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Some 20th century photos of Inuit still in search of identities

Project Naming has helped find names for hundreds of people, but help is still needed for others
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An Inuk boy wearing a fur-lined hooded jacket in the Mittimatalik/Tununiq area of Nunavut (also known as Pond Inlet, Northwest Territories) on Sept. 10, 1945. Photo credit: Arthur H. Tweedle ᐃᓄᖕᒥ ᓄᑲᑉᐱᐊᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᐃᓚᓕᖕᒥ ᔭᐃᑲᒃᓯᒪᔪᒥ ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᒃ/ᑐᓄᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ (ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ Pond Inlet, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ) ᒥᑎᐱᕆ 10, 1945−ᒥ.

More and more photos of unidentified Inuit, First Nations and Metis people surface on the internet as the Project Naming initiative led by Library and Archives Canada digitizes the images to upload to its media platforms.

“We need your help to identify people, places and activities depicted in these images,” says the governmental organization.

Since the project started in 2002, hundreds of individuals have been identified through community outreach led by Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS) students, and also through social media, Nunavut News’ ‘Do you know your Elders’ weekly photo feature and the ‘Naming Continues’ online form.

Even though the majority of the people in the pictures made available to the public have been identified, the identity of some individuals remains a mystery.

In the last several weeks, Library and Archives Canada has shared eight more pictures presenting Inuit in their day-to-day lives, most between 1913 and 1949.

Anyone interested in sharing information on any person presented in the pictures can contact Library and Archives Canada or add the information directly on its website.

ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓂ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᙱᑦᑐᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ, ᐊᓪᓚᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓪᓚᖓᔪᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑉᐳᑦ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᑦᑎᖅᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑎᖓ ᑐᕌᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓴᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᒃᑰᕈᑎᑦᑎᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓯᐊᒻᒪᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᖓᓄᑦ.

“ᐃᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ, ᐃᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐅᑯᓇᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓂ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᒐᕙᒪᐅᔪᓂ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᓂ.

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ 2002−ᒥ, ᕼᐊᓐᓇᓚᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐅᕘᓇ ᓄᓇᓕᒃᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓴᒃᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᕗᑦ (NS) ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᕘᓇᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᓄᑦ ᓯᐊᒻᒪᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ‘ᖃᐅᔨᒪᕕᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᑐᖃᓯ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᑕᒫᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ‘ᐊᑦᑎᖅᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᑲᔪᓯᔪᖅ’ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᑕᑕᑎᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂ.

ᑕᒪᒃᑭᒐᓚᖕᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓂ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂ, ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓱᓕ ᑭᓴᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᓇᓗᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᑦ.

ᑕᖅᑭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ, ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓴᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᕗᑦ 8−ᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓂ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᒥ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂ, ᑕᒪᒃᑭᑦ ᕿᑎᐊᓂ 1913 ᐊᒻᒪ 1949−ᒧᑦ.

ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᕈᒪᔪᒥ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᒧᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓴᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓚᓯᓗᓂ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᑯᖓᓪᓚᕆᒃ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᖓᓄᑦ.

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A group of Inuit on a boat, unknown location, between 1945-1946. Photo credit: Arthur H. Tweedle ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᒥ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᙱᑦᑐᒥ ᐃᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᕿᑎᐊᓂ 1945-1946−ᒧᑦ.
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Group of Inuit at Arvilikjuaq, Nunavut (formerly Pelly Bay, Northwest Territories), no known date. Photo credit: Health and Welfare Canada collection ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᐊᕐᕕᓕᒃᔪᐊᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ (ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ Pelly Bay, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ), ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᙱᑦᑐᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ.
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Four Inuit standing in the Coronation Gulf area, Nunavut (formerly Northwest Territories), between 1913-1916. Photo credit: Library and Archives Canada ᑎᓴᒪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓇᖏᖅᑐᑦ ᖁᕐᓗᖅᑑᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᑉ ᐅᑯᙵᓐᓂ ᐃᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ (ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ), ᕿᑎᐊᓂ 1913-1916−ᒧᑦ.
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An Inuk woman holding a child on board the Baychimo, Rymer Point, Nunavut (formerly Northwest Territories), August 1930. Photo credit: Lachlan T. Burwash Dept. of Inidian and Northern Affairs collection ᐃᓄᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᒥ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᑭᒪᓪᓗᓂ Baychimo, Rymer Point, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ (ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ), ᐋᒍᔅᑎ 1930.
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Inuit sitting on a qamutik (sled) at Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavut (formerly known as Wakeham Bay, Northwest Territories), 1928. Photo credit: Library and Archives Canada ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᒃᓯᕚᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᒧᑎᒥᑦ (sled) ᑲᖏᖅᓱᕐᔪᐊᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ (ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ Wakeham Bay, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ), 1928.
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Three Inuit men stand outside, Arviat, Nunavut (formerly Eskimo Point, Northwest Territories), 1944. Photo credit: J.L. Robinson/Dept. of Indian and Northern Affairs collection ᐱᖓᓱᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᖑᑏᑦ ᓯᓚᒥ ᓇᖏᖅᐳᑦ, ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ (ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ Eskimo Point, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ), 1944.