• ACTUALITÉs

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Spring of 2012, a team of 5 people consisting of two staff members from Avataq Museum department (Martine Gascon and Julie Anne Tremblay) and Mary Pirti Kumarluk (Daniel Weetaluktuk Museum) along with Andrew Papigatuk from the department of Archaeology and I, had traveled to 6 communities in Nunavik for the PILOT PROJECT, “Let’s Make our Culture Visible”. This project aims to encourage the Local Cultural Committees to imagine, define and realize to the end, a project in heritage conservation for their community.

The communities that we visited were Kangiqsujuaq, Kangirsuk, Tasiujaq, Inukjuak, Aupaluk and Chisasibi. According to our first visit, the projects that these communities would like to develop are:

• Kangiqsujuaq: Organize an exhibition of the artifacts from within the community;

• Kangirsuk: Make a traditional Ulu and a Savik (double bladed knife);

• Tasiujaq: Produce a wall-hanging tapestry with the students from the school with a theme of “Being a young Inuk in 2012”;

• Inukjuak: Make an Eider duck Qulittaq, fish bag, goose feet bag and a bird spear propellant (Timmianiutik);

• Aupaluk: Documenting the land before all things change because of the mining development;

• Chisasibi: Learn how to make a pair of Kamik and two types of Qamutik (1 sled with box and 1 without box).

While we were in these communities, we went on the local Radio, with a question for the whole community which was “What would you like to see Avataq doing? and/or what is Avataq not doing?” The answer was simply, in most cases, to become more present and visible. And I think this Pilot Project was a good start for Avataq to become more visible to the people of Nunavik. Amongst other duties, the LCC participating in that project have to complete a list of the local resources in culture and traditions, such as who are the kamik makers or the experts in sewing, who’s making carving or any other type of Arts, the names of the storytellers, which places are significant for you in and around your municipality, etc.

If all things go well, sometime in the near future we should be going to other communities to do the same thing.

As the Regional Cultural Committees Coordinator, it was a pleasure to be working and brainstorming with those committees, and I thank those who had participated in this project.

Nancy Palliser
Regional Cultural Committees Coordinator
1(514)-254-8919 /-8939
1(866)-897-2287
nancyp@avataq.qc.ca

As a member of the Archaeology department at Avataq, I sincerely enjoyed working with the Local Cultural Committees that we visited. Hearing what they had to say motivated me to help as much as I can. In Kangirsuk, we even did a presentation at “Sautjuit” School, to give an idea of what archaeology is to the younger generations, keeping our tradition and culture visible for the new comers. And as a member of the Archaeology department, I received a lot of questions from the Local Cultural Committees about the sites surrounding their community, the members of the communities also had a lot of questions as well, such as: “When will the archaeologist from Avataq come work in our community?” for example: in Aupaluk, Oceanic Iron Ore has already set up their camp site nearby the community, so some people from Aupaluk are starting to get concerned about losing their cultural identity and hunting grounds because the mine will be spread out in such a wide area, many archaeological sites will be disturbed, so many people had many questions about when Avataq will bring in their archaeologists.

I have learnt a lot working with the Local Cultural Committees, and their coordinator. I thank you all very much for participating in this project and I hope I will get to work with you all very soon …to make our culture visible in order to keep our Inuit identity strong!

Andrew Papigatuk
Archaeology Lab Technician
1(514)-989-9031 Ext: 233
1(800)-361-5029
apapigatuk@avataq.qc.ca

To see photos ; please view link bellow
http://www.facebook.com/groups/lccofnunavik/