THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

472nd Meeting

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Claudio Aporta:  OLD ROUTES, NEW TRAILS: EXPLORING INUIT SENSE OF TERRITORY ACROSS THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

The presentation will introduce some results and reflections arising from several years of research in different Inuit communities of Nunavut. The Canadian Arctic can be understood as a network of Inuit trails, over land and sea ice. The spatial extension and historical depth of the trails will be analyzed and their geographic and social characteristics, as well as their connection with Inuit place names, will be described. Lastly, the implications of these findings will be addressed.

Born and raised in the province of Mendoza, Argentina, Claudio Aporta obtained a B.A. in Communication at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. He moved to Canada in 1997 to pursue graduate study at the University of Alberta. Following award of the Ph.D. degree in Anthropology, he held a postdoctoral fellowship at Université Laval. In 2005, Dr. Aporta joined the Anthropology faculty of Carleton University, where he holds the rank of Associate Professor; he is also a faculty member of Carleton's Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre. Since 1998 he has been involved in ethnographic research in several Inuit communities in Nunavut, particularly Igloolik, focussing on how Inuit relate to their physical environment as well as on the transmission of their oral knowledge in the contemporary context. Currently, Dr. Aporta is Principal Investigator for the Inuit Sea Ice Use and Occupancy Project.

This meeting is the last regular meeting of the 2009-2010 season of The Arctic Circle. It will be held in the Astra Lounge on the entrance level of the RCAF Officers Mess, 158 Gloucester Street (just east of Bank Street), Ottawa. Parking is available on the street and in nearby parking lots. There is a charge of 3.00 for evening use of the parking lot in the same block as the Mess. The meeting begins at 2000 hrs and the bar will be available from 1930 hrs. As always, guests are welcome.

The Annual Dinner will be held on Thursday, April 29, with Peter J. Usher as guest of honour. Details are provided in a separate announcement.

A Happy, Healthy and Safe Summer to All!

Thomas Frisch
Secretary
(613 725-2221); tfrisch@sympatico.ca