Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: The Archaeology of Labrador Inuit Choices in an 18th-and 19th-Century Mission Context

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。这个考古和民族历史项目探索了德国摩拉维亚传教士对加拿大因纽特文化的长期经济和社会影响，通过研究18世纪和19世纪因纽特人物质文化和饮食方式的变化，在拉布拉多的霍普代尔传教镇附近。它探讨了为什么因纽特人选择离开他们的定居点去传教，皈依基督教并采用欧洲的做法，以及这种文化转型是否是受早期等级社会制度影响的更长的历史轨迹的一部分。更具体地说，该项目将利用考古证据和历史文献来确定是否存在因纽特人的社会等级制度，其中杰出的因纽特人由于组织狩猎团体和与欧洲人进行贸易的能力而上升到领导地位。狩猎和贸易船长将更容易获得所需的贸易商品，并因此积累更多的这些物品。摩拉维亚人的及时到来打破了这种等级制度，使地位较低的因纽特人能够获得同样想要的商品。研究早期历史时期的数据提供了关于已经存在的社会结构的信息，并作为解释因纽特人宗教选择的模型的基础。因此，测试因纽特人的社会组织模式可能揭示因纽特人改信基督教的原因。除了学术上的重要性，这个拟议的项目还包含了社区考古的组成部分，提供了替代的教育和工作机会，同时为当地的文化遗产做出了贡献。该项目将包括当地考古学家、博物馆馆长、教师和沿海的因纽特老人，以促进和保护反映个人和集体记忆的文化景观。在Hopedale博物馆举办一个关于当地考古学的永久性展览，并为拉布拉多学校编写一本专门的考古学资料书，这一合作努力为因纽特青年提供了一种文化体验，并大大扩大了对19世纪因纽特人和摩拉维亚人在北拉布拉多居住的认识和赞赏。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This archaeological and ethnohistorical project explores the long-term economic and social impact of German Moravian missionaries on Canadian Inuit culture, by examining changes in 18th-and 19th-century Inuit material culture and foodways near the mission town of Hopedale, Labrador. It examines why Inuit chose to move out of their settlements to missions, convert to Christianity and adopt European practices, and whether this cultural transformation was part of a longer historical trajectory that was influenced by an earlier hierarchical social system. More specifically, the project will use archaeological evidence and historical documents to determine whether there was an Inuit social hierarchy where prominent Inuit men rose to positions of leadership due to their ability to organize hunting groups and trade with Europeans. Hunting and trading captains would experience greater accessibility to desired trade goods, and, as a result, accumulate more of those items. The timely arrival of the Moravians disrupted this hierarchical system by offering lower status Inuit access to those same desired goods. Examining data from the early historic period provides information on social structures already in place and serves as a foundation for models explaining Inuit religious choices. Thus, testing models of Inuit social organization may reveal reasons why Inuit converted to Christianity. Beyond the academic importance, this proposed project incorporates a community archaeology component offering alternative education and work opportunities while contributing to local cultural heritage efforts. This program will include local archaeologists, museum directors, teachers and Inuit elders along the coast to promote and preserve a cultural landscape reflecting individual and collective memories. A collaborative effort to develop a permanent exhibit on local archaeology in the Hopedale museum and a special archaeology resource book for Labrador schools provides a cultural experience for Inuit youth as well as significantly expands awareness and appreciation of the 19th century Inuit and Moravian tenure in Northern Labrador.