Celine Gilbert (CNGO) in collaboration with the Inuit Heritage Trust

In the past, Inuit depended exclusively on wildlife and the Land for survival. Traditional methods of oral communication and acquiring geographic knowledge from elders was essential. With Inuit now living in communities and having a greater participation in a wage economy, travel patterns on the Land have changed and places once visited frequently are seen less often. If geographic knowledge is not used, it will be forgotten. The longer it takes to record traditional geographic information, the more knowledge and information about the Land will be lost.

Inuktitut maps, intended to bridge the technology gap from oral communication to GIS technology, offer a sustainable solution for maintaining and archiving aspects of Inuit geographic and environmental knowledge.

The Traditional Place Names Project produces printed 1:150,000-scale maps based on 1:250,000 NTS sheets. Geographic features possessing traditional names are defined by a coloured outline and a description of the name or feature is listed in tables attached to the map.

Contact
Celine Gilbert