Artifact #7: A Humorous Sign Outside the Resolute CRAF Barracks

Citation:

Living Quarters at RCAF Station Resolute Bay, Nunavut. Photograph. Archives Canada, Catalogue no. R4399-12-3-E. https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=5844652&q=resolute%20bay&ecopy=e011314354

Label:

The photo is of a humorous sign located outside the Resolute Bay RCAF station barracks, just a few miles from the Inuit settlement. The sign, listing the numerous modern amenities of the barracks, is in sharp contrast to the housing conditions faced by those at Resolute and Grise.  The settlers had been surprised to find that they would not be provided materials for housing, instead having to start from scratch.  Differing snow conditions challenged the Inuit’s traditional igloo building process, thus the settlers had to resort largely to the CRAF/USAF dump to build initial shelter.  Even access to this dump became highly restricted as authorities were weary of the Inuit becoming reliant on the white man, racist concerns which stemmed largely from stereotypes of Indigenous overdependence on government assistance.  Although adequate resources were available to white residents of the Arctic, ethnocentric bias left the development of Resolute and Grise Fiord low among the priorities for government officials.  Those resources that were available were directed towards military installations tasked with promoting national sovereignty in the Arctic.  As far as the government was concerned, the Inuit’s mere presence (comfortable or not) was all that was required to support the same aim.

Bibliography:

Privy Council Office. High Arctic Relocation: International Norms and Standards. By Russel L. Barsh. Catalogue no. Z1-1991/1-41-3E. Ottawa, ON: Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/bcp-pco/Z1-1991-1-41-3-eng.pdf

Qikiqtani Inuit Association. Qikiqtani Truth Commission Community Histories 1950 - 1975: Resolute Bay. Iqaluit, NU: Inhabit Media Inc., 2013. https://www.qtcommission.ca/sites/default/files/community/community_histories_resolute_bay.pdf