What value do old museum objects have today? A group of Inuit women decided to visit museums with objects that once belonged to their ancestors. They wanted to explore historical Inuit belongings to understand parts of their culture.
After visiting museums around Canada and the United States, they set course for Norway in early June. In Oslo – thousands of kilometers from home – there is a special collection that originates from Roald Amundsen's expedition to the Northwest Passage in 1903–1905.
The six women come from the vast Canadian northern regions of Nunavut and Nunavik. Despite Nunavut alone being six times larger than Norway, there is little written history about those who lived there a few generations ago. Knowledge and traditions have been passed down orally from one generation to the next.
"That's why these collections are so important to us. The objects put us in close contact with the lives of our ancestors. When we see what they made, the techniques they used, and the patterns they used, it becomes an emotional journey. We see that our ancestors were amazing people with impressive knowledge", says Avery Keenainak.
The women have come to explore the museum's North American Arctic collections, and they are all interested in textile art and traditional handicrafts. This interest drives their project.
"When we visited the first museums, the goal was to study methods, techniques, and patterns used on historic everyday objects. But gradually, the project has evolved into a personal journey for us. When we learn about our ancestors' lives, we also learn about our lives today. It's about belonging and feeling secure in who you are and where you come from", says Rose Tina Alivaktuk.
How the collection ended up in Oslo
In 1903, Roald Amundsen anchored the polar ship Gjøa in a bay far north in Canada. He and his crew wintered here for two years on their expedition through the Northwest Passage, and named the place Gjoa haven.
The area they arrived at was already inhabited by the Nattilik Inuit, who had become experts on living in the harsh arctic climate over many generations. The local population and Amundsen quickly made contact and developed a friendship. The Norwegian polar explorer exchanged objects through his many encounters with the population, and when he left, he brought with him new friendships, new knowledge, and a fantastic collection of items.
After the voyage through the Northwest Passage was completed, the objects came to Oslo and to the Museum of Cultural History, of which the Historical Museum is a part. Today, the collection is an exceptional cultural heritage from this area.
New knowledge and inspiration
During their visit to Oslo, the Historical Museum was in the process of finalizing the new exhibition Uqšuqtuuq, which displays objects from the Gjoa haven collection. The women were able to guide the museum's conservator on how to display several of the objects. For example, how the hood of a parka should be placed – and they corrected a wrongly tied belt, so it is now tied in the traditional way.
"What status does Roald Amundsen have in Nunavut and Nunavik today?"
“Some of us learned a little about Amundsen in school and were told that he had good contact with the Inuit people he met. Overall, Amundsen probably had very little influence on our society. The whaling ships that arrived had a much greater impact – in a negative way», says Avery Keenainak.
"What have you learned from studying the objects that Roald Amundsen collected?"
"We gain insight into which traditions have been passed down, and which techniques and expressions have been developed over the past 100 years. We are going home with new knowledge and a lot of inspiration, and we will be testing out several of the craft techniques we have seen", says Rose Tina Alivaktuk.
The knowledge they bring home is shared with family and friends. There are many people there who want to share the knowledge found in museum collections.
"Our culture is alive and well", says Keenainak.
Visit the exhibition Uqšuqtuuq – The collection from Roald Amundsen
This exhibition tells a story of friendship and collaboration over cultural heritage. It all started in 1903 when Roald Amundsen anchored the polar ship Gjøa in a remote bay in northern Canada. He arrived at a place known in nattilingmiut, the nattilik Inuit's own language, as Uqšuqtuuq, a site inhabited for over a millennium.
The Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen and his crew spent two winters here during their expedition through the Northwest Passage. They named the place Gjøahavn, after their expedition ship.
Soon after arrival, the expedition team and the local community established contact and developed friendships. The Norwegian polar explorer traded for 1200 items through his many encounters with the population. When he left Gjoa Haven, he brought with him not only new friendships and knowledge but also an extraordinary collection of items, which was donated to the Museum of Cultural History.
The exhibition provides insight into the lives of the Nattilik Inuit at the beginning of the 20th century and today, and shows the significance of the collection for the local community in Gjoa Haven.