Our Work
Olayuk
Kugutikakjuk (left) testifying before Commissioner Igloliorte at a
QTC hearing. Qikiqtani Truth
Commission photo.
The Process
From 2007 to 2010, the
Qikiqtani Truth Commission interviewed 345 witnesses during public
hearings, reviewed 131 interviews taped by the Qikiqtani Inuit
Association (QIA) between 2004 and 2006, and amassed an
authoritative collection of historical documentation about the
relationships among Inuit and governments during the years 1950 to
1975. Through this work, it documented, in detail, many of the
decisions, actions and consequences that led to the social and
economic transformation of the Baffin Region. Commission staff and
historians therefore:
- gathered testimonies
about events between 1950 and 1975 from Inuit who had lived through
this difficult period and their children; and
- completed an
extensive archival research program and interviewed non-Inuit who
worked in the region during this period. Among the people
interviewed were several retired RCMP officers, government
officials and academic researchers.
The Products
These testimonies and
historical investigations have been used to prepare:
-
the summary Qikiqtani
Truth Commission Final Report: Achieving Saimaqtigiiniq,
available in both print and video formats
-
Analysis of the RCMP
and Inuit Sled Dogs (2006) Report.
-
QTC Thematic Histories
-
QTC Contextual Histories
- QTC Community
Histories
for each of the 13 Qikiqtani communities
Note that preliminary
draft versions of thematic, contextual and community histories were
originally produced in preparation for the Commissioner’s
visits to Qikiqtani communities. These initial drafts are being
rewritten to incorporate more recent findings gathered during Inuit
testimonies at Commission hearings and from primary sources found in
historical archives across Canada. Drafts will be replaced by final
versions as they are completed.
Resources
Qikiqtani Truth
Commission findings and recommendations are based upon the
first-person testimonies gathered during numerous public hearings
and interviews.
You can also listen to short audio summaries of what we heard
from those who testified.
The Commission has
also developed a database of the archival and oral history
information collected, including transcripts and translations, audio
and video materials. Once completed, the database will be accessible
through the Qikiqtani
Inuit Association until a final repository and format
are determined.
Until that time, the
Commission has amassed a bibliography
of its key references.
It has also prepared a
brief glossary of the Inuktitut words
used throughout this web site.
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