Community knowledge and archaeology
Well, there are two sides to teach traditional knowledge and archaeological [knowledge]. It's really good if they come together. You know share, and have a better understanding between the past and today's future.” – Norm Anikina, Sachs Harbour Community Member, 2014
Sachs Harbour community members have extensive knowledge of their land, history, and material culture that is really valuable to archaeologists. Bringing Inuvialuit and archaeological knowledge together helps us all understand the past better. The sections below highlight community knowledge of some of the artifacts excavated from Agvik.
Artifact Identification
Archaeological excavations uncover many artifacts that archaeologists cannot identify because they are either broken beyond recognition or archaeologists simply are not familiar with them. Community knowledge can play a valuable role in identifying artifacts. The 2014 Agvik excavation unearthed many artifacts that the IAP team could not identify. In 2015 Laura Kelvin brought a sample of these artifacts to Sachs Harbour and Elder Edith Haogak was able to identify several artifacts and make suggestions about the use of others. During seasonal rounds, Edith travelled all over Banks Island and parts of Victoria Island, eventually settling permanently in Sachs Harbour with her family in the1960s.
|
|
Community knowledge and ulutAn ulu (pl. ulut) is a versatile knife used by Inuit women, although men use them as well. Different arctic peoples have used variations of ulut for at least 5000 years. Thule-Inuit ulut were first made with ground slate blades.
The excavation at Agvik produced 94 slate ulut and ulu fragments and 44 pieces of unworked slate. These artifacts made up more than 20% of the artifacts found – an unusually large proportion! In 2015 Laura Kelvin brought a sample of the recovered ulut to Sachs Harbour to gain community input on their interpretation and record community knowledge of uluit. |
Modern ulu (left) and slate ulu excavated from Agvik (right)
|
Elder Edith Haogak said she remembered using slate ulut with a piece of hide as a handle when she was a child. She recalled how she and her mother would search for the right kind of rocks to make ulut at Nelson Head and Mercy Bay. Sometimes they would find copper on the land and make ulut from it. They mostly found it on Victoria Island but sometimes also Banks Island. She said when they started having access to European goods they began making ulut out of the lids of tin cans because they were very sharp. Many community members stated that they used to make metal ulut out of old saws.
Many community members still consider the ulu to be the most important tool they have. They are so versatile many people call them the “Inuvialuit Swiss Army Knife.” People see ulut as a symbol of Inuvialuit culture. They are often passed down within families and given as wedding presents. Women usually have multiple ulut of different sizes, each for different tasks. They use smaller ulut for sewing and more delicate tasks, and larger ones for working on larger animals. The album below shows some of the uses community members suggested for ulut excavated from Agvik.
Many community members still consider the ulu to be the most important tool they have. They are so versatile many people call them the “Inuvialuit Swiss Army Knife.” People see ulut as a symbol of Inuvialuit culture. They are often passed down within families and given as wedding presents. Women usually have multiple ulut of different sizes, each for different tasks. They use smaller ulut for sewing and more delicate tasks, and larger ones for working on larger animals. The album below shows some of the uses community members suggested for ulut excavated from Agvik.