Nunavut Cultural Portal

For centuries, explorers, scientists, and government officials have traveled to the North and extracted information to showcase in Southern cultural institutions. This project aims to identify and centralize these items, establishing a digital repository specifically designed for the benefit of community members.

Over 15,000 archaeological reports, historic maps, photographs, and historical documents have been collected in a digital cultural resource to preserve and share Inuit heritage.

We travelled to 8 different communitites in Nunavut to record and document Traditional Knowledge and Land Use interviews to honour Inuit heritage and memory through oral history.

Know History is the lead firm on the Nunavut Cultural Resource Inventory and Interpretive Materials Project developed for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Our team conducted background research and collected thousands of archaeological reports, historic maps, and photographs relating to Inuit heritage resources. Over 40 Traditional Knowledge and Land Use interviews were held in eight communities, and the map data was digitized and categorized in an incredible custom database with more than 15,000 historic resources. The digital cultural portal was designed to be easy to use, allowing community members to browse through the resources and continuously add their own comments and knowledge. We prioritized the user experience to formulate the highest quality public-facing program to invite further collaboration and expansion. Know History has proudly completed this process for eight Nunavut communities and is working to develop programs for three more communities.

The project involved thousands of hours of research, as our historians have worked to locate images and documents held at archives, libraries and other institutions across Canada and then digitally reproduce the relevant objects in the community portal.

Know History engaged in a comprehensive study of traditional knowledge, partnering with Nunavut communities to conduct mapping interviews. The team carefully crafted a community engagement strategy, sharing the project through feasts, radio interviews, social media, and community connections. Initially, we conducted in-person interviews in Nunavut, and when the pandemic emerged, seamlessly shifted to virtual interviews. Additionally, a distinctive paper workbook was created for Knowledge Holders to document insights without relying on an internet connection.