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Project seeks to identify Inuit people photographed in the early to mid-twentieth century.

Written by Katie Dahl

 — Posted May 12, 2015
“Mamie” Mamayook with great-granddaughter Malik at Holman, Nunavut, winter 1960.
John Stanners photo/ HBCA 1987/363-E-140/81

The Hudson’s Bay Company Archives is asking for the public’s help in identifying Inuit people that appear in a few thousand photos taken in far northern communities between 1920 and 1960.

The images — some of which appeared in issues of The Beaver magazine — are part of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives (HBCA), located at the Archives of Manitoba. The photos highlight daily life at the northern posts, and many unidentified HBC employees are also featured. Names and other shared knowledge will be added to the photo captions.

HBCA archivists have contacted dozens of northern communities and, working with residents there, have already successfully identified a number of people in the photographs.

For more information, contact hbca@gov.mb.ca, or visit their website to learn more about The Names and Knowledge Initiative.

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