Resources

NUNAVIK

Test program to aid REE program

Commerce Resources Corp. has announced the start of a test project initiative with MineSense, a digital mining solutions provider based in Vancouver, British Columbia. MineSense specializes in digital technology solutions for ore‐

waste classification in real‐time at the mining stage.

Data analytics monitor mineralogical or grade changes in an ore body daily, allowing for optimal ore blending, grade trend characterization, and overall improved mine planning with resultant cost efficiencies.

A supply of Rare Earth Elements mineralized material from the Ashram Deposit in Nunavik is being used for the project.

NUNAVUT

Potential for new gold and diamond found in samples

A University of Alberta research team has recovered three alluvial, kimberlitic diamonds from two small, separate samples of the Tree River Conglomerate (TRC) in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. The recovered diamonds were from a sampling in the general area where samples were taken during regional mapping of the Anialik Lake Greenstone Belt in 1997.

The samples were collected from the basal unit of the TRC which contains abundant pyrite and anomalous to high‐grade gold. The samples were collected on IOL parcel CO‐69 about 300 metres from the boundary with the Tree River Property. Conclusive zircon age dating places the Tree River Conglomerate in the “Great Gold Deposition Event”.

Considering these results, Silver Range is designing a program to test the gold and diamond potential of the Tree River Conglomerate. As a precursor, the Company has submitted an Expression of Interest to Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. to obtain the mineral rights to explore IOL Parcel CO‐69.

Baffinland hearing to resume in new year

The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) will reconvene an in‐person public hearing on Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.’s railway‐based expansion of the Mary River, starting the week of January 25 through to February 6.

In its expansion plan, Baffinland proposes a 110‐kilometre railway between Mary River and Milne Inlet, up to 176 ship transits per year and annual production of up to 12 million tonnes of ore.

Many community leaders in North Baffin, especially in Pond Inlet, along with the World Wildlife Fund Canada and Oceans North, still aren’t satisfied with Baffinland’s proposals. The Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization in Pond Inlet does not support the expansion project.

The in‐person public meeting will be in Pond Inlet and will include a video link.

After the public hearing, the NIRB will prepare a report for the federal minister of northern af‐

fairs that will recommend if the project should go ahead, with a list of proposed terms and conditions for inclusion in a project certificate.

NWT

Mineral strategy management support

Aurora Research Institute, the research division of Aurora College, has released a Western Arctic Minerals Geographic Information System (MGIS) to support Northern stakeholders in making informed decisions about mineral strategy management and land use planning.

The MGIS integrates geospatial data with the most up‐to‐date information on existing oil, gas and mineral rights, important wildlife areas and ranges to visualize, store, analyze and provide information critical to support the development of mineral strategies.

This data will complement academic programs and strengthen the GIS research program and the capacity to train and prepare northerners for careers in the earth resource and environmental management sectors.

The project was made possible with support from the Northwest Territories Geological Survey, GNWT Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Petroleum Resources Division, the NWT Center for Geomatics and financial support from Natural Resources Canada, Geo‐mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM II) Program.

YUKON

Mill improvements and surface explorations nearing completion

Progress on site‐wide capital projects including mill modifications and infrastructure improve‐on pace for completion with mill commissioning and production of silver concentrate in Q4 2020. In the mill, installation of the new tailings filter press and second ball mill are 95 per cent and 75 per cent complete, respectively. Improve‐

ment projects underway include the construction of a crusher enclosure and ventilation system and modification of the fine ore feeder system. Surface construction activities nearing final completion include the expansion of the camp accommodation complex including two new bunkhouse units, an upgraded administration complex, and employee dry and wash facilities. Rehabilitation and capital development continue on schedule at each of the three underground mines slated for initial ore pro‐

duction, with emphasis on the Bellekeno Mine where initial ore will be used for commissioning of the mill in Q4. All major pieces of new underground mine equipment have been delivered to site and are currently operating or are being commissioned.

At the Bermingham mine, construction of the water treatment plant is underway, which is required prior to resuming ramp development.

The 2020 surface exploration program has been extended to include a total of approxi‐

mately 7,500 metres of core drilling in at least 12 holes, exclusively testing for deeper miner‐

alization in the Bermingham mine area. Drilling will continue until late November.

Targets offer potential for new gold discoveries

White Gold Corp. has announced results of its recently completed diamond drilling program on the Ryan’s Surprise target which encoun‐

tered multiple high‐grade mineralized zones expanding gold mineralization in all directions. The diamond drilling program comprised 6 drill holes totalling 1,632.5 m, with all holes encountering multiple gold intercepts, several of which are amongst the highest‐grade inter‐

cepts encountered to date on the White Gold property. It is considered a strong target for additional drilling.

The Ryan’s Surprise is situated on a large 11 km by 5 km mineralized trend which hosts several additional prospective targets. It is located approximately 2 km west of the Company’s flagship Golden Saddle deposit and 11 km south of the Company’s VG deposit.

Inuit Origins: Thule to Inuit transition Exploring the Inuit past in the Foxe Basin

By Scott J. Rufolo and Sean P. A. Desjardins

NASA Satellite image of the northern Foxe Basin with Igloolik and the location of the Uglit archaeological site marked by circles. © S. Rufolo, Canadian Museum of Nature

From the biased perspectives of many people living in warm climes, much of the Arctic environment may appear — at a distance — extreme and even resourcescarce. Those Southerners fortunate enough to experience the North firsthand, however, understand that the land-, sea- and icescapes of Canada’s Arctic are not only breathtakingly beautiful, but ecologically rich and dynamic. Visitors are also often deeply affected by the gracious and welcoming people of Inuit Nunangat who maintain a wealth of traditions rooted in the productive Arctic environment. As archaeologists who hail from points south of the Arctic Circle, it is these powerful and lasting cultural traditions that generally fascinate us most. Many archaeologists are introduced to Inuit culture through artifacts made of bone, antler or ivory seen in museum exhibits and university classrooms; a single summer spent in the Arctic working closely with Inuit is often enough to instill the desire to return year after year.

For one of us (Sean, a postdoctoral researcher with the Arctic Centre of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands), that desire led to a university-based career as a specialist in Arctic archaeology; for the other (Scott), it led to a museum position as the collections manager for part of the archaeological holdings of the Government of Nunavut, currently stored at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Together, we are involved in an ongoing project that explores the development of contemporary

Left: Aerial view of the foundations of four sod houses surrounding the now-flooded remains of a qaggiq, a ceremonial structure used for men’s gatherings. © R. Palermo, University of Groningen

Two views of a beautiful polar bear figurine carved from walrus ivory found at Uglit. © S. Rufolo, Canadian Museum of Nature

Inuit identity and traditions by examining the archaeological and historical evidence recording the transition from Thule Inuit to modern Inuit cultural practices (from around AD 1300 to present).

Launched in 2019 under Sean’s direction and with funding from the Dutch Research Council, the project — Limited Choices, Lasting Traditions: How Colonialism and Climate Change Have Affected Traditional Inuit Life — integrates archaeo logical investigation of ancient hunting camps; a planned series of community exhibits, workshops, and educational kits that will highlight results to audiences in Nunavut; as well as ethically-collected Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) (Inuktitut for “things long known to Inuit”, or Inuit traditional knowledge) about recent-historic household life and hunting practices in the northern Foxe Basin region of Nunavut, near Igloolik. Ethical considerations of this work are of paramount importance. We understand the contentious history of archaeological research in Inuit Nunangat, and we are committed to improving the relationship between researchers and Inuit rights-holders of their cultural heritage. Most importantly, we understand the nature and implications of our positions as settlers, and the importance of building meaningful research partnerships through co-creation of research projects in the North as the work moves forward.

Archaeology in the Arctic — and in Foxe Basin, in particular — holds tremendous potential for two reasons. First, the cold, dry climate preserves artifacts and other evidence of human activity very well. Second, modern Inuit continue to practice many of the same hunting traditions as their descendants in years past; there is also a rich body of IQ about these practices extending back into the deep past. Such a combination of conditions exists in few other parts of the world. Surveying the archaeological record for evidence of such cultural practices over time, as well as interviewing elders for their perspectives on hunting and house construction, greatly expands our understanding of past cultural development. Inuit of Igloolik (Iglulingmiut) are only about 60 years removed from a seasonally mobile lifestyle, and many elders are able to share the ways in which traditional houses were once built and how animals were hunted prior to settlement in Nunavut’s modern communities.

Additionally, the highly-productive ecology of certain areas in the Arctic, characterized by a concentration of resources long valuable to human subsistence, further enhances the extent of our reach into the past. With annual patterns of sea ice development that support large numbers of various marine mammals, particularly walruses, the coastlines of Foxe Basin have been attractive places to settle seasonally and hunt productively for people for thousands of years. The Limited Choices, Lasting Traditions project focuses on the last 800 years or so of that record. At the beginning of this period, people of the Thule culture moved into the Foxe Basin from the west, occupying territory previously populated by other groups (the Tuniit of Inuit oral history). As the direct ancestors of today’s Inuit populations, the Thule Inuit represent one point on a cultural continuum that leads from Thule through historic pre-contact Inuit society into modern Inuit culture. This transition entailed significant shifts in many cultural practices following inter action with Europeans, which in the Foxe Basin

The remains of a sod house at Uglit with well-preserved foundations and entrance. © S. Rufolo, Canadian Museum of Nature

Interviewing elders at Avvajja, another site included in the Limited Choices, Lasting Traditions project that is located just west of Igloolik. Many of the elders remember living at this site as young children before their families settled in Igloolik. © S. Rufolo, Canadian Museum of Nature

occurred relatively late. The first non-Inuit arrived in the region in 1822, with sustained contact involving the Canadian government, the Hudson’s Bay Company, and Christian missionaries only beginning in the early 20th century.

During the summer of 2019, fieldwork was conducted at the ancient campsite Uglit, around 47 kilometres south of Igloolik. The site is a complex of semisubterranean whale-bone houses (“sod houses”), tent rings and caches that may have been constructed from the later Thule Inuit period into the 19th century. House remains were documented and mapped, and several middens (piles of animal bones representing kitchen waste) were investigated further. (No sod houses were disturbed during our work.) The resulting data will help us address two important aspects of traditional life in the Foxe Basin: annual residential patterns, and the nature of the local diet from ancient times to present.

Mapping archaeological features at Uglit. © S. Rufolo, Canadian Museum of Nature

Understanding the emergence of modern Inuit cultural identity requires exploring how certain culturally defining traditions and practices established during the Thule phase of Inuit society were affected by external forces over the last 500 years, particularly shifts in climate and interaction with Europeans and Euro-Canadian institutions, such as the RCMP, the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. In the Foxe Basin, traditional sod house architecture was abandoned as a more sedentary life style was imposed upon communities. Despite this decrease in residential mobility and disruption of long-standing annual patterns of movements across the landscape, as well as a changing climate that reduced the availability of many important animal species, hunting practices and dietary patterns remained largely unchanged until very recent times. Even so, hunting remains an important and significant component of modern Iglulingmiut culture.

With fieldwork currently suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be another three to four years before the Limited Choices, Lasting Traditions project is complete. The results will not only add additional detail to the archaeological culture history of the Arctic, but also hopefully deepen appreciation in the South of the dynamic and resilient social evolution underlying contemporary Inuit culture. We are using the time made available through the interruption caused by the pandemic to move ahead with plans to present our research to the public in collaboration with our Inuit partners. Artifacts from Uglit are now on display at the Canadian Museum of Nature, and a permanent exhibit in Igloolik is in development. These will be followed by educational kits designed for use in schools, libraries, and cultural centres in Nunavut. We hope these efforts will instill in others a fascination for the cultures of the North that inspired us years ago.

Try-pots and Blubber Tanks Relics of Arctic Whaling Days

By David R. Gray

When the Scottish and American whalers left the Canadian Arctic in the late 1800s, they left behind some intriguing relics or artifacts that help us understand their rugged industry. The largest of the whaling relics are iron try‐pots and iron blubber or oil tanks. They can be found across the Arctic, having survived well over 100 years. There are several former whaling sites on Baffin Island which are regularly visited by tour ships and local excursions.

British and other whalers made whaling voyages to the Greenland side of Davis Strait for many years before penetrating the northern part of Baffin Bay and crossing to the Canadian side. The first whaling voyage into Lancaster Sound was in 1820. This area soon became one of the most famous of the northern whaling grounds. At the mouth of both Lancaster Sound and Pond Inlet, at the “floe edge” where the winter ice meets the open sea, bowhead whales congregated to feed. And there the whalers gathered to hunt them for the valuable baleen (or “whale bone”) and blubber which was rendered into quality oil for lamps and lubrication.

The whalers hunted their prey in several nine-metre whaleboats, equipped with oars and a harpoon gun mounted on the bows. Killing a whale was a dangerous and difficult task, and when successful, they often had to tow the whale a considerable distant back to their ship.

When the dead whale was brought alongside the ship, it was attached at both head and tail and the processing began. A long piece of blubber about one metre wide, called the “cant piece,” was first stripped off, starting at the whale’s neck, and pulled up to the ship. As the long narrow piece was stripped off, the whale carcass rotated.

Once the cant piece was hauled on board, the “harpooneers” cut off 40 cm square chunks of the skin with blubber knives, and passed them on to the “boat steerers,” who, armed with choppers, stood behind a sixmetre trough and cut the blubber into smaller chunks.

What happened next depended on where the whaling ship was from. Most of the Arctic whalers were from either Scotland or the United States, and the techniques they used to process whale blubber were quite different.

The American whalers processed the blubber in the Arctic either onboard their ships or on land. They rendered, or “tried” the chunks of blubber into oil using the try-works, a brick structure containing large cast iron pots, known as try-pots. The pots were heated using coal and pieces of blubber. The liquid oil was then poured into wooden barrels for shipping back to their home port.

The Scottish whalers originally packed the smaller chunks of blubber into wooden barrels (later into iron tanks), and only rendered them into oil once they reached their home port.

Both American and Scottish whalers set up whaling stations in Cumberland Sound, on southern Baffin Island. At Kekerten Territorial Park, a National Historic Site near Pangnirtung, the remains of both processing techniques can be seen. Three large tanks at Kekerten are from the whaler Ernest Williams, one of the last of many whalers wrecked in the Arctic.

Cornilius Nutarak, an Inuk Elder from Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet) shared his memories of whale oil processing in an interview in 1994. "During the same years [about 1902-1904] these containers were still being used to make oil at Sannirut... I remember seeing them, when they were still at Sannirut...” (Sannirut, on Bylot Island, is also known as Button Point.)

Hoisting of the cant-piece. Stereoview, author’s collection

An old whale boat in Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet) near the visitor center. © David R. Gray

“When I was a child I saw where they used to boil fat, there was a furnace and a large container… As a child I was almost unable to get to the top. So there used to be those things used by the whalers to boil fat with, and they also had containers to catch the liquid after with a big pipe, which seems to be covered with metal. These containers were taken aboard the ship to be taken away.” Nutarak later saw the same kind of containers in Pangnirtung: “I wanted to see how big they really were. I stood beside it to measure it and it came up to here [his chest].”

On a trip to the Arctic in 1928 on the Beothic, as part of the annual Eastern Arctic Patrol, national museum biologist Dr. R.M. Anderson visited Button Point. His notes mention the remnants of the old whaling station: “One frame shack on shore, and ruins of another, an old try-pot and several casks from the old whaling station.”

During a Students on Ice expedition to the floe edge at Pond Inlet in June 2004 we stopped at Qaiqsut, a traditional Inuit hunting and living place, just west of Sannirut / Button Point. Near the beach was an old iron tank, and on the beach, a damaged trypot, upside down and partially buried in the gravel pushed up by sea ice. Two years later this try-pot was almost completely buried in beach rock and gravel. The staff of Sirmilik National Park subsequently rescued the try-pot and it now sits well above the beach beside the iron tank.

The use of iron storage tanks on the new Scottish whalers, beginning in about 1857, was an important development for whaling, and of particular interest to the historic whaling sites on Baffin Island. No longer was the blubber shipped home in wooden barrels, but in screw-top iron tanks, most about one metre square.

Whaleboats, showing the harpoon guns in the bows. Stereoview, author’s collection.

Whalers “cutting in,” stripping blubber from the whale. Stereoview, author’s collection

Model of the Scottish whaler Eclipse showing blubber tanks stored below decks. © David R. Gray

By 1883 all the steam whalers of the American fleet were also provided with iron tanks, which fitted inside the shape of the ship. In their system the hot oil from the try-pots was poured into open settling tanks or directly into the ship tanks after the “trying out” or rendering.

On the Scottish whalers, as the boat steerers received large chunks of blubber, they cut them into small pieces on a cutting block, which was sometimes a piece of the whale’s tail. The choppers had to be careful not to leave any meat, known as “krang,” attached to the blubber to avoid spoilage. The pieces then fell into the trough, which had a hole in the middle connected to a large shoot or pipe. The “skeaman,” the officer of the hold, directed the shoot, made of canvas or gutta-percha, into the blubber tanks below decks. The tanks in the middle of the deck were square or rectangular, but those placed against the hull were curved to fit, making full use of the available space.

One of the most successful of the Scottish whaling steamships was the Eclipse, owned by the famous Scottish whaler, Captain David Gray. Built in 1867, Eclipse carried 55 hands, eight 9-meter whaleboats, and about 37 blubber tanks, with a capacity for over 200 tons of oil. Under several different captains and owners, the Eclipse hunted bowhead whales from 1867 to 1908. Under Captain John Gray, Eclipse was the first whaler to navigate through Eclipse Sound, near Pond Inlet, named after the first ship of the same name.

As the whalers’ success at hunting bowheads dwindled due to over-hunting, the local Inuit whalers switched to hunting beluga whales and a new industry started based on beluga oil, and tanned skins for shoemaking. At the historic Pangnirtung Blubber Factory, in operation between the late 1920s to the mid-1960s, large settling tanks and iron tanks from an earlier era sit next to rows of the modern steel barrels that replaced them.

Dr. Riva Symko, WAG Head of Collections & Exhibitions in Qaumajuq's Visible Vault. © Jocelyn Piirainen, Courtesy of the Winnipeg Art Gallery

Qaumajuq An art museum connecting North and South

By Stephen D. Borys, OM, PhD, MBA

Since becoming Director and CEO of the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) in 2008, I have worked with countless partners, curators, artists, and cultural stakeholders to develop Qaumajuq, the world’s largest museum dedicated to Inuit art and culture. Connecting to the WAG on all levels, Qaumajuq will be a space for the appreciation of the North in the South, bringing us all closer together.

The WAG holds in trust the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. To celebrate the art, the people who make it, and the lands from which they come, we are building Qaumajuq with the guidance of the WAG Indigenous Advisory Circle. Opening celebrations will take place in February 2021 and throughout the inaugural year.

“We are excited for Qaumajuq!” says Dr. Julie Nagam, Co-Chair. “The Circle recently worked with language keepers to name the buildings and galleries at the WAG in Indigenous languages. It has been an incredible experience for all Circle members. We are ecstatic to see our languages in the physical space and hearing people use those words, which is an important move towards decolonization.”

Qaumajuq is an Inuktitut name meaning “it is bright, it is lit,” a reference to the sunlight that pours into the building through the glass walls and skylights.

A place for building relationships With the opening of Qaumajuq, the WAG will be able to accommodate 100,000 students every year and virtually connect students, teachers, curators, artists, and Elders — from North to South.

Today, over 2,000 Inuit artists from many Inuit Nunangat communities are represented in the WAG’s permanent collection. While several thousand of the artworks are sculptural, we also care for a wide range of prints, textiles, clothing, and digital media.

Our curators visit artists in their homes, workspaces, and communities, and spend time on the land with them to maintain strong relationships. We purchase works directly from the artists in their communities, or through the global art market. In addition, we collaborate with other museums, galleries, and Arctic co-ops to exhibit artworks on loan.

WAG Qaumajuq. © Michael Maltzan Architecture

Innovating the art museum Qaumajuq will build on the WAG’s long history and inter national recognition. Founded in 1912, Canada’s first civic art gallery is housed in an iconic modernist building in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. Designed by Gustavo da Roza and opened in 1971, the Gallery rises like the prow of a ship on a triangular ocean. In addition to eight galleries, the building contains a 320-seat auditorium, a shop with handmade work by Canadian and Indigenous artists, and inspired meeting spaces. The Rooftop Sculpture Garden is the place for cultural programming and scenic views.

Qaumajuq, a 40,000 square-foot addition designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture in collaboration with Cibinel

Part of Qaumajuq’s inaugural exhibition: Joe Talirunili. Migration, 1951.71. Stone, bone, gut, sinew. Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. © Ernest Mayer

Architecture faces south toward the Manitoba Legislature. The vastness, expansive light, and beautiful landscapes of the North have shaped the building’s physical structure.

When approaching the entrance at the corner of St. Mary’s Avenue and Memorial Boulevard, you will see an undulating white façade that evokes an iceberg. The outdoor plaza will be a landscaped gathering space for all, and the café’s patio will offer a unique vantage point for enjoying the city.

Visible from the street, a three-story glass vault will hold thousands of carvings. The vault’s curved glass walls extend from floor to ceiling and include shelving that follows the curvature of the enclosure. You will see curators and interns working inside the vault! Qaumajuq’s main level will be open to all, free of charge.

An interactive theatre will welcome school groups, Elders, performers, and academics for in-person and virtual sessions connecting North and South. The knowledge and sharing centre on the second level will encompass the learning common, and the research library and archives.

The largest gallery on the building’s third level is 8,000 square feet and wide open with possibility. The monumental, sculptural walls evoke the landscapes of many northern towns and inlets. 22 overhead skylights will allow curators to play with natural light, an unprecedented factor in most gallery spaces.

New sun-filled art-making studios and classrooms are concentrated on the penthouse level and rooftop. They will include a lobby and reception area, clay studio, digital media

L-R: Dr. Darlene Coward Wight, WAG Curator of Inuit Art with the late Inuit Artist Elisapee Ishulutaq and her daughter Myna in Pangnirtung, 2013. © Iwan Baan

studio, kiln room, and two exterior studios for summer and winter activities, such as stone carving and ice sculpting.

Inuit involvement and partnerships The WAG’s Indigenous Advisory Circle is at the heart of all of our decolonization and the Indigenization work. The Circle provides leadership and counsel in the development and planning of related WAG exhibitions, education, community outreach, partnerships, and programming. It is made up of representatives from the four regions of Inuit Nunangat: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. Urban Inuit and circumpolar Inuit communities such as Alaska are also represented, along with First Nations and Metis members from Manitoba and across the country.

In 2015 the Government of Nunavut (GN) entrusted the WAG with its Fine Arts Collection, which includes approximately 7,500 objects. This long-term loan involves care, storage, exhibition, mentorship, and development of public educational programming. Qaumajuq will provide a temporary new home for the GN collection.

“Our partnership with the WAG has also allowed us to develop training and internship modules to train Nunavummiut as cultural workers — as curators, educators, conservators, designers, and cultural marketers,” says David Joanasie, Minister of Culture and Heritage, Government of Nunavut. “Through innovative and collaborative education, training and exhibit programs, we now have the opportunity to provide greater public accessibility to our art and heritage collections, and help develop new employable skills for local Inuit in the art industry.”

We are honoured to support the GN’s efforts in creating increased awareness and exposure to the extensive collection until its return to Nunavut. We are dedicated to caring for the Spirit of the art with Ceremony, while Treaty 1 is its home. We are committed to supporting the development of cultural heritage centres in Inuit Nunangat by offering resources and expertise, with the long-term vision of developing a sister relationship with Qaumajuq for cultural exchange.

INUA: Moving forward together Curated by an all-Inuit team representing the four regions of Inuit Nunangat, INUA is Qaumajuq’s inaugural exhibition. On view from February until August 2021, the show will challenge preconceived notions of Inuit art, celebrating the past and present work of Inuit artists who embrace the future.

“We’re mindful of representing each Inuit region and urban Inuit, while bringing together different generations of artists and art in many different media. Qaumajuq is for all people. It will be a dynamic space for experiencing art and a hub of education, research, programming, and performance,” says Dr. Heather Igloliorte, lead curator of INUA.

Qaumajuq builds on the WAG’s long history of collecting and exhibiting Inuit art and working with Inuit partners and stakeholders. By amplifying the voices of the artists and promoting cultural understanding, we aim to support reconciliation, and

Nikki Komaksiutiksak gives a throat singing performance at the WAG August 2, 2016 for a Qaumajuq campaign announcement. © Eric Au

provide a gathering place for all people. The Centre will be a cornerstone for building capacity among emerging Inuit arts and heritage professionals, a place for mentorship, learning, and intercultural dialogue. Our mission is to provide a platform for Inuit voices and ensure all Inuit are welcomed. You can learn more about the project and find out how you can get involved at inuit.wag.ca.

INUA Curatorial Team at Qaumajuq groundbreaking. L-R: Kablusiak, Krista Ulujuk Zawadski, Asinnajaq, Dr. Heather Igloliorte. © Pauline Boldt 26 Projects