From Hunting to Working Underground: Uncovering the Inuit history of the Rankin Inlet Nickel Mine

Wednesday, 10 August 2026 20:29

From Hunting to Working Underground: Uncovering the Inuit history of the Rankin Inlet Nickel Mine

Written by Nanisiniq Arviat History Project and the University of British Columbia

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The Rankin Inlet Mine, Canada’s first Arctic mine, operated from 1957-1962 before being abandoned. Arn Keeling

The Abandoned Mines Project, led by Memorial University's Dr. Arn Keeling of Geography and Dr. John Sandlos of History, is in Rankin Inlet from August 8-15th with a team of Inuit participants, researchers, and local students, to examine the impacts of the historic Rankin Inlet Nickel Mine on the community.

This team, which includes Peter Irniq, cultural consultant and former Commissioner of Nunavut, Patricia Boulter, MA student from Memorial, and Pallulaaq Friesen, a local student from Rankin Inlet, is interested in learning about Inuit memories of work and life in the community of Rankin Inlet in the 1950s and 1960s.

Jordan Konek, young Inuit researcher from the Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project, will be in Rankin Inlet to assist with research and shoot footage for Nanisiniq's short film on the Inuit history of the Rankin Inlet Nickel Mine. This film will serve as a teaching resource, so that Nunavut high school teachers can integrate more Inuit history into the curriculum.

“This is something that I don't think most Inuit youth know about. I didn't know about this until I started working on the project.” says Konek.

Operating from 1957-1962, the North Rankin Nickel Mine was the first Arctic mining operation to employ Inuit labour. Encouraged by the federal Northern Administration of the Department of Northern Development and National Resources, Inuit families relocated and were relocated to the new town of Rankin Inlet from across the Kivalliq region, mostly from communities like Chesterfield Inlet, Arviat (Eskimo Point), Repulse Bay, and Baker Lake to work in the mine.

Also working with them on this project are Dr. Emilie Cameron, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, and Dr. Frank Tester of the School of Social Work at UBC.

“The hope [of the mine] was that Inuit would find employment and start on the journey of becoming like Qablunaat workers and families. Wage employment was to replace hunting and Inuit women were to stay home and ‘keep house’.” says Dr. Tester.

In addition to the thousands of documents collected, the team will be conducting one-on-one interviews with Elders while in Rankin Inlet. They are also inviting the community to a workshop on Thursday, August 11 at 7 p.m. in the Rankin Community Hall, where they will show historical pictures and videos of Inuit who worked at the Mine.

This research project is funded by ArcticNet.