Reading the past in Dorset artifacts and vintage pop cans

Their houses now lie in the path of a road that leads to a popular fishing spot.

But 4,000 years ago, Dorset Inuit lived at Qilulukan, named after the whales that still travel past.

This summer, a group of Inuit youth tried to learn about the people who used this site, located near Salmon Creek about two kilometres from the present-day community of Pond Inlet.

For three weeks in July, 11 students aged 16 to 23 learned about archaeology and their ancestors during a field school organized by Inuit Heritage Trust.

The first eye-opener for participants: the damage caused by a stream of all-terrain vehicles heading to a popular fishing derby.

“The little test strips they’d started to work on were destroyed,” said Ericka Chemko, project coordinator for the Inuit Heritage Trust. “It was good for them to see, ‘wow, look what one weekend can do to a site, how this can affect what we’re learning about our culture and our heritage.'”

The site itself is under threat by high traffic use, so the students did what’s called “salvage archaeology” – learning what can be learned from a threatened site where information can be lost because of development or erosion. In this case, it was both.

That’s because Honda tracks run over pre-Dorset and Dorset Inuit sites. The nearby creek has also changed its course, eroding a riverbank and the two nearby qammaqs.

During their three weeks at the site, students had to learn new skills as well as how to work outside with mosquitos and in pelting rain and high wind.

Student participants included Isidore Quasa and Ivan Koonoo (Pond Inlet); Jessica Pearce (Iqaluit); Jamie Anilniliak and Silasie Nauyuk (Pangnirtung); Winnie Arrangutainaq (Sanikiluaq); Detrick Mamgark (Arviat); Marsha Kringuk (Repulse Bay); Kyle Amautinuar (Kugaaruk); Nellie Ann Uquqtuq (Taloyoak) and Jason Dowlatabadi (Vancouver).

The dig was assisted by archaeologist Sue Rowley, archaeology assistant Krista Zawadski, project manager Ericka Chemko, Lorna Ootova as a community liaison agent and Philippa Ootowak.

At the site, students found evidence of pre-Dorset, Dorset, and Thule residents – and they started to appreciate these early Inuit and how they lived.

“I think that everyone should get a chance to learn more about their ancestors and that these field schools should be happening in more communities,” Nellie Ann said.

Students also began to wonder about what effect people now have on the land.

“One day archaeologists will be looking at us and the things we’ve left behind,” Jessica said.

Among the artifacts uncovered at the site were tiny microblades, the leftovers from making tools. One student even put them to the test and cut his hand with one of these tools that may be 4,000 years old.

Some thought it would be easy to replicate these tools themselves – and tried to craft them with obsidian. This task was much harder than it looked, and most were unable to produce tools as perfectly as the Dorset people did.

Many of the objects found were of much more recent origin, such as a knife from the 1920s and a soft drink can from the 1960s.

But the point of the field school wasn’t just about finding artifacts.

“Just as important is getting to students exposed to archaeology, and thinking about their past and people,” Chemko said. “The use of this area by so many different people challenged the students to consider how these ancient people would have traveled on the water and the different places where evidence of them may be found.”

During the last week of the field school, the students organized and produced an exhibit, which attracted more than 100 visitors.

“It was great for the students to be able to explain what they had been doing to the community, and for the community to see what was found at the site and learn more about archaeology and not disturbing sites,” Chemko said.

Based on the dig, the IHT will make suggestions for the site’s management, such as laying gravel on the road, deciding where boundaries are and determining how to use the site and preserve it.

On the last day, everyone took a boat trip to the bottom of Mt. Herodier with a group of community elders. There, they heard stories, learned about the outpost camp that used to be there and climbed to the top of the mountain: besides learning about archaeology, they learned about themselves and how to work in a tight-knit group.

This is IHT’s fourth field school. In 2002 and 2003, the student archaeologists were in Kugluktuk and in 2004 they went to Repulse Bay. This year’s field school received financial support from the Kivalliq Inuit Association and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.