Historians and Inuit: Learning from the Qikiqtani Truth Commission, 2007–2010

Abstract

This article examines historians' contributions to the Qikiqtani Truth Commission (qtc) from 2007 to 2012. The qtc was unique in being commissioned, conducted, and paid for by an Aboriginal organization, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. The qtc reviewed the elimination of qimmiit (sled-dogs) as well as other government policies concerning the Arctic and the relocation of northern communities to thirteen settlements between 1950 and 1975. By examining recent trends in writing about Nunavut's past along with historians' involvement with the qtc, this article argues that the qtc combined oral testimony with archival research to produce a compelling analysis of historical trauma and public memory. It thus demonstrates the ways in which historians can contribute to the work of reconciliation and the exploration of historical trauma.