Residents of Igloolik, Nunavut, now have a new way to explore and share their local history through the launch of an interactive virtual museum called Mondes Inuit. The online project brings culture from the 1960s and 1970s to digital devices, offering access to over 50 historical objects collected by anthropologist Bernard Saladin d’Anglure.
The virtual collection is organized into four distinct sections: Children, Women, Men, and Community Life. Each area features photos and detailed descriptions of the objects, ranging from children’s games to traditional hunting equipment. To help provide context and depth, Igloolik elders Natalino Piugattuk and Deborah Qaunaq contributed video testimonies to share their knowledge about the items. Users can also engage with the material through interactive quizzes.
This initiative is the result of a four-year collaboration between Laval University, Nunavut Arctic College, and Iglulik High School. The project received support from Digital Museums Canada and also involved the cultural mediation agency L’ibis et l’allégorie. To ensure the history remains accessible to a wide audience, the entire museum is available in English, Inuktitut, and French.
The project is guided by the traditional knowledge framework known as Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, supporting ongoing efforts to maintain and share Inuit traditions through the digitization of these materials.
