Eighteenth Century Labrador Inuit in England

In the late 18th century, a number of Labrador Inuit were at different times taken to England. Their lives, journeys, and likenesses were unusually well documented through writings and portraiture. Presented here are the histories of Mikak and her son Tutauk, brought to England by Francis Lucas in 1...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ARCTIC
Main Author: Stopp, Marianne P.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/63176
Description
Summary:In the late 18th century, a number of Labrador Inuit were at different times taken to England. Their lives, journeys, and likenesses were unusually well documented through writings and portraiture. Presented here are the histories of Mikak and her son Tutauk, brought to England by Francis Lucas in 1767, and of Attuiock, Ickongoque, Ickeuna, Tooklavinia, and Caubvick, who traveled to England in 1772 with Captain George Cartwright. These individuals, especially Mikak, played a part in Britain’s expansion along the northeastern seaboard of Canada. Although the story is relatively well known to students of northern history, this retelling details source material and also clarifies discrepancies found in earlier publications. The portraits, which include two previously unknown depictions of Labrador Inuit, are particularly striking for their ethnographic content. Vers la fin du XVIIIe siècle, des Inuits du Labrador ont été amenés en Angleterre à différents moments. Grâce à de nombreux écrits et portraits, la vie, le voyage et la ressemblance de ces Inuits ont été inhabituellement bien consignés. Cette communication relate l’histoire de Mikak et de son fils Tutauk, qui ont été amenés en Angleterre par Francis Lucas en 1767, ainsi que les histoires de Attuiock, Ickongoque, Ickeuna, Tooklavinia et Caubvick qui ont accompagné le commandant George Cartwright en Angleterre en 1772. Ces personnes, et surtout Mikak, ont joué un rôle dans l’expansion de la Grande-Bretagne le long de la côte nord-est du Canada. Bien que leur histoire soit relativement bien connue des étudiants de l’histoire du Nord, ce récit fait état des sources originales et jette de la lumière sur les divergences trouvées dans des publications antérieures. Le contenu ethnographique des portraits, qui comprennent deux représentations auparavant inconnues d’Inuits du Labrador, est particulièrement frappant.