Tammarniit (Mistakes): Inuit Relocation in the Eastern Arctic, 1939-63

443 Pages·1994·34.03 MB·English

by  Frank Tester

Tammarniit (Mistakes)
Between 1939 and 1963, the federal government embarked on a program of
relocation and relief in the Eastern Arctic that would dramatically alter the lives
of Inuit living there. This book documents how the development of the Cana-
dian welfare state coincided with attempts to assimilate Inuit and organize their
lives according to Western ideas about the family, work, and community. This
policy resulted in many 'tammarniit' (mistakes) that led to social disruption,
cultural disintegration, and even contributed to death among Inuit.
Tammarniit begins with an account of the debate over which branch of
government should be responsible for the Inuit. It then considers the impact of
the postwar liberal welfare state on Inuit. This is followed by a detailed account
of one attempt to deal with emerging concerns: relocation of Inuit from the east
coast of Hudson Bay to the high Arctic. Subsequent chapters deal with tragic
events taking place in the Keewatin region in the late 1950s, including deaths
from starvation at Henik and Garry lakes. The authors examine the subsequent
relocation of the survivors and further attempts to assimilate Inuit with main-
stream Canadian society. Throughout the book, the themes of responsibility,
relief, and relocation emerge as central concepts in understanding this unique
and often troublesome period in Canadian history.
The authors have made extensive use of archival documents, many of which
have not been available to researchers before, among them the Alex Stevenson
Collection, which was stored in the Archives of the Northwest Territories. They
have also interviewed many key individuals who were involved with events
during the period. The result is a compelling and sobering look at the evolution
of Canadian policy in the North and its tragic effects on Inuit.
Frank fames Tester is a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of
British Columbia. Peter Kulchyski is a professor and chair of the Department of
Native Studies at Trent University.
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Frank James Tester and Peter Kulchyski
Tammarniit (Mistakes):
Inuit Relocation in the
Eastern Arctic, 1939-63
UBCPress / Vancouver
© UBC Press 1994
All rights reserved
Printed in Canada on acid-free paper 8
ISBN 0-7748-0452-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 0-7748-0494-7 (paperback)
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Tester, Frank].
Tammarniit (Mistakes)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7748-0452-1 (bound). - ISBN 0-7748-0494-7 (pbk.)
1. Inuit - Canada - Government relations. 2. Inuit -
Northwest Territories. 3. Northwest Territories - History - 1905*
I. Kulchyski, Peter Keith, 1959- II. Title.
E99.E7T47 1994 323.1'197107192 C94-910201-6
This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Social Science
Federation of Canada, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada.
UBC Press also gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support to its publishing
program from the Canada Council, the Province of British Columbia Cultural
Services Branch, and the Department of Communications of the Government of
Canada.
UBC Press
University of British Columbia
6344 Memorial Road
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
(604) 822-3259
Fax: [phone]

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Contents
Figures and Tables / ix
Preface / xi
Maps / xvi
Introduction / 3
1 Are Inuit Indians? Relief, Jurisdiction, and Government Responsibility / 13
2 Social Welfare and Social Crisis in the Eastern Arctic / 43
3 Planning for Relocation to the High Arctic / 102
4 Recolonizing the Arctic Islands: The 1953 Relocations to Resolute Bay and
Craig Harbour / 136
5 The Ennadai Lake Relocations, 1950-60 / 205
6 The Garry Lake Famine / 238
7 The Whale Cove Relocation / 274
8 Relocation and Responsibility, 1955-63 / 306
Notes / 363
Bibliography / 407
Index /413
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Figures and Tables
Figures
1 O.S. Finnie, Director, Northwest Territories and Yukon Branch, Depart-
ment of the Interior, 1921-31. Courtesy Stevenson Collection, NWT
Archives / 17
2 Frederick Banting aboard the CGS Arctic, 1927. Courtesy University of
Toronto Library / 18
3 Alex Stevenson aboard the RMS Nascopie. Courtesy Harold Serson,
Brentwood Bay, BC / 61
4 Poster designed to educate Inuit parents in the use of family allowances,
1947. Courtesy Stevenson Collection, NWT Archives / 75
5 Notice to Inuit mothers regarding family allowances / 85
6 The RCMP police vessel St. Roch, late 1920s. Courtesy Stevenson Collec-
tion, NWT Archives / 109
7 Re-establishing the RCMP Post at Craig Harbour, 1951. Courtesy Wil-
kinson Collection, NWT Archives / 123
8 Inuit being loaded aboard the C.D. Howe for the trip to the high Arctic,
1953. Courtesy Ross Gibson, Victoria, BC / 144
9 Inuit from Inukjuak aboard the C.D. Howe, 1953. Courtesy Ross Gibson,
Victoria, BC / 145
10 The Canadian icebreaker d'lberville, 1955. Courtesy Dr. Otto Schaefer,
Edmonton, AB / 148
11 Martha Sudlavenich in sick bay aboard the C.D. Howe, 23 August 1955.
Courtesy Dr. Otto Schaefer, Edmonton, AB / 150
12 RCMP Constable Ross Gibson in Resolute Bay, 1954. Courtesy Ross
Gibson, Victoria, BC / 153
13 First polar bear hunt at Resolute Bay, 1953. Courtesy Ross Gibson,
Victoria, BC / 157
14 Erecting a Quonset hut at Resolute Bay, 1953. Courtesy Ross Gibson,
Victoria, BC / 159