It was Louie Kamookak’s knowledge of the oral history of his Inuit people that finally concluded the search for the lost ships of the expedition of Sir John Franklin. Mr. Kamookak died of cancer in March. But the collection of the stories of his people, and their ancestors’ tales of the two British ships that sailed into their Arctic territory in the late summer of 1846, will continue. For full story click here.
Tag: Inuit
Inuit Oral History in Franklin search
A new exhibit in Iqaluit sheds light on the role Inuit oral history played in the search for Sir John Franklin's lost ships — and the relevance of traditional knowledge in everyday life in the territory. The exhibit, "Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit traditional knowledge) and Franklin," opened last night at Iqaluit's Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum. The exhibit features replicas of items found on board the Franklin's HMS Erebus after its discovery in 2014, including the ship's bell and a dinner plate. For full story click here.
Inuit Cree Reconciliation
The war in northern Quebec began before there was a Quebec, before anyone but Cree and Inuit lived there, and it ended more than two centuries ago. But as filmmakers Zacharias Kunuk and Neil Diamond discovered, the long conflict between the two native peoples still echoes through their present-day relations. Inuit Cree Reconciliation, the 45-minute film Kunuk and Diamond made about the war and its modern-day aftermath, spans at least three centuries and three languages (Cree, Inuktitut and English). It brings to life a chapter of northern history that’s scarcely known elsewhere, in the stunningly beautiful places where it occurred. The film also gives pride of place to the way First Nations retain their history, through stories handed down by elders. This is a real indigenous documentary, if that word even applies to a project so grounded in oral culture. For full story, including link to the documentary, click here.