Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 02/98) - Archaeology has the strength to teach people about their past and to instill in them a sense of pride in their culture's ability to survive.

"This is one way that can help foster pride in your heritage and look at some of the accomplishments that your ancestors and descendants had," said Douglas Stenton.

He's the executive director of the Inuit Heritage Trust, the organization that reviews all permits to conduct archaeological research in Nunavut.

Mandated under sections 33 and 34 of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement, Stenton and his four board members look after the existing archaeological sites and artifacts, making sure the new projects comply with regulations.

But Stenton doesn't just sit behind a desk. Also a career archaeologist, he's conducted digs around

Baffin Island since 1980 and, as a former instructor at Nunavut Arctic College, he has trained several students in the techniques of excavation.

Most recently, he has been involved in digging up parts of the Tungatsivvik site located seven kilometres outside of Iqaluit.

"It's a large Thule site with 18 old winter house ruins -- there's tent rings, caches, there's a few burials, Inuksuit," said Stenton, who has conducted research in the area almost every year since 1990.

This past summer, Inuit Studies student Matthew Boki was given the opportunity to accompany Stenton and his colleague Robert Park to the site.

As part of a comparative study conceived by Park, Boki learned how to grid a site, do test units and properly survey, record and photograph all of the material that was removed.

"It was slow and meticulous and I learned that archaeology has nothing to do with Indiana Jones," said Boki.

"We found a lot of new artifacts and it takes a lot of study to find out what it is." Park, who developed the study in his quest to learn more about the different wintering habits of the Thule after examining a smaller site across from Tungatsivvik, wholeheartedly agreed with Boki.

"This is something that's interested me for a long time...and will take my whole career at least," said Park.

After the subterranean house had been completely excavated, the area was filled back in and Park said he will now begin the process of piecing the information together so he better understand the Thule's habits. "It's like a jigsaw puzzle," said Park.

To date, more than 3,000 artifacts have been recovered from the Tungatsivvik site, many of which date back to the pre-Dorset period and put the Inuit ancestors in the area at least 3,000 years ago.