This fonds contains .5 cm of textual material and 41 black and white prints taken by Wilfred H. Kennedy who lived in the north in the late 1930s. He worked on the boats travelling the Mackenzie River before moving to Yellowknife, where he was employed at Con Mine. The photographs depict Eldorado Mines, Great Bear Lake and Con Mine, Yellowknife. There are images of miners and other residents of Yellowknife, including the members of the first hockey team in the community. There are also photographs of some of the first buildings in the community. There is also a letter from Alex C. Mosher, and a number of newspaper clippings dating from 1938 which were annotated by Alex Mosher.
Yellowknife Local History ProjectThis fonds consists of 261 photographs (19 black and white slides; 242 colour slides) taken by Terry Garvin between 1954 and 1982. Many of the images were taken during Garvin's work as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer, although some were taken during trips he made after leaving the RCMP, including while working for the Arctic Pilot Project. Subjects include community views and buildings, scenic views, mines, people, Tlicho hand games, aircraft, and boats. Locations include but are not limited to Yellowknife, Behchoko, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord, and Fort Smith.
Garvin, TerryThis fonds consists of 291 photographs and 6.2 cm of textual material. There are images of Aklavik and the surrounding area, as well as images that document Mary Saich's trip to Tuktoyaktuk. In addition, there is one scrapbook compiled by Mary Saich; one notebook that includes historical and geographical notes on the Northwest Territories, her curriculum ideas and a manuscript entitled "A Year in Canada's North" which includes copies/originals of articles on the north and copies/originals of Mary Saich's correspondence with her parents.
Saich, MaryThis fonds consists of 132 colour slides of Camp Canol. Included in the images are winter and summer scenes, views of buildings and equipment, and scenes of the camp being burned.
Schmitke, WarrenThis fonds consists of 135 photographs copied from two albums compiled by the Lindberg family. The photographs were taken during the 1940s and 1950s and show Lindberg family members, communities along the Liard River including Fort Nelson, B.C., Fort Liard and Fort Simpson, freighting and ferry operations.
Lindberg (family)This fonds consists of approximately 15,538 photographs in various formats such as slides, prints and negatives, approximately 37 cm of text, 2 DAT audio cassettes, 25 audio reels, 6 films, 3 BetaCam videocassettes, 43 posters, 12 drawings and 2 maps. The photographic material dates between the late 1950s to 1995 and contains images of various communities and daily life of the Dene people of the North and South Slave regions. Eighteen photographs of Fort Good Hope collected by the donor likely date from the 1920s. By media type, there are roughly 10,700 colour slides, 1800 b/w negatives and 3000 colour negatives. The fonds also includes one colour print of Rene sitting on his snowmobile, which was later donated to the Collections section of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The textual material consists of the unedited, penultimate draft of the manuscript for "As Long As This Land Shall Last: A History of Treaty 8 and Treaty 11, 1870-1939," which contains more detail than the published text. Also included are two transcripts of interviews conducted between Rene Fumoleau and Paul Vaudrack, a Gwich'in man. The first, a 25 page (3 mm) transcript of an interview conducted in French in 1955, concerns the Gwich'in equivalent of the Yamoria legend. The second, from October 1968 and typewritten in English, depicts Gwich'in life in the early-twentieth century. This manuscript discusses the influence of the English language, residential schools, and the outbreaks of influenza at that time. The bulk of the textual material are copies of court proceedings from the Benoit et.al. v. R. case of the late 1990s relating to Treaty 8 and a copy of the thesis dissertation by Marine Le Puloch entitled 'Le Traite no. 8 au Canada, beneficiaires et exclus' (1999), also relating to Treaty 8. There are 25 audio reels and 2 DAT audiocassettes that contain audio from "My Country, My People," "I Was Born Here" and "Dene Nation." In addition, the sound recordings contain music from "Our Land, Our Life," drum music from Fort Good Hope recorded in the 1957, Dene songs, Hareskin language and messages from the people of Fort Good Hope to friends and relatives in the hospital in Aklavik. There are 3 copies of the film entitled "Dene Nation" and 3 copies of the film "I Was Born Here", one of which is in French, entitled "Mon pays est ma vie". There are also 3 corresponding archival master BetaCam videocassettes for the films. The remaining material consists of 43 posters and 2 maps that date between 1977-1985. The posters relate to Native Rights, land claims, and Native Organizations such as the Dene Nation. There are also two maps entitled Canada's First People's and Centennial Map of the Northwest Territories. The fonds includes transcripts from eight interviews condcuted by Jane Kenny in 1984 with elders from Deline and documents related to the first two meetings of the Thebacha Association in 1967.
Fumoleau, ReneThis fonds consists of 118 black and white copy negatives. The images include locations such as Aklavik, Baker Lake, Bathurst Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet, Coppermine, Shingle Point (Yukon), and Herschel Island (Yukon). Images feature Inuit, buildings (including igloos), boats and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) personnel.
Cook, AlfredThis fonds consists of 75 black and white negatives. 74 of the negatives were taken from August 1946 to May 1948 and are cellulose nitrate. One negative was taken in June, 1994 as a comparison to an earlier image of the same location. The photographs feature the locations of Port Radium, Yellowknife, and Norman Wells. Subjects include an Eldorado Mining and Refining, Ltd. camp, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals stations, airplanes, Governor General Alexander's 1947 visit to the Northwest Territories, the Imperial Oil Limited camp and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police dog patrol. Most of the images were photographed by Robert van't Hoff, however two images are credited to Henry Busse.
van't Hoff, RobertThis fonds consists of 5 cm of textual records, 346 photographs (colour slides), 6 reels of film (16mm original masters), 13 pieces of film, and 1 Umatic videocassette (archival master). The textual records consist of two bound volumes, one a diary documenting research and survey work, and the other a vessel log. The textual records also include a folder containing narration intented for one or two of the film reels. The photographs depict members of the survey crew and the Local Aklavik Advisory Committee at work during the initial survey and the later construction at Inuvik. The slides also document various aspects of the survey work including clearing ground cover, drilling test holes and constructing roads. Additionally, the photographs depict various buildings being constructed at Inuvik and some close-ups of pile driving and the construction of the town's utilidor system. The slides are originals created by Curtis Merrill, with the exception of a few duplicate slides created by Roger Brown. These duplicate slides carry the notation "R.B.". The film reels and videocassette primarily feature Aklavik and the construction of the new settlement of Inuvik (initially known as East 3). One reel is believed to be from Merrill's 1949 film of an expedition to Foxe Basin. There is also footage of the South Slave Region, Great Slave Lake, and Nahanni Butte. The 13 pieces of film contain outtakes from the Aklavik/Inuvik footage.
Merrill, CurtisThis fonds consists of 580 copy negatives (35 mm) and 196 prints which are duplicates of the negatives. These are copies of photographs which belonged to Wop May. Though many of the images are not dated, however, the original photographs appear to date from circa 1928 to 1948. Many of the photographs were taken in northern Alberta, but locations within the Northwest Territories include Aklavik, Fort Norman, Rae, Arctic Red River, Hay River, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, and Fort Resolution. The images include pilots, aircraft, and various aspects of air mail delivery.
This fonds also includes one map which appears to have been published in the Edmonton Journal. The map depicts Canada Post's inaugural air mail flight on December 10, 1929 between Edmonton and Aklavik piloted by Wop May.
May, WopThis fonds consists of one folder of text and approximately 865 photographs taken during the time Bart Hawkins spent in the north at various Royal Canadian Mounted Police stations, including Fort Simpson, Yellowknife, Port Radium, and Fort Liard. Included among the images are views of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) duties, some recreational activities of the RCMP and views of the scenery in the regions where Bart Hawkins was stationed. Many of the images show RCMP personnel and facilities. Also included are images of treaty payment days and Port Radium mine. The textual material consists of two pamphlets from the city of Yellowknife.
Hawkins, BartThis fonds consists of 5 audio cassettes containing interviews with elders that lived in the Salt River area in the 1920s and 1930s, including Francois King Beaulieu, Maria Brown, Vincent Beaulieu, Liza Schaefer, Francois Laviolette and Fred Dawson. The topics of the interviews include a history of the Beaulieu family, housing construction, animal husbandry, farming and the effect of the flood that took place at the Salt River Settlement in the 1930s. The fonds also contains 3 cm of textual material which includes Chipewyan transcripts and English translations of the sound recordings.
Salt River Settlement Oral History ProjectThis fonds consists of 513 colour slides, 8 colour prints, 2 original master sound cassettes and 2 DAT audiocassettes. The original two audiocassettes were copied to DAT circa 1995-1996. The DAT cassettes now constitute the archival masters. The two DAT audio cassettes (items :0522 and :0523) document the first meeting of the Great Slave Lake Housing Association which was held at Hay River in July, 1969. The 513 colour slides (items :0001 to :0513) and the colour prints (items :0514 to :0521) depict a variety of northern communities. Twenty of the slides (items :0366 to :0385) are copies of images taken by Sister B. Matte, a Grey Nun who worked in Rae in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of these images illustrate the social conditions, which existed in the 1960s and 1970s. A large number of images focus upon education in the north; depicting schools, adult education centres, teachers and students. There are also many images, which depict types of housing found in various communities. Subjects covered include education, housing, transportation, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police ceremony to honour Special Constables in the north, recreational activities, Caribou Carnivals in Yellowknife, Sports Day activities in Pangnirtung in 1971, and Toonik Tyme festivities in Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit) circa 1970. Communities depicted include: Arctic Bay, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Colville Lake, Coppermine, Detah (Dettah), Eskimo Point (Arviat), Fort Chimo, Fort Good Hope, Fort Liard, Fort McPherson, Fort Norman, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Fort Wrigley, Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit), Hall Beach, Hay River, Igloolik, Inuvik, Nahanni Butte, Norman Wells, Pangnirtung, Pelly Bay, Pond Inlet, Port Burwell, Rae-Edzo, Rankin Inlet, Repulse Bay, Sachs Harbour, Spence Bay (Taloyoak), Tuktoyaktuk and Yellowknife.
Lidster, EchoThis fonds consists of 51 photographs copied from a photo album and a small number of news clippings. The photographs show Yellowknife in 1946 including: the Anglican and Catholic Churches, the Wildcat Café, the interior of the Busy Bee Café and the Loran station.
Densem (family)This fonds consists of 543 photographs, 8 audio reels, 4 DAT audiocassettes, 7 16 mm films, 8 videocassettes and 2 cm of textual material. The photographic material consists of 543 prints and negatives. Included among the photographs are black and white images taken by Richard Finnie between 1939 and 1946. Some of these images were mounted into photograph albums and feature people and scenes of Yellowknife, Fort Rae, Aklavik, Fort Norman, Norman Wells, Fort Smith and the Canol Project. This fonds also includes images taken in 1931 of people at Coronation Gulf, photographs documenting Finnie's travels in the arctic during the 1920s and 1930s that depict aspects of the fur trade, mission work, government activities in the north including treaty payments, medical treatments, transportation, communication and the life of the Copper Inuit. In addition, there are images taken by Richard Finnie during a trip to Fort Rae at treaty time in 1974. Some of these photographs were included in an article that Finnie wrote for "The Beaver", Summer 1975, entitled "Treaty Time at Fort Rae". The fonds also includes a photograph album containing 142 colour prints entitled "Canol: The Authors Photographic Post Mortem" which was compiled by Finnie from photos of his 1977 tour of the remains of the Canol project.
The sound recordings consists of 8 audio reels (original masters) and 4 DAT audio cassettes (archival masters) containing the following: Trevor Lloyd interviewing Henry Larsen and Vilhalmjur Stefansson in 1962; E. M. Weyer interviewing Stefansson in 1955; and the soundtrack from the 1962 National Film Board film "Stefansson the Arctic Prophet." The moving images consist of 7 films created or collected by R.S. Finnie; the films were copied to 8 Umatic format videocassettes. The films are: "In the Shadow of the Pole" (1928); "The Arctic Patrol" (1929); "Among the Igloo Dwellers" (1930-31); "Ikpuck, The Igloo Dweller" (highlights from "Among the Igloo Dwellers"); "Patrol to the Northwest Passage" (1937); "The Dogrib Treaty" (1939); and "Canol" (1946?). The first two films listed cover the Eastern Arctic voyages of the "Beothic" (ship), and the next two focus on the Copper Inuit. "Patrol to the Northwest Passage" depicts the meeting of the "Nascopie" (ship) and "Aklavik" (ship).
The text consists of one file containing a copy of a draft of an unpublished manuscript entitled "Canol - The sub-arctic Pipeline and Refinery Project of Bechtel - Price - Callahan for the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army 1942-1944."
Finnie, RichardThis fonds consists of 880 original photographic negatives and 59 copy negatives taken between 1910-1970. The images include the communities of Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyatuk, Inuvik and Aklavik, as well as DEW line stations BAR 2 and BAR C.
Lennie (family)This fonds consists of 36 cm of textual material and 124 colour slides. The textual material is made up of 12 volumes of Harrman's journals dated August 6, 1959 to November 11, 1967, a manuscript of an unpublished story entitled "Lucy Beavertail," numerous short stories, sketchbooks, cards and personal records, including accounts. The 124 colour slides feature Rae and the paintings of Charles Harrman.
Harrman, CharlesThis fonds consists of 754 photographs, 95 postcards, 23 audio reels and 2 audio cassettes, 29 maps and 8.2 meters of textual records created and accumulated by Robert "Bobby" Porritt from the 1920s until his death in 1984. The records include correspondence, Porritt's notes, accounting records, banking records, other business records, records pertaining to the Northwest Territories Legislative Council (consisting primarily of copies), memorabilia, Jock McMeekan's records, a few annual reports and newsletters, some posters and ephemera, newspaper clippings, maps and plans, sound recordings, and photographs. In particular, the records document Porritt's occupational and political activities, his personal interests and his relationships with many friends and family members.
The correspondence, in particular is an excellent record of the economic, social and political aspects of life in Hay River from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. Porritt appears to have maintained intense personal contacts with the majority of the people in the Hay River area, including considerable correspondence with aboriginal hunters and trappers, who had become friends of Porritt. Also well documented is the Fort Resolution community in the 1930s, through correspondence and business records of the Fort Resolution Lumber Company. Since Porritt was Member of the Legislative Council for Mackenzie South, the records include correspondence with various other members of Council (e.g. Commissioner Ben G. Sivertz and John Goodall) and members of parliament. These letters contain discussion about political and bureaucratic issues facing Council before the move of the territorial government to Yellowknife in 1967. Unusually active in local organizations, Porritt's papers contain correspondence on behalf of these organizations. His interest in all aspects of his community, the north, and the world in general, are revealed in the magazines, ephemera, posters and other types of items he collected. The photographs taken and collected by Porritt cover a wide variety of subjects and dates. Photographs of family members, friends, business colleagues, communities and special interests such as aircraft and marine transportation are predominating.
In 1986, the NWT Archives received some 70 linear meters of records of Bobby Porritt, which included newspapers and government publications. Although the records had survived a flood and subsequent repacking, virtually no original order was discernible. Arrangement of series is by type of record, with the correspondence arranged in somewhat more detail than most other series. The photographs were sorted according to several subject categories.
Porritt, BobbyThis fonds consists of approximately 51 meters of textual records, approximately 116 photographs, and 31 maps created and accumulated by the Northern Administration Branch and its various predecessors, from 1920 to 1978. The material was generated by the Federal government's activities in administering the Northwest Territories. Most of the records (over 34 m of textual records) are composed of files transferred from Ottawa to Yellowknife beginning in 1967, and include administrative and operational files. The majority of these files date between 1949 and 1967 and incorporate: correspondence, reports, vital statistic information, financial data, minutes, and a wide variety of reference material kept by the department. The files were classified via a numerical block system. The block system consisted of primary, secondary and tertiary levels such that a composite file number (for example 311-105-93) would represent a progression from general subject matter to a specific subject and/or location. The following primary blocks arrange the files:
100 - Administration;
200 - Economic and Industrial Development;
300 - Engineering Projects;
400 - Forests and Game;
500 - Public Service;
600 - Education;
1000 - General files on settlements, associations, companies, provinces, foreign countries, Inuit affairs, and resources;
20 - Individual case files;
3 - Personnel and organizational files.
None of the 700, 800 or 900 block files were forwarded to the NWT Archives. Moreover, at the time of transfer from Ottawa, it appears that other records from the file blocks brought to Yellowknife were culled in Ottawa. In addition, not all government functions were transferred in 1967, and some files contain records generated after 1967 from the continued administration of a function either by the federal government or from the use of the files by the new Territorial Government. A small number of photographs were located in the files during processing, however, these images have been left in their original files.
Additional accruals to this fonds make up another 10 meters of textual records and include the Northern Administration Branch records from the Fort Churchill district office dating from 1960 to 1970, and Western Arctic education records from 1964 to 1969. Another accrual of 7 meters of textual records documents the administration of trapping and hunting in the Northwest Territories, including correspondence, Superintendent of Game daily journals, game officer daily diaries and monthly reports, meeting minutes and materials, wildlife publications and reports, procedures, registered trapping area files, licence applications and licences, hunting and trapping returns, and fur export tax returns.
Other records of this fonds consist of: four ledgers kept between 1920 and 1967 documenting fur trapping and fur trading activities, four ledgers documenting fur and game take and value on registered trap lines, various licensing, and scientific research work; budget papers including estimates, expenditure statements and capital substantiation reports for 1966 to 1969; 2 supplementary readers, "Nuna" and "The Story of Papik an Eskimo Boy" compiled by the Curriculum Section of the Education Division from the journals of young Inuit children; and a 1954 report produced by C.C. Johnson, a Resident Engineer from Fort Smith. This report, entitled "Preliminary Report, Mackenzie Highway - Mills Lake Road" includes 31 corner mounted photographic prints and 16 black and white negatives. The report discusses plans to build a road to Mills Landing. In addition, there are copies of the Eskimo Bulletin dated from 1953-1959. The Eskimo Bulletin was produced by the Northern Administration and Land Branch in order to teach Inuit the English language.
Canada. Northern Administration BranchThis fonds consists of approximately 8 meters of textual material, approximately 73,344 black and white and colour photographs in print, negative and slide formats including many duplicates, 224 audiocassettes, 165 audio reels, 5 DAT audiocassettes, 25 16-mm films, 15 videocassettes in Beta, VHS and Helical Scan videotape formats and 4 architectural drawings. The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and the Northwest Territories Archives generated the bulk of the textual material. The material consists of transcripts of interviews conducted by the Northwest Territories Archives with Father Louis Menez, Violet Beaulieu and Sven Johansson. Six of the audio reels contain stories that were recorded at the Miner's Mess restaurant as part of the Cultural Festival component of the 1990 Arctic Winter Games held in Yellowknife and feature storytelling by Claire Barnabe, Barb Bromley, Rene Fumoleau, Jim Green, Abe Okpik, Erik Watt, Lorne Schollar, D'Arcy Arden, George Blondin, Neil Colin, Mary Forrest, Pete Fraser, Joe Tobie and Jim Bourque. Other cassettes feature interviews with Ben Sutherland and Laura Loutitt. In addition, there are audiocassettes and English translations of an interview conducted by the Archaeology Section with Slavey Elder George Boots and video cassettes of "Drum Lake-Archaeology", "The Last Mooseskin Boat", and "Where Time Began". There are also records from the Northwest Territories Historical Advisory Board, the Northwest Territories Heritage Council and Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, including the NWT Arts Council. Included are operational and administrative files from the Archaeological and Historic Sites program, Education and Extension program, Territorial Plaque program, Exhibits program, Museum grants and Northwest Territories Archives. Records from the Culture and Heritage Division (Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre) consist of various administrative records concerning Land Use applications, minutes of various Culture and Heritage Division meetings, program reports, support for community heritage related efforts, promotional pamphlets, archaeology permit requests, museum policy development, and special Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre projects such as Trapline - Lifeline.
Also included are files on various conferences such as the Canadian Conference on Historical Resources, the Northern Museums Conference, and Committees such as the Interdepartmental Committee on Archaeology, the Canada-Northwest Territories Consultative Committee on Parks and the Museum Advisory Committee.
A small portion of the textual records were created by the Language Bureau including a Briefing Note for the Minister about the activities of the Language Bureau, a proposal from an consultant and input from the Language Bureau about an operational review of the division, an evaluation of the Language Bureau and comments on the NWT Literacy Strategy by the staff of the Language Bureau. The remainder of the files include records from the Athapaskan Language Steering Committee, the Dene Languages Committee and internal newsletters that were produced by the Language Bureau called Dene Yati, The Booth, Language Bureau Bulletin and one newsletter called Tusagatsait.
There are approximately 55,724 black and white and colour photographs in print, negative and slide formats that were generated or acquired by the Television and Radio Services Division, Department of Culture and Communications and by the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The collection of photographs from Television and Radio Services document the Government of the Northwest Territories involvement in housing, education and training, arts and crafts, tourism, transportation and industry. There are also images documenting native land use, community activities, special events such as Expo '86 and Arctic Winter Games, public buildings and housing, Commissioners of the Northwest Territories, NWT Council, the Legislative Assembly and Members of the Legislative Assembly. The photographs from the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre include photographs taken at Pine Point, Fort Resolution and Pangnirtung, as well as photographs created by archaeological and historic site surveys, and photographs of the Aviation Gallery at the Heritage Centre. The 132 audiocassettes, 155 sound reels and 4 DAT audio cassettes consist of recordings that were produced and collected by the Radio and Television Services Division of the Department of Culture and Communications between 1970-1986 and by the Northwest Territories Archives and Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The recordings include soundtracks for films, interviews, speeches, special effect sounds, Inuit throat singing and government programs such as the series "Behind Closed Doors-A Series on Spousal Assault in the Northwest Territories" and "So You Want to Start Your Own Business." The 25 16-mm films include copies of "You Can't Grow Potatoes Up There"; "Koukdjuak Crossing: Caribou Tagging on Baffin Island"; "Bathurst Inlet Caribou" (may also be titled: To Have Forever: Hunting the Bathurst Caribou Herd); "Nikko Island", "Wood Bison"; "Kellett's Storehouse"; "Yellowknife"; "Caribou"; "Heritage Centre Spots"; "Kissiutiyeet"; "Gordon Lake"; "Decisions"; "Future"; and "Anik Info Spots" (air prints). The Beta videocassettes contain videos produced by the Language Bureau of the Department of Culture and Communications. The films are entitled "MLA," "Home Maintenance-Northwest Territories Housing Corporation," "Home Maintenance-Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation" and "How the Fur Trade Works" which is in South Slavey. The two helical scan videos consist of a Keewatin Economic Development Conference and the film "Hire North." Another Betamax cassette is of "Rivers of Faith" documenting Pope John Paul II's visit to Fort Simpson in 1987. The architectural drawings were generated by a project through the Northwest Territories Archives in which the old Catholic Mission building in Fort Resolution was documented.
Also contained in this fonds are materials dating from 1986-1991 including 3 Baffin Bulletin newsletters, 2 spousal assault newsletters, a report on spousal abuse, a report on the traditional knowledge working group, a directory guide of Northern cultural and arts performers from approximately 1990, and various press releases.
Northwest Territories. Department of Culture and Communications (1985-1992)