Arvia’juaq National Historic Site: A Case Study on Heritage and Virtual Tourism in the Canadian Arctic

• Main Author: Porter, Mary Cecilia
• Other Authors: Dawson, Peter C., Oetelaar, Gerald Anthony, Draper, Dianne Louise
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Graduate Studies 2017
• Subjects: Education > Social Sciences; Archaeology; Anthropology > Cultural; History > Ancient; Arctic Archaeology; Panoramas; Panospheres; Indigenous Archaeology; Overcoming remoteness; National Historic Sites of Canada; Arviat; Arvia'juaq; Sentry Island; Arctic; Canada; Hudson; Hudson Bay; Nunavut
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3886; https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/25001

This community-engaged archaeological research focuses on overcoming remoteness of important archaeological sites in terms of imparting their message of significance to the broader public. The focus of this project is Arvia’juaq National Historic Site located off the West coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavut, Canada. For this research, a proof of concept interactive virtual tour was constructed using panoramic images of Arvia’juaq. Issues examined include the importance of public outreach, engagement of local communities through virtual heritage, overcoming the digital divide in the Canadian Arctic, and the use of VR panoramas for connecting people to places that might otherwise be inaccessible. This has important implications for raising awareness of polar heritage and its significance to Indigenous people, as well as to national and international audiences.