Full Proposals for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Proposed IPY Activity Details

1.0 PROPOSER INFORMATION

(Activity ID No: 330)

1.1 Title of Activity
International Polar Year: The search for the Franklin expedition: a new perspective based on Inuit oral tradition

1.2 Short Form Title of Proposed Activity
Search for the Franklin expedition

1.3 Activity Leader Details
Louie Kamoukak
Ice Legacy – Memoire des glaces
Canada

1.4 Lead International Organisation(s) (if applicable)
McGill University
Parks, Canada
Montreal, Canada
Ottawa, Canada

1.5 Other Countries involved in the activity
England
France

1.6 Expression of Intent ID #'s brought together in this proposed activity
330

1.7 Location of Field Activities
Arctic

1.8 Which IPY themes are addressed
1. Current state of the environment
2. Change in the polar regions
4. Exploring new frontiers
6. The human dimension in polar regions

1.9 What is the main IPY target addressed by this activity
1. Natural or social science

2.0 SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITY

The purpose of the Ice Legacy project as a whole is to shed new light on the history of Arctic exploration by discovering the grave site of Sir John Franklin and by finding and exploring the wrecks of his ships HMS “Erebus” and “Terror”. This will be done by searching for the ships using underwater search techniques, guided by local traditional information and by ice drift data from buoys. On land the grave site will be sought, again with guidance from traditional knowledge, using airborne infra-red and ground radar techniques for local search. The proposal to Canadian IPY covers two vital aspects of the overall project, which will be carried out by Canadian-led academic groups. The first is the mapping of ice dynamics in the region by deploying Argos buoys backed up by the use of an ice-ocean model (B Tremblay, McGill University) , which will yield the most likely locations for the ships to have drifted, perhaps grounded, and sunk. These predictions will be compared with inferences from local tradition, compiled by Louie Kamookak, so that high-probability search areas can be identified. The second aspect is the subsequent underwater search itself, carried out by Parks Canada (R Grenier), and involving towing sidescan sonar from a boat in open water in summer, and the use of an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle), also equipped with sidescan, to wrok from seai ice in spring.. Any anomalies found will be intensively investigated using underwater video from an ROV (remotely operated vehicle), followed by diver investigation, with strict adherence to the rules governing such investigations in the waters of Canada and Nunavut.

2.1 What is the evidence of inter-disciplinarity in this activity?
The project is as fully interdisciplinary as any project can be, since we are using a mixture of oral tradition and historical testimony to narrow the search area for the ships and grave, then modern oceanographic and geophysical techniques to locate the artefacts, then classical archaeological techniques to preserve them. The project takes place during 2007-9, with the biggest part of the work occupying the 2007-8 IPY period.
There is total co-operation in the project between a federal agency (Parks Canada), northern communities (especially Gjoa Haven), academia (McGill, Waterloo) and other countries (France, UK, University of Cambridge, University of Bordeaux). An original cross-sectoral aspect is the leading role assigned to the descendants of the very people who witnessed first-hand the Franklin’s saga, namely the Inuit. The role of Louie Kamookak, an Inuit with a life-long passion for the history of his people, is central to the archaeological project. He brings to the project the oral tradition of several generations, going back to the time when his ancestors first became aware of the tragic events of Franklin, only a few years after they had occurred.

2.2 What will be the significant advances/developments from this activity? What will be the major deliverables? What are the outputs for your peers?
The international significance of these two wrecks, if found, will also be indisputable. The International Scientific Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH) of UNESCO/ICOMOS (over which Robert Grenier, co-PI onthis proposal, presides) envisions that Franklin's ships could be the first candidates to be proposed for a forthcoming World Heritage List for Heritage Shipwrecks. ICUCH has been mandated by UNESCO to develop the concept of such a listing and to propose suitable candidates. Finally, preliminary discussions with UNESCO managers have revealed the likelihood of sponsorship by this world body to present the “Ice Legacy” project as a model to highlight important articles and rules of the 2001 Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

This study will provide accurate drift statistics of sea ice within the CAA, a crucial piece of information required to guide ship wreck search along the many and intricate coastlines of the archipelago. Other benefits from this research include: 1- a better understanding of motion of sea ice in narrow passages, something that is only just starting to be resolved in state-of-the-art climate models, 2- a test of the appropriateness of using sea-ice models developed based on the continuum assumption (valid for relatively large scales, ~100 km) in narrow passages where the model resolution is typically of the order of 10 km, 3- a more accurate depiction of the fresh water (sea ice) transport, and its variability, to the Labrador Sea (where deep convection is known to occur), and ultimately 4- it will lead to better ability to forecast the faith of the perennial sea ice cover in the CAA. Buoy drift data collected in this proposal will help fill an existing void in most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago west of Baffin Bay in the database of the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP- publicly available and maintained at University of Washington and the National Snow and Ice Data Center). It will also be included in this database. Finally, it will provide a validation of a newly developed sea ice thermodynamic model developed by Huwald et al. 2004). While this model compares very well with observations from SHEBA, it has not been used yet on a full Arctic Ocean - CAA simulations.

2.3 Outline the geographical location(s) for the proposed field work (approximate coordinates will be helpful if possible)

2.4 Define the approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities?

2.5 What major logistic support/facilities will be required for this project?
Ice strengthened research ship - Amundsen Icebreaker
Land-based Camp
Zodiac + Qaquqtinniq ship (based in Gjoa Haven)
Radars
Snow terrain vehicles
Remotely Operated Vehicle

Further details – The program will begin in August 2007 and will last 40, 80 and 80 days for the season 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively, corresponding to the optimal weather window for research work and optimal seasonal ice conditions. The work will be done over three years, 2007, 2008 and 2009 to optimise the time devoted to investigating, searching for and evaluating the various archaeological sites. As survey vessels we plan to utilise assets which are already emplaced in the region or can easily be moved there. (see above table). Air service requirements: Personnel rotation will be done by a Twin Otter plane from the Ken Borek company, flying in personnel from Gjoa Haven and retrieving them at the end of September. The two-seater Ice Legacy helicopter, used for terrestrial archaeological research work, will be available for any medical evacuations. The expedition’s scientific and technical equipment will be brought by boat. All waste material from the expedition will be brought back to Gjoa Haven.

2.6 How will the required logistics be supplied? Have operators been approached?

2.7 If working in the Arctic regions, has there been contact with local indigenous groups or relevant authorities regarding access?

3.0 STRUCTURE OF THE ACTIVITY

3.1 Origin of the activity
This activity is the start of a new programme that will outlive IPY

3.2 How will the activity be organised and managed? Describe the proposed management structure and means for coordinating across the cluster
Tremblay will take the leading role on the Buoy deployment and modeling of the sea ice drift in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In particular he will be involved in the field work campaign, the model calibration/validation, the supervision of a PhD and undergraduate students, and the publication of scientific articles based on the data and model analysis develop during this project
Robert Grenier, from the Underwater Archeological Service of Parks Canada (UAS) will be responsible for the planning and conduct of the remote sensing surveys. In the event that the Erebus or Terror are located, all in-water work and diving operations will be directed by the UAS. The UAS shall be responsible for all archaeological data acquisition, processing, and reporting.
Peter Wadhams (polar oceanographer and geophysicist at the university of Cambridge, formerly director of the Scott Polar Research Institute) will oversee the planning and operation of the project base camp(s). This will be done in collaboration with Polar Continental Shelf Project.
The Exploration Director is Louie Kamookak, whose home base is Gjoa Haven on King William Island with unrivalled access to local facilities. The Expedition Director is Jacques Laîné, an experienced expedition film maker based in Montreal and Paris.
Ice Legacy is a non-profit organization that builds on 1- an unprecendented respectfor Inuit's oral traditions. Louie Kamookak, as a representative of his community’s traditions and knowledge (he is notably the vice-president of the Inuit Heritage Trust), has for many years collected both the orally-transmitted reminiscences concerning the shipwrecks, and the highly indicative place-names in the area they are likely to have foundered. 2- A cutting-edge scientific team. The expedition brings together a team of international scientists, with a majority of Canadians, and including some of the world’s leading specialists in their particular fields (Bruno Tremblay, Robert Grenier, Robert Park, Douglas Stenton, Peter Wadhams, Maria Pia Casarini. Sophisticated technological resources. All the resources employed in the search operations, by land, air or sea, are selected according to the most effective compromise between technical excellence and resistance to the region’s extreme climatic conditions.

3.3 Will the activity leave a legacy of infrastructure and if so in what form?
The team is offering to repair and refit the aluminum fishing vessel Qaquqtinniq for use in the remote-sensing survey. This vessel has been aground in Gjoa Haven Bay for a number of years, but will be restored to the community in serviceable condition at the conclusion of the project.
The development of local cultural tourism in the wake of the discovery of either Erebus or Terror, particularly given their status as National Historic Sites, would have considerable spin-offs for the local economy in terms of new job creation and infrastructural renewal.
In the long run, tens and even hundreds of jobs could be involved. This endeavour can be seen as a project for Nunavut, for the young people in the region, as well as for the unfortunate sea-captain and his lost expedition. This project differs from others in that it is inherently based on oral Inuit tradition.
The success of our project could help to develop ecotourism throughout the Gjoa Haven region, for example through a company created this year in Gjoa Haven, “King William Land Ecotourism and Outfitting”. The company is concerned with the promotion and showcasing of the region through a variety of outdoor activities involving the Arctic flora and fauna and the Inuit way of life: bird watching, photo safaris, Arctic survival initiation courses, fishing etc. It goes without saying that our expedition will lead to a substantial demand in interpretation-center tourism linked with the search/discovery of the principal locations involved in the Franklin expedition, a potential museum and, more generally, the eventful history of the North-West Passage.

3.4 Will the activity involve nations other than traditional polar nations? How will this be addressed?
It will involve England, with the participation of Peter Wadhams, from the University of Cambridge, and France, with the participation of Jacques Laine, film maker who will be responsible for the production of documentaries based on this project.

3.5 Will this activity be linked with other IPY core activities? If yes please specify
The proposed research is related with other IPY activities 1- by F. Saucier and colleagues (High-Resolution Pan-Arctic Sea-Ice and Ocean Simulations for Numerical Weather Prediction and Climate Research during the International Polar Year) on which Tremblay is a co-PI; 2- by D. Barger and J. Demming (The Circum Flaw Lead Project), on which Tremblay is a participant; 3- by Ignatius Rigor, International Arctic Buoy Program (#139 – Ignatius has expressed interest in archiving the data collected inthis proposal)); by John England, Reconstruction of the Arctic ice circulation during the past 10,000 years, (#127); by Robert McGee, Inuit History (#694).

3.6 How will the activity manage its data? Is there a viable plan and which data management organisations/structures will be involved?
The buoy data collected during this campaign will be made available to the research community after the analyses proposed herein is completed. Buoy drift data collected in this proposal will be included in the database of the Canadian Oceanographic Date Centre in Ottawa and the database of International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP, publicly available and maintained at University of Washington and the National Snow and Ice Data Center). Ignatius Rigor coordinator of IABP expressed his interest in hosting this new date in the IABP database.
All underwater archaeological data will be managed, processed, and archived by the Underwater Archaeology Service. This data will include all navigation track plots, side-scan data, processed side-scan mosaics, a comprehensive target database, indexed field notes, video footage, and ultimately a GIS.
As the two areas slated for remote-sensing investigation have never been systematically surveyed before, all bathymetry and geomorphology data stemming from the side-scan operations will be forwarded to the Canadian Hydrographic Service for their use. This information will contribute to any future update of the local navigation cartography. As is true for much of the CAA, the set of charts currently available for the survey area have very little bathymetic data to report.

3.7 Data Policy Agreement
Will this activity sign up to the IPY draft Data Policy (see website)
Yes

3.8 How will the activity contribute to developing the next generation of polar scientists, logisticians, etc.?
The project will lead directly to the training of a PhD student, undergraduate researchers, and high school students. The PhD student will become adept at working in a team environment and seeing a multi-tasked research project through to successful completion. These skills will be valuable for future research success in an academic or governmental setting.
Tremblay believes strongly in also involving undergraduate and high school students in cutting-edge research, and so opportunities will be made available for term-time and summer research associated with this project. Specific examples include participation in the field campaign, sensitivity testing and model-data comparison associated with the tracer transport work, and data compilation and organization associated with the buoy trajectory analyses. It should be noted that McGill University has recently re-established a focus on undergraduate research (see www.mcgill.ca/reporter/38/02/entrenous) and Tremblay intends to take full advantage of this atmosphere. The findings from this research will also lead indirectly to the training of undergraduate students through the new Earth System Science (ESS) program at McGill. Tremblay is an inaugural member of the ESS program, and will be team-teaching an introductory class called Earth System Processes in the Fall 2007 semester. Results from this study will be incorporated into this class as real-life vignettes that will expose undergraduates to the mechanics and progress of current research. Results from the proposed research will also be included in upper level classes taught as part of the Earth System Science curriculum, including Tremblay's class on Modelling of Simple Climate Systems.

3.9 How will this activity address education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Initially, communication and promotion of the archaeological findings will be managed based on the advice and direction of the Director of Heritage (Government of Nunavut, Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth) and the Parks Canada Agency. Recognizing that the two wrecks are already considered National Historic Sites of Canada (despite not yet having been found), and given the existing agreement between the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and the British High Commission regarding the custody and appropriate treatment of the Royal Navy wrecks, all care will be taken to ensure that any newly discovered site is fully safeguarded from unauthorized diving, visitation and damage before any national or international communication or media coverage will be considered. It is anticipated that once site protection issues have been resolved that any results and discoveries shall be made available to the wider public and scientific community.
Also, the expedition will feature a special bilingual (French-English) website presenting a daily virtually real-time interactive journal, which will be of value to schools, journalists and the general public. A series of articles and documentaries covering the expedition will also be aired on various international TV networks. The strong involvement of Louie Kamookak and his use of local traditional knowledge to guide the search, will ensure that this expedition is a genuine partnership with the Inuit people of Nunavut and a true way to help people throughout the world know the history and the fragile ecological diversity of this region.

3.10 What are the proposed sources of funding for this activity?
The International Polar Year call for proposl, March 31, 2006 deadline. Ice Legacy is also in contact with several private companies to raise money for the project.

3.11 Additional Comments

4.0 CONSORTIUM INFORMATION

4.1 Contact Details

Lead Contact
Mr Louie Kamoukak
Inuit Heritage Trust
Box 83, Gjoa Haven, NU
X0B 1J0
Canada

Tel:          867 360 7926
Mobile:   N/A
Fax:         1 867 360 6309
Email:      

Second Contact
n/a n/a n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

Tel:          N/A
Mobile:   N/A
Fax:         N/A
Email:     

4.2 Other significant consortium members and their affiliation