Stories found through artifacts
Elders able to pass knowledge to younger generations
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Published Monday, October 27, 2014
UQSUQTUUQ/GJOA HAVEN
Two elders, speaking through interpreter Jacob Keanik, spoke with Nunavut News/North about their work with the Nattilik Heritage Centre, cataloguing information about artifacts returned to Gjoa Haven from Norway.
Elder Jonathon Hiqiniq holds the iliviaq, a type of bowl, made of driftwood from the Amundsen/Gjoa Haven collection. - photo courtesy of Tony Wang |
The heritage centre, which celebrated its one-year anniversary Oct. 17, has worked closely with the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway, for several years to return 14 artifacts of the many items explorer Roald Amundsen brought home with him after wintering in the area between 1903 and 1905.
Jimmy Qirqqut, 77, and Mary Aqirgiaq, 83, are part of a group of elders, including Jonathon Hiqiniq, Tommy Tavalok, Leo Humituq, Saul Qirngnirq, Mary Aqirgiaq, Rosie Kigeak, Ruth Qirqqut, Alissa Kameemalik and Lucy Nimiqtaqtuq, who participated in the workshop Oct. 6 to 9.
Although she has been part of the group of elders sharing their stories at the centre every Tuedsay night, Aqirgiaq said she worked with the objects for the first time at the workshop.
Qirqqut has also been active with the museum since early fall on Tuesday evenings, sharing knowledge with younger members of the community.
"According to Jimmy, these (objects) were used by his parents and ancestors. Not all of them. Some are a little different but similar," said Keanik.
"For Mary, these are similar to things she has seen before in her childhood, used by her parents, her grandparents and ancestors."
"These were the means of survival for our ancestors and I know they worked very hard to support their families with this equipment," said Qirqqut.
"They didn't have modern tools like today and they had to use bones and other means to make this equipment for hunting and living, like harpoons and qulliqs. The ancestors went through hardship to survive," said Aqirgiaq.
Both Qirqqut and Aqirgiaq agree that the artifacts have been very well-preserved.
"There was very little damage to them. Once they were taken from this area over 110 years ago, they were very well kept," said Qirqqut, who adds that these particular objects date back to before he was born.
This means the ability to work with the objects, as learning tools for the younger generations, is very valuable.
"Having the artifacts returned really helps the younger generation, also the middle-aged people, understand what they were used for, the proper names, because there are so many names to one item. It teaches a lot of people, including the school children, because they do come here and get involved with the artifacts," said Qirqqut.
The bow and arrow, for example, is a complex tool with many parts. The bow is constructed from at least 10 pieces, including caribou antler, and held together by braided caribou sinew. There are a variety of arrows for different animals, each with a different name.
Kineak explains that there were three different arrows examined at the workshop.
"Each arrowhead is different. They're used for different game. For example, one would be used for bigger game - the muskox and the polar bear. The smaller ones would be used for caribou and geese and ptarmigan," said Qirqqut.
And with knowledge of the tools comes knowledge of the animals and how to harvest them - because knowledge was shared in the past, it can continue to be shared now. As Keanik explains, knowledge is shared through action and language and story is a part of every item and action.
"For example, when a seal is caught - there are lots of words to a seal - young girls and young boys, when a hunter comes back home, they rush to be the first one beside the seal."
Driftwood was a material commonly used, such as for making the iliviaq, a sort of big bowl, Aqirgiaq explains, that was used to store meat, seal fat or other food.
Aqirgiaq, although she knew the name of the bowl and its uses, had never actually set eyes on one or held one herself.
Had Amundsen not returned to Norway with objects from the area and had Norway not preserved them in a museum environment, Qirqqut believes that there are so few people who know how to make them that it would have been very hard for the younger generation to learn about them, and possibly learn how to make them - thereby losing their heritage.
Both Qirqqut and Aqirgiaq would like to see more artifacts from the area returned to Gjoa Haven. Fourteen is just a few of the many from that time.
"They want to see more of the artifacts that show their ancestors' way of surviving," said Keanik. "They would be happy to see more."
The elders named other items that should be at the heritage centre: a kayak, which helped provide clothing and food in the summers, the very long spear, and a pot made of seal skin or caribou, with a dipper.
Both are also agreed that they want to continue to do this work of passing on the area's history to and for the younger generation.
