“If They Were Important, We Would Have Heard About Them” : Inuit History Beyond Canadian Mythology
The community of Gjoa Haven/Uqsuqtuuq has recently received national and international attention for its proximity to the lost ships of the nineteenth century Franklin expedition. The locating of Franklin’s ships in 2014 and 2016 has been followed by celebrations of the role of Inuit knowledge in fi...
| Published in: | Études/Inuit/Studies |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Centre interuniversitaire d’études et de recherches autochtones (CIÉRA)
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1096500ar https://doi.org/10.7202/1096500ar |
| Summary: | The community of Gjoa Haven/Uqsuqtuuq has recently received national and international attention for its proximity to the lost ships of the nineteenth century Franklin expedition. The locating of Franklin’s ships in 2014 and 2016 has been followed by celebrations of the role of Inuit knowledge in finding the wrecks, and thought to hold promise for how Inuit and Western research partnerships are conducted. Yet many people in Gjoa Haven, and particularly its youth, have little knowledge of or interest in the Franklin story. Locally, Franklin stores are associated with Qablunaat (non-Inuit) interests in northern history, but they are not representative of Inuit history. We examine the relationship between Inuit and Qablunaat history in Gjoa Haven, with a focus on what is important to its youth. Although Franklin stories are of limited importance in Inuit history, they continue to influence how Inuit are perceived by non-Inuit and present obstacles to informing Qablunaat about Inuit history and culture. As young Inuit have more opportunities to interact with Qablunaat, the subject of history offers space for these youth to articulate their own views and priorities for learning and sharing northern stories. La communauté de Gjoa Haven/Uqsuqtuuq a récemment reçu une attention nationale et internationale pour sa proximité avec les navires perdus de l’expédition Franklin du XIXe siècle. La découverte des navires de Franklin en 2014 et 2016 a été suivie par les célébrations du rôle des savoirs inuit dans la découverte des épaves, et on pense qu’elle est prometteuse vu la manière dont les partenariats de recherche inuit et occidentaux seront mis en place. Pourtant, de nombreuses personnes à Gjoa Haven, et en particulier les jeunes, ont peu de connaissances ou d’intérêt pour l’histoire de Franklin. Localement, Franklin est associé aux intérêts des Qallunaat pour l’histoire du Nord, mais n’est pas représentatif de l’histoire des Inuit. Nous examinons la relation entre l’histoire inuit et l’histoire qallunaaq à Gjoa Haven ... |
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