New maps document traditional place names across Nunavik

KUUJJUAQ—The traditional names of places across Nunavik are written in Roman orthography and syllabics on a new collection of maps released by the Avataq Cultural Institute.

All 14 Nunavik communities and their surrounding areas, as well as Chisasibi, are accounted for.

Nicolas Pirti-Duplessis, a project lead with Avataq, explained that these maps are the result of decades of work to gather and catalogue traditional place names across the region.

He and other representatives from Avataq handed out the result of this work, in a series of poster rolls, to Kativik Regional Government councillors on Feb. 24.

“Our youth aren’t familiar with our Inuit names, so this is a good way for them to learn,” said Charlie Arngak, councillor for Kangiqsujuaq. He said there’s already a map up at his northern village office and it has proven very useful.

The project of documenting traditional place names in Nunavik began with an elders’ conference in 1981, Pirti-Duplessis explained. Some work had already started in Inukjuak and Kangiqsujuaq to gather traditional place names there.

But the current form of the project, called Nunatop, started in 1983 through the Avataq Cultural Institute.

At that time, Ludger Müller-Wille, with McGill University, worked with Helen Oweetaluktuk Cumberbatch and Johnny Palliser from Inukjuak on gathering nearly 8,000 place names. These were published in 1987, and by 1989 traditional place name maps were created for six communities and surrounding areas.

“The mapping project was born in 1989, but due to lack of funding, it went quiet for about 15 years,” Pirti-Duplessis said.

The project relaunched in 2012, with funding from Makivik Corp. Pirti-Duplessis and Elsa Cencig, an Avataq archeologist, travelled to 11 communities between 2012 and 2014, speaking with elders, hunters and community members about traditional place names.

The maps are “made by Inuit, for Inuit,” said Pirti-Duplessis. There are several versions available at www.nunatop.com in the collection Nunatop 50 K.

They make use of the same set of information, laid out in 1:50,000 scale. There is a region-wide map, as well as ones for specific villages and islands off the coast.

Pirti-Duplessis said there is still space to edit and update the maps where needed.

“We have data where we can change the place names because this is the first edition, for sure there will be mistakes and [there’ll] need to be corrections,” he said. “For sure you can call us and then we can correct mistakes on the second edition.”

Some broader suggestions did come from the councillors at the table. Sarollie Weetaluktuk of Inukjuak suggested a digital version of the map would make it even more accessible for hunters.

“Yes, we can develop an app and it can be used by GPS,” said Robert Fréchette, Avataq director general. “It’s coming. It’s not that complicated to do.”

As well as on paper, the maps do come on Tyvek, a virtually indestructible material that’s better suited for taking out on the land or water, Fréchette said.

Pirti-Duplessis continued that they will work on an app that works with GPS and allows a fast connection for users.

“What we’re doing first is we’re seeing if what we’re working on makes people feel that they are useful,” he said.

He and Cencig, as well as geologist and mapmaker Marta Benito, are still travelling to communities and discussing the project with Nunavimmiut.

The cost of the maps is also being discussed. As Avataq is a non-profit, Pirti-Duplessis said they are limited but hoping to agree on a price with the hunters and trappers organizations and northern villages.

Around the council table, there was broad support for the project. One councillor wished funding had allowed the project to come about sooner.

“The elders who know about the lands are getting fewer and fewer, I wish you could speed up working with them,” said David Annanack of Kangiqsualujjuaq.

Fréchette agreed, saying he wished it had been done 20 years ago.

But it’s needed more than ever now, said Jobie Tukkiapik of Kuujjuaq, as people are travelling farther away with much faster vehicles. “Sometimes you’re not sure of the place name when you’re trying to find someone out in the boat,” he said.

They agreed the mapping project offers an important tool.

“Our youth make up their own names—his lake or her lake—that’s how they [do] place names,” said Weetaluktuk. “So it’s good to see this: Inuit place names.”