Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Cambridge Bay DEW Line Station

Defence Construction Canada (DCC) is undertaking an environmental cleanup in the vicinity of the Cambridge Bay DEW Line Station. In order to avoid impact to archaeological sites, a survey of proposed work areas was conducted by Eric Damkjar (ERD Heritage Consulting). Six new sites were recorded and two revisited, all located between the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay and Long Point, 11 km to the west. All of the sites contain stone features, including tent rings, shelters, caches, blinds, and a fox trap. With elevations between about one 0 and 25 metres above sea level, all of the sites appear to be Thule or historic Inuit in cultural association. No excavation was conducted at these sites. Instead, all features within 30 metres of work areas were marked with caution tape so they can be avoided during the cleanup project. The Kitikmeot Heritage Society, based in Cambridge Bay, was instrumental in identifying the sites and ensuring their protection. Much of the value of these sites lies in the fact that they are located close to the community and are easily accessible. They provide a physical link with the past and can be used as teaching tools for future generations.

Stone tent ring at site NgNe-2 near Cambridge Bay. Many animal bones lie under the sod inside the ring.

Ekalluk River, Victoria Island

The Kitikmeot Heritage Society conducted oral history research along the Ekalluk River, which is approximately 50 km west of Cambridge Bay. This project was developed on the recommendations of the Kitikmeot Heritage Society's Board of Directors, composed mainly of elders from the community. The research was conducted by Kim Crockatt, David F. Pelly, Martha Angulalik, James Panioyak and Eric Damkjar. It centred on interviews with elders Frank Analok, Mabel Angulalik and Marjorie Taptoona who had either grown up in the Ekalluktuuk area or had personal knowledge of the site. This particular site was chosen for a number of reasons. Having previously conducted oral history and archaeological research within the boundaries of the Mount Pelly Territorial Park, the group had only a very small piece of the historical picture of traditional land use in this part of Victoria Island. The elders felt that the Ekalluk River was a very important part of this picture since Inuit had used it for thousands of years. It was also a place where many lnuit families gathered to hunt and fish in the fall. Elder Frank Analok said that he remembers, as a very young boy, tents lining the banks of the river. The second reason was that based on the elders' testimony and previous research conducted by Dr. William E. Taylor, the site is considered significant enough to warrant its protection. The project centred on the elders' testimony in regard to a caribou drive and a series of hunting pits. The elders said that they had never seen such a large drive and they felt that it must have taken many people to attend it. They described in detail how Inuit would build the inuksuit to resemble a human form by using clods of dirt and loose soil. Triangular-shaped flaps of sealskin were added to resemble waving arms. These very small inuksuit, which line the drive for kilometres, are still prominent across the landscape. Enough preliminary data were gathered to begin the development of long-range plans in regard to this area and the area between the Ekalluk and east to Mount Pelly Territorial Park. The Kitikmeot Heritage Society is currently planning fieldwork for next summer, which will involve continuing with the oral history and archaeological research at the Ekalluk site and visits to a number of additional sites along the shores of Ferguson Lake.

Cape Adelaide Regina, Boothia Peninsula

The main objective of this project was to rediscover James Clark Ross's cairn marking his location of the North Magnetic Pole in 1831. The team also investigated the theory that Sir John Franklin may have been buried on the Boothia coast near Ross's cairn. The original plan had been to navigate the western Boothia coast from Taloyoak to Cape Adelaide then hike north to Pasley Bay. Ice conditions prevented the supply boats from proceeding any further north than Cape Adelaide, and so only the areas around Cape Adelaide Regina and Oscar Bay north of Matty Island were intensively surveyed. Fifty sites were recorded, including tent rings, cairns, caches, burials, stone traps and an abandoned twentieth century trading post. Most of the tent rings were of modern or historic lnuit, although numerous precontact sites were also encountered. A cairn near the locational description of Ross's cairn was found and it is assumed to be the one made by Ross in 1831 at the site of the North Magnetic Pole although it may have been altered over the years. No evidence of the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin or his crew members was found in the search. The team consisted of Abel Aqqaq and Tommy Totalik from Taloyoak, Doug Stern from Cambridge Bay, Ron Rust from Washington, DC, John Harrington from Mississauga, Ontario and John MacDonald from Kitchener, Ontario.

Tommy Totalik (right) and Abel Aqqaq (left) examining James Ross's cairn built in 1831 to mark the location of the North Magnetic Pole near Cape Adelaide.