IN THIS ISSUE THE IGLOOLIK ORAL HISTORY PROJECT The Igloolik Oral History Project 1 John MacDonald Across Nunavut, new emphasis is being tional knowledge to inform the larger Nunavik Research Centre: placed on the importance and relevance of world, especially southern researchers FALL/WINTER 2001 Community-based Research Inuit traditional knowledge in the contem- (this point was based on a deeply felt in Northern Quebec 3 porary world. Increasingly, efforts are being sense that researchers in general, and made to record and document the knowl- biologists in particular, tended to be dis- Abandoned Mining Exploration Sites edge, life experiences, and family histories of missive of Inuit knowledge). in Nunavik 5 Inuit elders throughout Nunavut. A commu- During this meeting the question of pay- nity-based Oral History Project in Igloolik ment for interviews was addressed. Some Tundra Northwest 99 6 provides an example of successful ongoing elders felt they should be paid while others work in this important field. thought that they should pass on their New International Bathymetric Chart The Igloolik Oral History Project is a col- knowledge free of charge. In the end it was of the Arctic Ocean 7 laborative project run by the Inullariit Elders decided that a fee, or honorarium, should be Society of Igloolik in collaboration with the provided, not to pay for the knowledge Is Arctic Sea Ice Rapidly Thinning? 8 Igloolik Research Centre. The project had its offered, but strictly to compensate the elder formal start in 1986 following a meeting of for the time spent on the interview. Life at a 3.5 Million-year-old Beaver Igloolik elders. At this meeting there was The project’s start coincided with the Pond in the Canadian Arctic Islands, general agreement on the importance of fieldwork of a researcher, Wim Rasing, who and the Modern Scene 11 embarking on a project to record and docu- was studying the administration of Cana- ment the traditional knowledge and oral dian justice in Igloolik, and who later pub- Horizon 14 history of the Amitturmiut – the Inuit living lished his findings in a book, Too Many Peo- in the Northern Foxe Basin area of Nunavut. ple. Rasing conducted a series of audiotaped What’s New 14 The project would have the following goals: interviews with Igloolik elders covering 1) Inuktitut language retention (the elders aspects of Inuit traditional law and social expressed great concern over the in- organization. These interviews – numbering creasing loss of language skills among around thirty – became the nucleus of the the younger generations, and felt that project’s collection that has now grown to recordings would show how Inuktitut include almost five hundred interviews. should be spoken); Additions to the collection derive from two 2) Create a record of how things were done principle sources: the project itself, and in the past, for the benefit of future gen- copies of taped interviews donated by visit- erations of Amitturmiut; ing researchers. 3) Create a record of Amitturmiut family Over the years, funding for the project histories; has come, piecemeal, from a wide variety 4) Record a body of accessible Inuit tradi- of sources including federal and territorial allows the elder to choose, from a number of options, the conditions under which the information given in the tape will be ac- cessed. And, finally, prior to the interview an identification number is assigned to the audiotape, a number that will be used subse- quently on the translations, transcripts and computer files deriving from the interview. Interview sessions usually last approxi- mately an hour. Apart from keeping the interview within the bounds of the agreed topic, or topics, very little structure is imposed on the session. A conversational flow is encouraged in which the elder res- ponds to a question fully before the next question is asked, usually based on some A draft page from the seal anatomy section of the point raised in the response just given. essarily involved a mix of interests which, Inullariit Elders Society visual dictionary,showing the Every effort is made to have the audiotape by and large, proved highly productive in anterior part of the seal after skinning. Photo: Inullariit translated into English as soon as possible Society. eliciting information which otherwise might after the interview. This ensures that points not have been considered had the choice in need of clarification, particularly those to government departments and agencies, of topic rested with a single or even a few do with archaic or specialized vocabulary, regional Inuit political and cultural organi- individuals. can be checked while the interview is still sations, charitable foundations, and private Major topics covered to date – some in fresh in the minds of both the interviewer donations. Unfortunately, there has been no greater depth than others – have included: and the elder. In the course of translation one source of sustaining funding and the personal and family histories; contact histo- specialized terms are noted and explained continuation of the project from year to year ry (including the introduction of Christian- fully, either in parentheses within the text, depends largely on the continuing success of ity); social change; dispute resolution and or as footnotes. Usually the interview is word- fund-raising efforts. It is estimated that the social control; child rearing, traditional processed concurrently with translation. “processing” of a single interview from the medicine and childbirth; spirituality and Over the years, Louis Tapardjuk and recording phase through translation, tran- shamanism; hunting techniques; animal Leah Otak, both of Igloolik, have painstak- scription and word-processing, to dubbing behaviour and biology; skin preparation ingly translated most of the project’s inter- and archiving can cost upwards of $800.00 and sewing; tool making; sled and kayak views. This has ensured not only a broad a tape. construction; shelter construction; local consistency in translation style but also a Igloolik Research Centre staff manage geography and place names; astronomy; growing ability on the part of these transla- the project on behalf of the Inullariit Elders snow-drift formation; weather conditions; tors to work confidently with the elders’ Society. Major administrative tasks include: navigation; and legends and myths. material. Regrettably, many younger trans- fund-raising, financial management, inter- Interviews are usually planned a day or lators have difficulty working with elders’ viewing, translation, transcribing, manage- two ahead of the actual interview session at interviews where they frequently encounter ment of the local collection, archiving, and which time the topic is agreed between the unfamiliar topics and vocabulary. This situ- the provision of access to project materials. elder and the interviewer. This gives the ation is unlikely to improve until there are From the outset it was decided to try to elder time to prepare, and to engage in some intensive training courses in place aimed cover as broad a range of topics as possible. recollection in advance of the interview. exclusively at the translation and interpreta- The choice of topics is determined variously Immediately prior to the interview a waiver tion of Inuit oral history documents. by the elders themselves, by the staff of the form is completed and signed by both the As resources and time permit, interviews Igloolik Research Centre, and, sometimes, elder and the interviewer. This ensures – or more often portions of interviews – are by visiting researchers. This approach nec- informed consent to the interview and 2 transcribed into Inuktitut syllabics in prepa- years. Generally, in keeping with the elders’ date. In addition, work is well underway on ration for eventual publication. This, for wishes that their knowledge should be used compiling a visual dictionary, using digital instance, is the case with some seventy as widely as possible, unlimited access is technology. The first volume of the dictionary hours of interviews contributed to the pro- usually permitted. Some restrictions, howev- focuses on animal anatomy and biology. ject by the late Noah Piugaattuk. Numerous er, have evolved to govern the collection’s While the project is ongoing, unfortu- portions of his interviews, selected, sorted access by academic researchers, the main nately its scope is being reduced each year and compiled thematically, have been tran- one being that while the researchers are by the passing of elders. About half of the scribed into syllabics, and, along with their able to consult the entire corpus they may original thirty contributors have died since English translations form the basis of a cur- only copy portions of it directly relevant to the project’s inception in 1986. Nevertheless, rent book project that will portray the life their specific area of study. Material from the the interviews continue and, increasingly, experiences and knowledge of Piugaattuk. project used in academic publications re- younger elders are offering to record their From the beginning of the project it was quires citation of the elders’ name, together own unique perspectives and experiences for FALL/WINTERR 2001 decided to deposit copies of all audiotapes, with the interview number. Acknowledge- the benefit of future generations of Igluling- translations, and transcriptions with the ment of the Igloolik Inullariit Elders Society miut and others. Prince of Wales Heritage Centre in Yel- and the Igloolik Research Centre is also lowknife. All original materials are kept in required. John MacDonald is co-ordinator of the Igloolik at the Igloolik Research Centre. There is a growing emphasis on getting Igloolik Research Centre. When Nunavut establishes its own archives the material more widely circulated and, to The Inullariit Society won the 1998 the project’s materials currently held at the this end, consideration is being given to pro- Northern Science award for its oral histo- Prince of Wales Heritage Centre will be ducing a CD-ROM of selected, edited, inter- ry work (see Meridian, Spring/Summer transferred to the Nunavut archives.