Martha Tikivik,, front, and Leetia Jeffrey traverse the precarious pedestrian bridge that crossed a narrow section of the Niaqunguk River in 1955. The image was presented as a poster-enlargement and taped up in the Nanook School gymnasium during a Nov. 16 party to mark completion of the new Apex bridge. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Documenting history with objects and paper
Iqaluit museum appeals to public for historical items related to the old Apex bridge
Museums tell stories using stuff.
That is to say, museums share historical narratives with the public using interpretive displays of “artifacts” human-influenced objects, such as a harpoon or a pen; and “ephemera,” objects used by people for a short time like a poster or an addressed envelope.
The Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum in Iqaluit is seeking donations of artifacts and ephemera related to the original single-lane Apex bridge, which was removed Aug. 10 to make way for the new double-lane truss bridge that opened last month.
Martha Tikivik and her son Dinos Tikivik cross the new Apex bridge Nov. 16, during an unofficial bridge-opening ceremony. Dinos Tikivik pointed out where, in summer, the foundations of an old rickety footbridge are still visible. His mother reminisced in Inuktitut, with her son acting as interpreter, about using the small bridge on her way to the nearby Hudson Bay post. (Photo by Daron Letts)
The original bridge, in use for nearly 70 years, was built by community members in 1955 alongside members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Defining the kind of items the museum hopes to receive to help document the story of the old Apex bridge is difficult, said Jessica Kotierk, museum manager and curator, in an email to Nunatsiaq News.
“As an example, we got march posters from the Black Lives Matter march, photographs from the public event during the Pope’s visit to Iqaluit, and one of the custom tables that the Devolution agreement was signed on,” she said, referring to past call-outs for donations of iconic items.
“It is an important part of a museum function to continue collecting representative objects for the future telling of our current event.”
The donated items come with their own history and are imbued with meaning by the donor, Kotierk said. Those backstories become part of the historical archive.
“The perspective that something is important to the donor will increase the relevance to the collection,” she said. “This can include paper: documents, photographs; creative works: paintings, poems; historical objects such as pins, rulers, ball caps, coasters, ashtrays — the list is really broad.”
To share items related to the old Apex bridge with the museum’s permanent collection, contact museum@nsmuseum.ca for more information.
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