Ethnohistory of Appaarsuit - An archaeological survey and qualitative interview research about the coastal island in Avanersuaq Pivinnguaq Mørch – Master’s thesis 2021 Department of Cultural and Social History Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland Adviser: Kennet Pedersen Table of contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1 Problem formulation ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Fieldwork methods ................................................................................................................................... 3 Archaeological survey ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Qualitative interviews.......................................................................................................................................... 5 Written sources ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Ethnohistory ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Cross-dating ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Limitations on finding written sources:............................................................................................................... 8 Historical context ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Avanersuaq – the northwest Greenland ............................................................................................................10 Introducing Inughuit..........................................................................................................................................11 Pikialasorsuaq Polynya .....................................................................................................................................14 Ethnohistory of Appaarsuit ...............................................................................................................................15 Inughuit inhabiting Appaarsuit .........................................................................................................................19 Archaeological survey in Appaarsuit ...................................................................................................... 19 Appaarsuit site 1 ................................................................................................................................................21 Appaarsuit site 2: ..............................................................................................................................................27 Summary of finds: ..............................................................................................................................................36 Cultural heritage structures .................................................................................................................... 37 Fox-traps: ..........................................................................................................................................................37 Caches: ..............................................................................................................................................................39 Kayak: ...............................................................................................................................................................39 Burial: ...............................................................................................................................................................41 Man-made stairs: ..............................................................................................................................................42 Kitchen crevices: ...............................................................................................................................................43 Tent ring: ...........................................................................................................................................................44 House-dwellings: ...............................................................................................................................................45 Short assessment about the sites: ......................................................................................................................46 The important seabirds in Appaarsuit .................................................................................................... 47 Appa (Uria lomvia): ..........................................................................................................................................47 Inughuit foraging eggs and catching Appat:.................................................................................................49 Appaliarsuk (alle alle): .....................................................................................................................................50 Little auks as ecological engineers: ..................................................................................................................51 Oral stories about the tragedy in Appaarsuit .......................................................................................... 52 No transportation vessel on the sea: .................................................................................................................53 The icefloe tipped: .............................................................................................................................................54 Comment: .....................................................................................................................................................55 They might have been killed by animals: ..........................................................................................................55 Comments: ....................................................................................................................................................56 My mother was one of the children: ..................................................................................................................56 Comment: .....................................................................................................................................................58 The common ground:.........................................................................................................................................58 ‘Den store Bræulykke’: .....................................................................................................................................58 Researching the archives in Nunatta Allagaateqarfia about Appaarsuit Tragedy.................................... 60 Finding out about the family tree: .....................................................................................................................61 In Nunatta Allagaateqarfia: ..............................................................................................................................61 The census lists:.................................................................................................................................................62 Deceased men and women: ...............................................................................................................................64 The family of Sisso: ...........................................................................................................................................65 The family of Qalaseq: ......................................................................................................................................66 The people back in Appaarsuit ..........................................................................................................................67 Comment ......................................................................................................................................................67 Surviving Appaarsuit:........................................................................................................................................68 Itullak and memorial: ........................................................................................................................................70 Historical judgement............................................................................................................................... 70 Some of the faces of survivors in Appaarsuit ....................................................................................................72 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 75 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................... 80 Nunatta Allagaateqarfia’s