Centuries of Labrador's History captured online
Over 250 years of contact between disparate peoples and two years of intense collaboration among three universities have come together in a rich archival resource now available online.
The Labrador Inuit Through Moravian Eyes is a website that documents the Moravian experience in coastal Labrador from 1752, when the first missionaries came to encourage the previously nomadic Inuit people to settle permanently, and to become Christians. Through thousands of pages of text and hundreds of photographs, paintings, drawings, maps and even video, visitors to the site can experience the challenges, the relationship that grew between two such different people, and the changing impact of that contact over time.
"This is an incredible digital collection and, I hope, the start of many opportunities to make the materials that are unique to Memorial available to the rest of the world," Bert Riggs (BA, Hons. '77, B.Ed. '77), head archivist in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies at the Queen Elizabeth II Library, said as the site was launched in October.
Digitization of the archive for online presentation was a collaborative effort between the libraries of the University of Toronto, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Université Laval. The project was made possible, in part, by funding from the Canadian Culture Online program of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
At the site's launch, project leader Karen Turko of the library at the University of Toronto explained that she initiated the collaboration "because we had lots of technical know-how at the U of T on digitization, but we didn't have a collection that fit [with the Canadian Heritage online program]."
Ms. Turko said she recalled Mr. Riggs, a former student in her information studies course, who had made an impression when he spoke of Memorial University's historical collections.
"We were able to put together this digital collection, which is remarkable in its visual appeal, its scholarly value, its scope and its usefulness," she said.
The user-friendly site provides a flexible menu for browsing and searching. Bilingual metadata and fully-searchable text make it easy to find and retrieve information. But the technology does not overshadow the wealth of historical information: visitors can view rare manuscript maps and site drawings, read an 1867 journal, page by page, in its original hand, or watch films shot in the 1960s or '70s.
An educational component has also been incorporated.Working with school curriculums, the team designed toolkits for both teachers and students. Five instructional units for Grades 7 to 10 cover a range of themes. A teacher toolkit offers historical and cultural background and suggested teaching strategies, as well as context from which to explore and better understand the materials contained in this online archive.
According to Mr. Riggs, the student toolkit is intended to foster an awareness of Inuit peoples and northern Canadian history. The resource also contains components aimed at improving critical literary and research skills among youth.
To access this remarkable heritage collection, visit The Labrador Inuit Through Moravian Eyes at http://link.library.utoronto.ca/inuitmoravian/.