Exile Monument

Programs & Services

Exile Monument

During the summer months of the 1950s, several Inuit families were relocated to the High Arctic by the Government of Canada. Families from Pond Inlet and Inukjuak, known as Port Harrison at the time, on the Hudson coast of northern Quebec, were moved and formed the communities of Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord.

The Government of Canada’s promises of the new land were many: game, resources, and new equipment, all of which was waiting for the families when they arrived. The families were also promised if they were unhappy, they could return home after two years.

The first years in the High Arctic were a desperate time for families. Despite the government’s promises, resources were not plentiful, and even as Inuit were starving, the families were not allowed to return home.

Recognizing this hardship and wishing to commemorate it, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. commissioned two monuments in April, 2008. Two and a half years later, after much planning, the monuments were unveiled on September 8 and 10, 2010.

NTI commissioned two of Nunavut’s leading carvers to create the monuments, Simeonie Amagoalik of Resolute Bay, and Looty Pijimani of Grise Fiord. Using local stone, Amagoalik created a carving of a man in Resolute Bay. Pijamini created a granite carving of a woman and child in Grise Fiord. The monuments depict how families were separated during the relocations. Each artist mentored a younger carver during the process.

The monuments are dedicated to the families who were relocated, rejoicing their perseverance and the importance of family and community in overcoming the many dire hardships families faced during the High Arctic relocations of the 1950s.

The unveiling of the monuments was an important step in helping Inuit find closure and healing from these terrible events. The month before NTI’s unveiling, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister John Duncan issued an official apology on behalf of the federal government for forcing Inuit to relocate. Prime Minister Stephen Harper also offered a personal apology to surviving original relocatees during a visit to Resolute Bay.

Many dignitaries joined NTI and Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord community members for the events, including Minister Duncan who again delivered an apology in each community on behalf of the Government of Canada for the relocations the families experienced. Healing circles were held in both communities following the unveiling.

The wounds are deep and decades old, but the unveiling of the monuments, and the apology from the Government of Canada, will allow Inuit the opportunity to remember, grieve and heal.

Background

In the early 1920s, Canada established a RCMP post at Craig Harbour, 55 kilometres west of Grise Fiord. By 1950, concerned about Arctic sovereignty in the face of the Cold War, Canadian officials wished to find a way to settle permanent residents in the east Arctic archipelago. Knowing that Inuit on the Ungava Peninsula of northern Quebec were having an increasingly difficult time surviving as subsistence hunters, the Canada Government's solution was simple: uproot three families from just outside of Inukjuak and deposit them on Ellesmere Island, a place one historian has called "the harshest terrain that humans have ever continuously inhabited".[1] The government promised that the region had abundant game and offered a return ticket in one year's time if the Inuit were unhappy. One author writes: The Inuit soon learned that marine mammals were scarce, as were caribou, fox and fresh water. Their clothing wasn't warm enough, and their sleds and harnesses were all wrong for the rocky terrain. The rough waters made hunting by kayak impossible and the dry wind made their dogs' lungs bleed. Sufficient snow for snow houses arrived late, leaving the settlers in flimsy canvas tents until late winter. There wasn't enough fuel for fires. The air was almost 30 degrees colder than back home, and the near constant wind made it feel more than 50 degrees worse...Ellesmere supported a small musk-ox population, but the police detachment, 40 miles from the Inuit encampment, forbade killing them. The starving Inuit ate bird feathers, made broth from boot liners.[2] The government did not return to pick up these families in one year's time and yet, some say miraculously, they survived. This particular relocation remains one of the most controversial. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples called the relocation "one of the worst human rights violations in the history of Canada." While leaders eventually made financial reparations of 10 million Canadian dollars to the survivors and their families, they have yet to issue an apology. Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. wishes to commission and erect two monuments ­­- one in Grise Fiord and one in Resolute Bay - to commemorate the sacrifices made by Inuit who were relocated to these communities.  We plan to unveil these monuments in the late summer 2010 which we hope will bring national and international attention to this moment in Inuit history. At a time when "Canadian sovereignty" is on the minds of politicians, the media, and opportunistic businesses who look forward to an ice-free Northwest Passage, there is no better time to issue this reminder: this land belongs to Canada not because of the lines drawn on a map, but because of the Inuit who sacrificed everything to live here. [1] McGrath, Melanie, The Long Exile: A True Story of Deception and Survival amongst the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic, London: Fourth Estate, pg. 302. [2] Royte, Elizabeth, "Trail of Tears", New York Times Book Review; Apr 8; Research Library, pg. 10.

Objectives

  • To commemorate the Inuit who sacrificed so much as a result of the Government relocation of 1953.
  • To promote and preserve this moment in Nunavut’s history through the building of two permanent monuments.
  • To involve the communities of Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord with the creation of the monuments and an unveiling ceremony, a feast, and presentations and activities in each community.
  • To develop a national and international audience by exposing media to this moment in Nunavut’s history.
  • To develop a committee that can use this project as a stepping-stone to organize an annual day of commemoration for the Inuit who suffered as a result of relocation.
  • To show the world that Canada’s claim on the High Arctic remains strong because Canadians continue to live and prosper in its most northern communities.
  • To gain an apology from the federal government.

Bibliography

‘High Arctic Exiles’  Bibliography Courtesy of Jack Hicks

Makivik Corporation, and Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. (1983) "Submission regarding Grise Fiord/Resolute Bay Inuit relocation issue to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs." Hammond, Marc M. (1984) Report of findings on an alleged promise of government to finance the return of Inuit in Resolute and Grise Fiord to their original homes at Port Harrison (Inukjuak) and Pond Inlet. DIAND. Lowther, Keith. (1989) "An exercise in sovereignty: The Government of Canada and the Inuit relocation of 1953." M.A. Thesis, University of Calgary. 140 pp. Makivik Corporation, and Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. (1990) "Grise Fiord/Resolute Bay Inuit relocation issue."

[Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, March] There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that the central, if not the sole, reason for the relocation of Inuit to the High Arctic was the desire by Canada to assert its sovereignty over the Arctic islands and surrounding area. Indeed, there is little factual evidence to explain why some areas of the Arctic were determined by the government to be 'resource poor' and other areas to be 'resource rich.' Marcus, Alan R. (1990) "Out in the cold: The legacy of Canada's Inuit relocation experiment in the High Arctic." M.Phil. Thesis, University of Cambridge, Scott Polar Research Institute. 72 pp. Nungak, Zebedee.  (1990). "Exiles in the High Arctic." Arctic Circle September/October. pp. 36-43. Makivik Corporation, and Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. (1990) "Submission regarding Grise Fiord/Resolute Bay Inuit relocation issue to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs." Canada, Parliament House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs. (1990) "Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence." Hickling Corporation. (1990) "Assessment of the factual basis of certain allegations made before the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs concerning the relocation of Inukjuak Inuit families in the 1950s."

[Report submitted to DIAND] Our study reveals that the main reason for the decision by the Government to encourage some Inuit families to relocate to the High Arctic at that time was a concern to improve the living conditions of Inuit, particularly in the Hudson Bay region. Relocation from those depressed areas was seen, by both government officials and the Inuit themselves, as a way of breaking out of a growing pattern of welfare dependency, and as a means of providing the Inuit with new and better economic opportunities through improved hunting, trapping and wage employment. Arctic Circle.  (1991). "No apology for exiled Inuit."  1:5. pp. 13. Gibson, F. Ross.  (1991). "No reason to apologize to the natives." Arctic Circle September/October. pp. 8.

[Letter to the editor] "... I am the RCMP officer who picked up and accompanied these Eskimos to the High Arctic and shared with them all the problems that presented themselves... I wish to make it quite clear the project was not botched, but was a highly successful undertaking. Reports were forwarded to the Commissioner of the RCMP and Northern Affairs regarding the progress of the project. As one directly involved, I feel I am not in agreement with the natives. I credit Amagoalik from Pond Inlet as the one who saved the project from disaster. The people from Northern Québec were not familiar with setting seal nets under the ice and hunting polar bears in long periods of darkness. I agree the natives were deprived of visits from their kin; they are, as we know, a close-knit lot. Otherwise, I feel they were very fortunate to have made the move. The project is always set up as a failure and something special. There is never any mention of the development of the four weather stations in the High Arctic: Isachsen, MouldBay, Eureka and Alert. Canada was playing a leading part in this development. Also, in 1955 an all-Canadian convoy made its way to ResoluteBay to resupply the High Arctic stations. The International Geophysical Year to follow was also a great Canadian contribution to the development of the High Arctic. The Eskimo movement project was one of the many successful undertakings at the time. I see no reason for Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon to apologize to the natives. Certainly I was exiled with them and today suffer the results, with two artificial knees, a chest condition, a heart condition, and cancer of the face from exposure to frost and glare. I don't expect any special treatment, as I feel the project was well worth our while. I do feel, however, that the RCMP and other government departments have not stood by the members involved in th project. I refer to the accusations made by the natives involved. I enjoy your magazine, but I feel the articles presented are quite one-sided in favour of the natives. I was there." Grant, Shelagh D.  (1991). "'Their garden of Eden': Sovereignty and suffering in Canada's High Arctic." Northern Perspectives 19:1. pp. 3-29. Hazell, Stephen.  (1991). "High Arctic exiles: No Satisfaction: Why is an apology to a small group of Inuit who suffered for their country such a difficult gesture for the government to make?" Arctic Circle November/December. pp. 35-6. ---.  (1991). "The High Arctic resettlement experiment: A question of fundamental justice." Northern Perspectives 19:1. pp. 30-1. Marcus, Alan R.  (1991). "Out in the cold: Canada's experimental Inuit relocation to Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay." Polar Record 27:163. pp. 285-96.

In 1953-55 the Canadian government experimentally relocated Inuit (Eskimo) families from the region of Port Harrison (Inukjuak), on Québec's Ungava peninsula, to Ellesmere and CornwallisIslands in the Arctic archipelago. Today Inuit relocatees allege that they were deceived by the government and suffered greatly as a result of the experiment. The government asserts that the relocation has undertaken for humanitarian reasons. The controversy has recently resulted in hearings before a Canadian parliamentary committee on aboriginal affairs and the Human Rights Commission. A study of the relocation issue prepared for the government, known as the 'Hickling Report', rejects Inuit claims of mistreatment. In this paper the Hickling report's findings are assessed. Contrary to the report's conclusions, documentation suggests that one of the government's motives for undertaking the relocation pertained to Canadian sovereignty and exercising 'effective occupation' of the islands.

Orkin, Andrew J. (1991) "Immersion in the High Arctic: An examination of the relocation of Canadian Inuit in 1953 from the perspective of the law on experimentation involving human subjects." [unpublished report] Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. (1991) "Internal investigation into allegations of RCMP misconduct, Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay, ca. 1953." Marcus, Alan R. (1992) Out in the cold: The legacy of Canada's Inuit relocation experiment in the High Arctic. Copenhagen: International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs. 117 pp. [IWGIA Document no. 71] [reviews by: Grant, Shelagh D. (Canadian Historical Review 75:1, 1994) and Wenzel, George W. (Études/Inuit/Studies 16:1/2, 1992)] Tester, Frank J., and Peter Kulchyski. (1992) "Choosing 'volunteers': A deconstruction of Inuit relocation to the High Arctic, 1953." [Paper presented at the Eighth Inuit Studies Conference, l'Université Laval, October] Gunther, Magnus. (1992) "The 1953 relocations of the Inukjuak Inuit to the High Arctic: A documentary analysis and evaluation."  411 pp. [Report prepared for DIAND] anonymous.  (1993). "An exile responds to Wilkinson." Arctic Circle Fall/Winter. pp. 5-46. [Letter to the editor by 'an Exile, Resolute Bay NWT'; reply to Doug Wilkinson ('The paradox of the Inuit relocatees,) in the Summer 1993 issue; reply by Wilkinson in the Spring 1994 issue] Brody, Hugh. (1993) "Some historical aspects of the High Arctic Exiles' experience." [Submission to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples' Second Round of Special Hearings on the High Arctic Exiles, Ottawa ON] Wilkinson, Doug.  (1993). "The paradox of the Inuit relocatees." Arctic Circle Summer. pp. 32-3. [Reply by 'an Exile, Resolute Bay NWT' in the Fall/Winter 1993 issue; Reply in the Spring 1994 issue] Williamson, Robert G. (1993) "Significant aspects of acculturation history in the Canadian Arctic: Analysis of the forces of Inuit and southern white interaction until mid century: Sociocultural background to a government relocation project." [Report prepared for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples] Boychuk, Rick.  (1993). "Ice beer and bureaucrats: A chilling tale of mandarins, the Inuit and the High Arctic." Ottawa Magazine pp. 23-44. Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. (1994) "Recommendation # 67: The High Arctic Exiles."

[contained in ITC's submission to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples] The Government of Canada's must acknowledge its breach of fiduciary duty to the High Arctic Exiles -- a breach that:

  • began during the planning of the relocation;
  • was amplified by the refusal to rectify the situation by allowing the relocatees to return to their home community; and which,
  • persists to the present day with the federal government's continued denials of any wrongdoing.

---. (1994) "Recommendation # 68: The High Arctic Exiles."

[contained in ITC's submission to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples] The important contribution made by the High Arctic Exiles to Canada's assertion of sovereignty in the High Arctic must be acknowledged by the Government of Canada. ---. (1994) "Recommendation # 69: The High Arctic Exiles."

[contained in ITC's submission to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples] The Government of Canada should make an immediate and sincere apology to the High Arctic Exiles acknowledging the hardships, pain and suffering they endured as a result of the relocation, and for the delay and reluctance in honouring the government's commitment to return the relocatees to their homelands if so desired. ---. (1994) "Recommendation # 70: The High Arctic Exiles."

[contained in ITC's submission to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples] The federal government should compensate the High Arctic Exiles for the hardships, pain and suffering they endured, for the personal possessions which were lost, and for their contribution to the assertion of Canadian sovereignty in the High Arctic. All possible support should be provided to the families and communities involved in the relocation as they continue their healing process. ---. (1994) "Recommendation # 71: The High Arctic Exiles."

[contained in ITC's submission to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples] The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples should comment on the manner in which the federal government has dealt with the High Arctic Exiles issue over the past decade: 

  • its refusal to accept the High Arctic Exiles' stories of their experiences as accurate;
  • the commissioning of a high-profile political apologia from an individual with no appreciable background in the issues requiring investigation; and,
  • the statements of the former minister which were grounded in denial and justified by fundamentally flawed research.

Canada, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. (1994) The High Arctic relocation: A report on the 1953-55 relocation. Ottawa ON. 190 pp. [with 2 vols. Summary of supporting information] Kenney, Gerard I. (1994) Arctic smoke & mirrors. Prescott ON_: Voyageur Publishing. 143 pp. [reviews by: Dickson, Rosaleen (The Hill Times 1995 February 9); Gunther, Magnus (Polar Record 32:182, 1996); and, Phillips, R.A.J. (The Ottawa Citizen 1995 February 5)] Tester, Frank J., and Peter Kulchyski. (1994) Tammarniit (Mistakes): Inuit relocation in the Eastern Arctic, 1939-63. Vancouver BC: University of British Columbia Press. 440 pp. [reviews by: Blake, Dale (Canadian Literature 148, 1996); Jull, Peter (?); and, Marcus, Alan R. (Études/Inuit/Studies 19:1, 1995)] Makivik Corporation, and Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. (1994) "Submission to the Minister of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) for the Government of Canada regarding Inuit High Arctic relocatee demands for remedial and compensatory measures." Marcus, Alan R. (1995) Relocating Eden: The image and politics of Inuit exile in the Canadian Arctic. Hanover NH and London: University Press of New England. 272 pp. [reviews by: Abel, Kerry (American Historical Review 102:1, 1997); Aubry, Jack (The Ottawa Citizen, August 12, 1995); Freeman, Milton M.R. (Ethnic and Racial Studies 20:3, 1997); Hodgins, Bruce (Arctic 49:2, 1996); Kenney, Gerard (Polar Record 180, January 1996); and, Schweitzer, Peter (Ethnohistory 44:2, 1997)] Hicks, Jack. (1997) "Relocations as an 'answer' to regional underdevelopment: The Canadian experience."  12 pp. [Paper presented at the seminar on Ammassalik as an Example of Regional Underdevelopment, held at Ilisimatusarfik (The University of Greenland), Nuuk, Greenland, January] Silverstone, Sam.  (1999). "High Arctic relocation in the 1950s: Inuit survival in the face of government indifference." Makivik magazine 50. pp. 17-9. McGrath, Melanie. (2006) The long exile: A true story of deception and survival amongst the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic. London: Fourth Estate. pp. 302.

Archival Photos

Use under permission from the copyright holder.  Reuse of images not permitted without authorization of the copyright holder.

Looty Pijamini

Looty Pijamini was born November 14, 1953, in Clyde River. His father was a member of the RCMP and moved the Pijamini family to Grise Fiord when he was a boy. Looty has lived there since then with his wife, five children and three grandchildren. At the age of fifteen, Looty began carving. He explored a wide range of media such as stone, metal, ivory, caribou, antler, muskox horn and narwhal tusk. His interest in precious metals led him to complete a two-year diploma program in Jewellery and Metalwork at Nunavut Arctic College. Looty has been commissioned to make art by private collectors throughout the world. His works are on display in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, NWT and internationally, in Greece, Mexico, and the US. In March 2003, a solo exhibition of his sculptural work was displayed at the INAC office in Hull, Quebec. Iqaluit residents will recognize his Sedna sculpture at the Legislative Assembly. Among Looty's awards in the arts are three NAC graduate awards and the Grand Award at the Eastern Arctic Fine Arts and Crafts Competition in 1994 for his sterling silver hollow-ware sculpture of a swan. Looty took first prize in the following year's competition and first place at the Great Northern Arts Festival in 1996. A BBC film crew captured Looty carving a 8.5 foot tusk with 42 individual carved images. His work has also been showcased on the cover of the Northwestel phonebook. These days Looty is spending much of his time constructing fiberglass kamotiks - the first of its kind - and printmaking.

Jeffrey Amagoalik

Jeffrey Amagoalik is 26 years of age. He was born in Iqaluit and raised in Resolute, where he attended school. Growing up he did some carving with his grandfather, Simeonie. The most important lesson he learned was to look at the stone, visualize the final product and to take his time. Jeffrey is very much looking forward to the opportunity to work so closely with his grandfather on a project that is so vitally important to his family and community.

Matt Pijamini

Matt Pijamini is 28 years of age. He was born in Grise Fiord and lives there with his family. He has been carving for as long as he can remember. Matt spends much of his time in his father's workshop, watching and learning. He often helps his father Looty with the projects he is working on - at the moment he is learning how to make fiberglass kamotiks. This is the first time Matt will have worked on a project of this scale and he is excited to work with his father on a project that will become a little piece history.

Terms of Use

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. reserves all rights to these images.  The images may be used for not-for-profit purposes with credit to “Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (by Franco Buscemi)”.  These images may not be used for any for-profit purposes (including without limitation reproducing the images for sales or distribution, use on merchandise or commercial advertisements, etc.) without the written permission of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

Tribute Page

This is the tribute page. Below you are welcome to submit a message about what you’ve learned or feel about the relocations or about the monuments.

Apology for the Inuit High Arctic Relocation

Speaking Notes for The Honourable John Duncan, PC, MP, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians at the Apology for the Inuit High Arctic Relocation August 18, 2010 Inukjuak, Nunavik Elders, Inuit leaders, ladies and gentlemen, and especially those of you who were directly affected by the relocation; thank you for being here. This is my first trip to the North as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and I am very honoured to be here for this historic event. You may recall that my predecessor, Minister Strahl, also had his first trip as Minister to Nunavik when he attended the Katimajiit summit in Kuujjuaq almost exactly three years ago. I am familiar with the North and I look forward to visiting the North regularly, and to working closely with Inuit communities and organizations during my mandate. Over half a century has gone by since the relocation of Inuit from this community to the High Arctic. I am here on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Government of Canada, and all Canadians to offer an apology for these events. Today's ceremony is an important step towards healing and reconciliation. Please accept the apology I am about to offer on behalf of all Canadians. I hope that it will form the basis of a strengthened relationship with the Government of Canada. On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, we would like to offer a full and sincere apology to Inuit for the relocation of families from Inukjuak and Pond Inlet to Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay during the 1950s. We would like to express our deepest sorrow for the extreme hardship and suffering caused by the relocation. The families were separated from their home communities and extended families by more than a thousand kilometres. They were not provided with adequate shelter and supplies. They were not properly informed of how far away and how different from Inukjuak their new homes would be, and they were not aware that they would be separated into two communities once they arrived in the High Arctic. Moreover, the Government failed to act on its promise to return anyone that did not wish to stay in the High Arctic to their old homes. The Government of Canada deeply regrets the mistakes and broken promises of this dark chapter of our history and apologizes for the High Arctic relocation having taken place. We would like to pay tribute to the relocatees for their perseverance and courage. Despite the suffering and hardship, the relocatees and their descendants were successful in building vibrant communities in Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay. The Government of Canada recognizes that these communities have contributed to a strong Canadian presence in the High Arctic. The relocation of Inuit families to the High Arctic is a tragic chapter in Canada's history that we should not forget, but that we must acknowledge, learn from and teach our children. Acknowledging our shared history allows us to move forward in partnership and in a spirit of reconciliation. The Government of Canada and Inuit have accomplished many great things together, and all Canadians have benefitted from the contributions of Inuit to our culture and history. We must continue to strengthen our connections and deepen our understanding and respect. We must jointly build a stronger, healthier and more vibrant Inuit Nunangat and, in turn, build a stronger, healthier and more vibrant Canada. The Government of Canada hopes that this apology will help heal the wounds caused by events that began nearly 60 years ago and turn the page on this sad chapter in Canada's history. May it strengthen the foundation upon which the Government of Canada and Inuit can build and help keep the True North Strong and Free.