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Mining for memories Nicole Veerman Northern News Services Published Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Since there is little written about the influence of mines on Northern life, a group of researchers from Memorial University in Newfoundland have decided to fill in some of history's gaps. And to help them do that, they came to Rankin Inlet for a second time last week to interview elders about the Rankin Inlet Nickel Mine, which opened in 1957 and closed in 1962. Professor Arn Keeling, who did research in Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake last year, said this year's trip was about hearing personal stories of how the mine affected the people of the Kivalliq region. Until this visit, Keeling and master's student Trish Boulter have been looking at archived government documents outlining the mine's history. Keeling said although there is a lot to be gained from that type of research, like government policy and information about the mining companies, you also miss out on the experiences of local people. "They're not well-represented in those kinds of documents. "So you have to go to the source. You have to go to the people themselves in order to find that information out yourself," he said. "So it's about trying to get some of these memories, which are in the communities." Former Nunavut commissioner Peter Irniq has been helping Keeling and Boulter find the right people to talk to in the Kivalliq. He has also relayed some of his own memories, including the effect of Rankin's mine on his hometown of Repulse Bay. "I watched Inuit move from iglu to mineshaft in the course of overnight from Repulse Bay," Irniq said. "The economic impact of mining had a lot to do with a decline in population in a place like Repulse Bay. "The population went from 130 people or so and it went down to 70 to 90 people in 1955, sort of like overnight. "There was quite a lot of interest in making money at that period of time because we had already been introduced to money with the Hudson Bay Company." He said despite that decrease in population in his hometown, the history of mining in Nunavut is a success story for the Inuit people. "To move from a community like Repulse Bay, Whale Cove, Baker Lake or even Arviat in 1955 to Rankin Inlet, and you don't speak a word of English whatsoever, and you start working at the mineshaft, that tells me that my fellow Inuit are the most adaptable people in the world and this is a success story for Inuit in the 1950s." Boulter said hearing the stories, meeting the people and seeing the land was surreal after looking at photos and reading documents about the mine and community for the last year. "It's amazing just to see the lay of the land and to meet people who recognize people in the photos I've been looking at. "And getting a sense of how much the mine is a part of the community, how much they are proud of their history here and how much it stands out. The research done in Rankin Inlet and the memories shared with Keeling and Boulter last week will be compiled into a larger project about abandoned mines in the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Northern Quebec, Labrador and Nunavut. Keeling said the hope is all of the research will end up in a book a couple of years from now. The research team is also planning to leave some of their work behind, he said. "Ideally we're going to be recording these interviews and leaving them behind in the communities themselves for them to hold and preserve that memory." Irniq said he's grateful that Memorial University has taken interest in Nunavut's history. "A lot of our young people do not know the history of mining in Rankin Inlet, matter of fact, in the Kivalliq region," he said. "A couple of years down the road, people here will have the opportunity to learn about that history."
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