Archives and Primary Sources

Photographic serie: Montagnais and Naskapi communities of the Côte-Nord and Labrador (BAnQ)

Available to all

This photographic series was taken by Paul Provencher and bears witness to his career as a forest engineer for the Quebec North Shore company between 1929 and 1963. During this period, he explored, surveyed and inventoried the boreal forest of the Côte-Nord and du Labrador. He meets and accompanies the Innu along the Manicouagan and Toulnustouc rivers and visits the communities of Betsiamites (Pessamit), Sept-Îles (Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam), La Romaine (Unamen Shipi), Moisie Fort Mackenzie (Kawawachikamach, Matimekosh). His photographs bear witness to the Innu-aitun culture and promote the recognition of ancestral aboriginal practices that have been tested and proven for centuries.

Photographic serie: supplying Hudson's Bay Company posts and patrolling arctic waters (BAnQ)

Available to all

Photographs taken during the summer of 1944 by the geographer Pierre Dagenais during a long-haul journey towards Labrador with stops at Cartwright, Hebron and Baffin (Cape Dorset) on board the Nascopie, a supply ship for remote posts of the Far North of the Hudson's Bay Company. These annual excursions under the aegis of the federal government were designed to establish Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic and study related emerging issues. These photographs highlight scenes related to the provision of food and everyday consumer goods to island Inuit communities.

Photographs: Antarctica and expeditions of various explorers (BAnQ)

Available to all

These photographs, which range from 1913 to 1941 and each of which is accompanied by a typed card describing the circumstances surrounding its creation, relate to the Antarctic frenzy that swept the world at the turn of the 20th century. Several photographs show the American expedition led by the United States Antarctic Service and coordinated by Admiral Richard E. Byrd during World War II. It includes photographs of Robert Falcon Scott's 1910-1913 Southern Expedition, which was carried out for the purposes of scientific research and geographic explorations of the South Pole.

Photographs: conquest of the Arctic (BAnQ)

Available to all

These photographs, which span between 1920 and 1947 and therefore each one is accompanied by a descriptive typed card, relate mainly to the aerial flight over the North Pole, including the attempts at transpolar air navigation by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the travels of Paul Schulte. , Oblate missionary of German origin and instigator of an air transport service for missionaries posted in Canada's North. The photographs also illustrate the ice cover in the Arctic as well as Inuit hunting.

Postcards: Canadian Far North Mission and Eskimo Mission (BAnQ)

Available to all

Corpus of postcards from Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a religious community responsible for relaunching missions in Canada. This selection offers an unprecedented look at scenes from the everyday life of the natives of the Canadian Far North, such as the construction of canoes and camps.

Prints inspired by the Inuit imagination (BAnQ)

Available to all

Prints by artist Michèle Laforest that highlight several elements inspired by the Inuit imagination. It includes serigraphs as well as a linocut that represents Iriook, Agaguk’s wife, characters derived from Yves Thériault’s novel, the very first on Inuit life in Quebec.

Publications de la Société Makivik (BAnQ)

Available to all

Five digitized Makivik Corporation publications: Atuaqnik, Makivik Annual Report Corporation, Makivik Magazine, Makivik News and Taqralik. Makivik Corporation promotes the preservation of Inuit culture and language, as well as the health, well-being and education of Inuit in their communities.

Revue Makivik news (BAnQ)

Accessible à tous

Corpus of the various issues of the quarterly magazine Makivik News. This review, published by the Makivik Corporation, presents the socioeconomic events taking place in the region and also describes the activities organized for the benefit of the Inuit of Nunavik as well as their achievements.

Series of photographs: daily life of the Inuit of Nouveau-Québec (now called Nord-du-Québec) (BAnQ)

Available to all

Series of photographs (1959-1967) taken by Armor Landry in the Nord-du-Québec region during his career as a photojournalist. These photographs are living witnesses of Inuit culture and find their basis in an ethnographic perspective. The Inuit are presented there as part of their daily life, as a family and as a guide to their territory. There are also aerial views of the surrounding flora and photographs of a former Hudson's Bay Company trading post converted into supply stores. These photos were used for the illustration of newspaper articles and the preparation of reports.

Series of photographs: Health care of the Innu communities of the Lower North Shore (BAnQ)

Available to all

Corpus of photographs taken from the Pauline Laurin (1923-1994) archival fonds. She was the first nurse of the Montagnais communities (Innu) of the Lower North Shore. Between 1949 and 1960, she photographed the daily life of the Innu communities of Mingan, Natashquan and La Romaine. These photographs also reflect the health intervention work and care provided by the Department of Health and Welfare Canada to these communities.

Social History of the Eastern Arctic Database

Available to all

This database contains abstracts of documents that deal principally with what is now Nunavut Territory and includes other material from the Inuvialuit Settlement Area, the Northwest Territories and Nunavik (Arctic Quebec).Designed to provide users with access to documents related to the social history of the Eastern Arctic that are in the archives of Canada. Contains references only.

SPRI Museum catalogue

Available to all

Bank of more than 5000 images from the collections of the Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute (University of Cambridge). The images are grouped into eight collections, including the Arctic Material Culture Collection, the Polar Art Collection and the Inuit Art Collection.

SPRI Picture Library

Available to all

One of the largest historical and contemporary photographic libraries related to Arctic and Antarctic exploration, housed by the Scott Polar Research Institute (University of Cambridge). Of particular interest is the Picture Library catalog, which gives access to more than 20,000 photographs of British expeditions carried out between 1845 and 1960.

Taqralik magazine: 1974-1986 (BAnQ)

Available to all

Corpus of the various volumes of the quarterly review Taqralik, formerly published by the Association des Inuit du Nouveau-Québec. This magazine was delivered free of charge to all households benefiting from the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement in all Nunavik communities.

The Danish Arctic Institute digital collections

open access

Four distinct digitized collections available in open access grouped together on the same research platform. There are around 175,000 photographs (fotografier), around fifty old maps (kort), more than 2,000 artefacts (kunst og genstande) as well as 445 audio recordings (lyd). The site is partially translated into English.

The Labrador Inuit Through Moravian Eyes

Available to all

Provides photographs, maps, drawings, and manuscripts on the 250-year relationship between Moravian missionaries and the Inuit of Labrador.

Travelogues: North-West Passage (BAnQ)

Available to all

Corpus of two accounts of exploration dedicated to finding the Northwest Passage: an original edition of explorer Henry Ellis's travelogue, A voyage to the Hudson's-Bay, volume 2 (1749) and the travelogue of the Captain Christopher Middleton, West of Hudson Bay (1743).