but an MSc student in Ocean Sciences and a good friend. Thank you all! My research also relied heavily on extant collections housed at The Rooms and I received a great deal of assistance from Elaine Anton and Lori Temple. Brian Pritchard and Lindsay Swinarton were kind enough to participate in a data-swap so we could share our recent excavation data with each other to use as valuable comparisons. Lisa Rankin and Pete Whitridge also kindly provided access to data from some of their recent excavations, which was invaluable to this project. My work also relied heavily on the research of those who came before me, and I am eternally grateful for the contributions made by Susan Kaplan and Marianne Stopp, both of whom provided me with additional insights and encouragement from the sidelines, and the work of J. Garth Taylor. I met many of my best friends through the Department of Archaeology at Memorial. Catherine Jalbert started out as a little red-sequined devil and quickly became my bestie. Thank you for laughing, crying, and getting ragey with me. I’m still not ruling out the option of starting our own self-sufficient commune/animal rescue haven if this whole “Dr.” thing doesn’t work out for us! Maria Lear and Lori White are the kind of friends who will eat a giant tuxedo cake in the Costco parking lot with you when you are happy/sad because you got a real timey job, but have to move half-way across the country. Amanda Crompton has mentored me throughout my entire PhD, through all the craziness of teaching, and through the horrific writing and revision process. Finding someone who truly “gets” it is important, especially when they are a few steps ahead of you and can assure you that you will make it out alive! Other friendships were formed outside of the department, through my part-time job working at Bitters, the grad pub, and on the basketball court with the Technical Fowls. I’m so lucky to have found such quality forever friends, I love you all. v Many of my other lifelong friends have stood by me while I was away for school but are now back in my daily life, and continue to offer their support and friendship while I try to find the balance between my new job and finishing this beast.
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