Inuvialuit
Living History Project hosted a 3-day event at East Three School
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Shaomek
Bernhardt holds a traditional toy called the Ayagaq. The Inuvialuit
Living History Project, aims to reunite Inuvialuit with historical
artifacts. It hosted a three day event at Inuvik's East Three
Secondary School. (Mackenzie Scott/CBC)
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East Three Secondary
School students in Inuvik, N.W.T., had a chance to hold Inuvialuit
artifacts and learn more about them.
The Inuvialuit Living
History Project, which aims to try and reunite Inuvialuit with these
objects, hosted a three day event last week.
Principal Gene Jenks
said the interactive learning was a great experience for students.
"They were blown away
by the artifacts, the workshops. [It was] totally an engaging experience
and it's just history brought to life."
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Becky
Goodwin is with the Inuvialuit Living History Project demonstrating
how to play with this Inuvialuit toy. (Mackenzie Scott/CBC)
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The project first brought
a group of Inuvialuit elders to the Smithsonian National Museum
of Natural History in Washington, D.C., in 2009, where it holds
the MacFarlane Collection about 550 artifacts collected by
Hudson's Bay Company clerk Roderick MacFarlane during his travels
in the Northwest Territories between 1860 and 1870.
The project contributes
knowledge they receive from elders during past visits to the project's
website.
This time, they are giving
students a chance to immerse in Inuvialuit culture.
From Wednesday to Friday,
students had a chance to ask different questions about the artifacts
and replicas that were brought from Ivvavik National Park and Yellowknife's
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.
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Elder
Mary Kudlak shows off her qulliq, a traditional oil lamp,
to students. (Mackenzie Scott/CBC)
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"I think it's great too
because we see them in pictures and stuff, and we learned about
them long ago but we've never actually seen them in person," said
Paris Wainman, a Grade 11 student.
Elders see
artifacts at community feast
During the community
feast on Wednesday, community members also had a chance to see the
objects.
About a dozen elders
and other Inuvialuit from across the region joined the students
to play some traditional games, share stories and teach the culture.
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Lisa
Hodgetts, right, and Natasha Lyons are with the Inuvialuit
Living History Project. (Mackenzie Scott/CBC)
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Elder Mary Kudlak from
Ulukhaktok even brought her qulliq, which is a traditional oil lamp.
Inuvialuit student Shaomek
Bernhardt was playing with some of the objects such as the Ayagaq,
a traditional toy on a string, and said he hopes this becomes an
annual event at school.
"I think it's really
cool that we get to see what kind of tools they used in the past,"
said Bernhardt.
Those who are helping
out, feel like the event has been an amazing opportunity for students.
"They're pretty lucky to
be part of what is happening to invite them, to educate them
about their ancestors, about what they are made [of], where they found
them," said Josephine Nasogaluak, who came from Tuktoyaktuk with her
husband to teach students how to make fish hooks and earrings.
Representatives from
the Inuvialuit Living History Project said they were amazed at the
response and it was a chance to allow multiple generations to bond
over the Inuvialuit culture.
"A lot of the elders
that are here are reminiscing about things from their parents and
grandparents," said Lisa Hodgetts, who is with the project and an
associate professor in the anthropology department at Western University.
"It was really fun this
afternoon just watching because of every time we thought we were
done, a hand went up."
Next year, there are
plans for a land camp.
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