Library & Archives
Our mandate is to gather, preserve, and make the culture and history of Nunavik widely available.
Since 1983
In 1983, Avataq and Makivvik launched a project to research the history of Nunavik. Within a few years, oral history interviews were conducted in each community, historical photographs were collected, and various archives were searched for relevant documents. These materials formed the core of Avataq’s documentary collection, which has continued to grow since. Our mandate is to gather, preserve, and make the culture and history of Nunavik widely available.
Collections
Today, the Inuttigut Pirusiit Documentation Centre houses our Library and the Archives. The library contains thousands of publications pertaining to Nunavik and Inuit Nunangat (Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut), including periodicals, books, dictionaries, digital texts, and audiovisual material. The archives contain a substantial documentary collection including nearly 2,000 oral histories, over 46,000 historical photographs and films, and textual records from many individuals who spent time in Nunavik.
Research
The Documentation Centre is open to researchers at Avataq’s Montreal office. Please contact us in advance to make an appointment, or for other research requests. We are a small team and receive a high volume of requests, so please provide as much information as possible about your request, and allow some time for us to get back to you.
The Innaviuti project
Launched in 2021, Innaviuti captures the wisdom of Nunavik’s Elders through intimate video interviews. Named after the small pouch Inuit used to carry valuables, Innaviuti gathers Elders’ memories, skills, and hopes, preserving stories of childhood, cultural traditions, and resilience.
Share your archives
There are many ways to share with us.
We value the wishes and rights of donors. Note that we are a small organization with limited capacity, so we prioritize historical records from or about Nunavik, and may not accept all donations. Please inquire at the address below.
Call: Nathalie Delean (Head Archivist)
Avataq Cultural Institute