Inuit, Oblate Missionaries, and Grey Nuns in the Keewatin, 1865-1965
A lively introduction to an encounter between two completely different civilizations in the context of Christianization, hospitalization, and education.
Description
Over the century between the first Oblate mission to the Canadian central Arctic in 1867 and the radical shifts brought about by Vatican II, the region was the site of complex interactions between Inuit, Oblate missionaries, and Grey Nuns—interactions that have not yet received the attention they deserve. Enriching archival sources with oral testimony, Frédéric Laugrand and Jarich Oosten provide an in-depth analysis of conversion, medical care, education, and vocation in the Keewatin region of the Northwest Territories.
Reviews
"As important as this volume is as social historical narrative, of at least equal import is its presentation of how the Inuit and the clergy perceived, resisted, and appreciated each other's cultures. In virtually every chapter, Inuit voices are given equal treatment with those of the missionaries. " ARCTIC
“This collection of materials is a gold mine for leads to primary sources and Indigenous voices […]. Those interested in missiology and Inuit anthropology will find this book valuable, as will those interested in the history of Catholicism among the Inuit of the northern Hudson Bay region.” American Indian Culture and Research Journal