Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #101:Inuit History: Environmental and Social Factors in the Development of Inuit Societies  (Inuit History)

Outline
The project addresses the widely held perception that traditional polar societies can be characterized as simple, technologically primitive, historically isolated from other cultures, and having developed primarily as the result of adaptation to stringent environmental forces. This perception is perhaps most widely applied to the Inuit of Arctic Canada, and a focus on their societies is not only scientifically appropriate but of special interest to Canadian researchers, decision makers, and to Inuit themselves. An historical perspective on the development of Inuit societies over approximately the past 1000 years can best be obtained by bringing to bear the approaches of science (Archaeology, palaeoenvironmental studies), humanistic studies (History and allied disciplines) and traditional Inuit forms of knowledge (Oral History, language and cultural studies). A project with a five-year duration (2006-2010) is planned as the most appropriate frame that will be required to attain the goals set out below: (1) Archaeological research and associated palaeoenvironmental studies will evaluate alternate interpretations of the initial Inuit movement to Arctic Canada and Greenland: whether this was the gradual response of a hunting society reacting to environmental pressures; or whether it was a commercially-motivated mission on the part of a society that was already a participant in global culture. Research will focus on clarifying and extending recent discoveries related to the presence of mediaeval Europeans in the eastern Arctic at the time of the initial movement of ancestral Inuit from Alaska. Archaeological fieldwork at selected sites in Baffin Island and Labrador will be aimed at obtaining information on the extent and temporal duration of the early European presence, and the nature of relationships between these Europeans and the aboriginal occupants of Arctic Canada . (2) Historical research will bring current social and cultural perspectives to the study of relationships between Inuit and Europeans over the past several centuries, and the consequences of these relationships for the development of contemporary Inuit societies. Historical research on specific local regions will also attempt to develop proxy evidence of environmental change and its impact on local societies in the recent past. (3) Traditional Inuit approaches to the interpretation of history and the development of contemporary society will focus on the understanding of specific local sequences of development, in response both to environmental change and changes in social environments. Collaboration with archaeological and historical approaches in the study of these sequences can be expected to provide a broader and also a more precise understanding of developments in the recent past.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
: Theme 2, Change: The project addresses the current perspective that traditional Inuit culture and society is primarily the product adaptation to environmental forces. The nature and degree of flexibility detected in the accommodation of Inuit society to past environmental change may suggest the potential for future adaptations. Theme 6, Human Dimension: The project investigates the hypothesis that past Inuit societies have been shaped to a significant degree by a millennium of engagement with elements of European culture and commerce. This investigation holds potential for a significant shift in understanding the roles of historical and social processes in shaping Arctic societies.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Research on the early European presence in Arctic Canada will involve collaboration with researchers in Scandinavia and the U.K. Informal discussion has been held with members of the Greenlandic and Danish IPY committees, and with collaborators in the EUROCORES IPY proposal “Histories from the North: Environments, Movements, Narratives.”

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Archaeological fieldwork will be initially undertaken at sites on Baffin Island. Additional sites may be investigated in northern coastal Labrador, on the coast of Lancaster Sound, and perhaps in other regions of the eastern Canadian Arctic. Historical and Inuit Studies projects will be undertaken in several communities in Nunavut, Nunavik, Labrador and perhaps Greenland

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: Archaeology: 07/06 – 09/09      Inuit Studies: 01/07 – 12/09      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Most of the research undertaken in the fields of history and Inuit Studies will occur in archives, libraries and community settings. The major logistic requirement for archaeological fieldwork is intermittent transportation by helicopter and small fixed-wing aircraft for reconnaissance and for establishing and maintaining field camps. These resources can be shared with other projects.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

The major requirement will be for intermittent use of aircraft based in Iqaluit, Resolute, Goose Bay, or smaller communities in the Canadian eastern Arctic.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: Healthy and Sustainable Communities: Archaeology

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
yes

The project is stimulated by recent archaeological discoveries in Arctic Canada, and new hypotheses on the development of Inuit societies. The archaeological component is based on the Helluland Archaeology Project of the Canadian Museum of Civilization (with collaborators in Canada, Scandinavia and the U.K.), but the proposed program significantly expands the research activities of that project, and addresses the broader implications of the project’s findings.

How will the project be organised and managed?
At this stage in the proposal no formal management or reporting structure has been developed. The Canadian Museum of Civilization will take the lead role in coordinating the development of the project, and will actively involve other Canadian government agencies (Parks Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) as well as of non-government agencies and of academic collaborators. The Canadian Museum of Civilization has the resources and capabilities to provide central management for the project. If appropriate, a Project Steering Committee will be formed to represent the interests of collaborating agencies and individuals.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
(1) The project will provide training and experience to both university students and to Inuit students from northern communities. (2) The project’s results will be disseminated in academic venues, and to northern communities and general audiences through presentations, publications and other media. (3) A major international conference is designed to disseminate the results of the project and to develop a concluding report (book or digital product). These will address the current perception of Inuit society and culture as relics preserved by isolation from global civilization. The provision of information which allows this perception to be evaluated by Canadian society, by decision makers, and by Inuit themselves, can be expected to contribute to future social development of Arctic Canadian society.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The management of archaeological data, and its availability to various interested communities, is mandated under the permitting regulations of Canadian political jurisdictions. The Canadian Museum of Civilization will serve as the central agency for the archiving and dissemination of other data resulting from the project.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
A budget totalling CAD$3.7 million is proposed, with annual distributions of 2006: $500K; 2007: $1100K; 2008: $1100K; 2009; $700K; 2010:$300K. Existing programs can be expected to provide only a small proportion of this funding, and the remainder (> 90%) will be sought from Canadian IPY-related commitments.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Interest in involvement with this project has been expressed by the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, the central historical agency of the Northwest Territories; and by the Inuit Heritage Trust, an agency of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. A planned project proposed by Dr. Max Friesen and based at the University of Toronto (“Arctic Connections”), centred on northern community involvement in the archaeology of local Inuit sites, is being developed in coordination with this project.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr  Robert McGhee
Canadian Museum of Civilization
100 rue Laurier, P.O. Box 3700, Gatineau, QC
J8X 4H2
Canada

Tel: 819-776-8187
Mobile: no
Fax: 819-776-8300
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation