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. This page intentionally left blank 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: (604) 822-6083 This page intentionally left blank 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 This page intentionally left blank 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