Inuvialuit Cultural Centre Pitquhiit-Pitqusiit

Published purpose

Between 1990 and 2000, the Inuvialuit Social Development Program (ISDP) conducted three major oral history projects to document Inuvialuit use and traditional knowledge of the Yukon North Slope (including Herschel Island) and Banks Island (Northwest Territories). These were: 1) the Qikiqtaruk (Herschel Island) Cultural Study (1990–1991); 2) the Yukon North Slope Cultural Resources Survey (1991–1994); and 3) the Aulavik Oral History Project (1995–2000). Thanks to 2022–2023 funding from Library and Archives Canada's Listen, Hear Our Voices, the audio and textual materials produced during these oral history projects are now accessible on the Inuvialuit Digital Library (IDL) website. The current project’s goal is to digitize 664 slides and photographs from these three Inuvialuit oral history projects and integrate them into the Inuvialuit Digital Library. Activities include sorting, identifying, and digitizing 182 colour slides and 482 black-and-white photographs depicting Inuvialuit Elders, the places they visited, and the heritage features they discussed. After digitization, these images and their accompanying information will be added to the Inuvialuit Digital Library. Furthermore, 844 photographs already available on the IDL website will be reviewed to address missing information and edit mistakes.