Abstract

Between 1954 and 1984, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development amassed two collections of Inuit art, the Northern Affairs (NA) collection and the Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada (INAC) collection. Combined, they embodied 4,999 works. In 1985, the Department initiated the deaccessioning and disposal of these two collections of Inuit-made arts and crafts in response to budget cuts and decentralization efforts. During the "transfer years" from 1985 to 1992, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development successfully negotiated with five Canadian institutions the distribution of these artworks. Ultimately the NA and INAC collections were divided into five allotments, which were bequeathed to the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Inuit Cultural Institute, Rankin Inlet, and the Avataq Cultural Institute, Inukjuak. Drawing on archival material supported by personal accounts of selected people involved with the transfer and negotiations, the intent of this thesis is to give a brief history of the Northern Affairs collection and Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada collection and to reconstruct the negotiations during the transfer years (1985-1992). Significant attention will be paid to each set of talks between the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the two Northern cultural institutions, the Inuit Cultural Institute (1988-1990) and the Avataq Cultural Institute (1990-1992) as repatriation and museological conservation standards, respectively, became important issues.