Gjoa Haven, Then and Now: This time lapse shows changes in the community since the early 1950s, when the only buildings were those belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). The building at the centre of the frame is the former store house for the HBC post, which is on the left. The larger building to the right housed the HBC post manager.

ABOUT NANIVARA: GJOA HAVEN

The Nanivara Oral History Project is a SSHRC-funded project based out of the School of Social Work at the University of British Columbia, and in partnership with Nunavut communities of Gjoa Haven/Uqsuqtuuq and Naujaat. In Gjoa Haven, youth worked with Elders to document the history of settlement, as Elders experienced it. The purpose of the project is to assist youth in learning about their history, and in providing them with opportunities to develop skills as researchers and filmmakers, so that they might continue to document and share their history and culture.

We are grateful to the many Elders in Gjoa Haven who participated in the project and who shared their stories with us, and we thank them for their support. We would also like to thank the many other adults who took and interest in the project, especially to our interpreters, Lena Arqviq and Simon Okpakok, and to Susie Napoyak-Short, who helped translate the interviews from Inuktitut to English.

The digital kiosk, Gjoa Haven: Stories From Our Elders, features interviews with local Elders, who talk about their life on the land before moving into the community, and changes in the community since then. At the Nattilik Heritage Centre, visitors are able to browse the video collection and see interviews with Elders.

Video Kiosk

Interviews with Elders were collected and presented to the Nattilik Heritage Centre in a digital kiosk. Click here to view the kiosk in your Web browser.

Who We Are

The Nanivara: Gjoa Haven team is made up of youth from the community. We share an interest in learning about and documenting our history, and sharing this knowledge with others in the community.

Success!! The Nanivara: Gjoa Haven team celebrating after presenting the digital kiosk to the Nattilik Heritage Centre. Ten weeks of interviews! From left to right: Dawn Konana, Marnie Ekelik, (Marlis in front), Erica Tungilik, Robin Ikutisluk (with Donald), Clarissa Jayko (front), Jennifer Ullulaq, Kaydi Okpakok (front), Barbara Okpik, Ray Aulak, Mark Stoller. Absent: Scott Porter.

FINAL REPORT

The final report of the Nanivara Project was completed in 2016. You can download that report here in English and Inuktitut.