Architecture has been a tool of assimilation in the Canadian North where the global shift from self-reliance to dependence on culturally inappropriate, and geographically distant, industrial processes has been particularly concentrated. Many people in the north have experienced ‘all or most of the variety of forms that we label modernisation’ 3 in less than a single lifetime. In 1970 the territorial government started construction of a new town, Edzo, on Dogrib land. 4 The intention was improvement, in government terms; in this case, the relocation of Rae, the largest Dogrib Dene community, away from the shores of Marion Lake to a land-bound township linked to the main north-south high- way. Conceived by a town planner from the south it had neatly rowed houses, cul-de-sacs, and open plan park areas. It was to be the show- piece of the north. Public officials, many of whom had technical back - grounds themselves and none of whom were Dogrib, were impressed. Everyone had the best of intentions. 5 One engineer subsequently criticised the applied science that under- pinned Edzo, particularly the assumed superiority over indigenous knowledge and lifestyle. Although Rae did have infrastructural prob- lems connected with a growing population, scant regard was paid to its historic resonance and sense of place. The reasons why a community might want to stay there were denied and a new town was built, even though ‘the public health and other related problems in Rae could have been solved at a substantially lower cost than that required to build Edzo’. 6 In Rae the original self-built log cabins were right on the lake and in kinship groups facing their particular region of Dogrib territory — the cabins did not segregate either home from homeland. Hunters still occupy these houses. Marion Lake itself gives direct access for canoe or sledge, boat or skidoo to the linked lakes and portages of the Idaa Trail — the historic highway across Dogrib land connecting the Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes. Here the traditionally expansive idea of home is sustained, the cabins conceived spatially and strategically in relation to homeland and family. For a decade the elders of Gameti, initially through the Dogrib Treaty 11 Traditional Knowledge Project, have documented traditional knowledge, skills and values. They feel it is now time to show how this knowledge is relevant to life in the twenty-first century — particularly to the Gameti youth — by working with their young people on a building project to renew the community. Chief Archie Wetrade says,‘In Dogrib Ko means home, this project has been created to document our view of the land as home and develop this traditional knowledge into a modern structure that has the same values.This way we remain strong like two people — in our traditions and in the modern world.’ Gameti Ko is now a community-based incorporated society with a board of three elders, two youth and two councillors. Tony Rabesca, responsible for community wellness, is the Gameti-based coordinator. Gavin Renwick is the overall project coordinator. From the beginning the project has been wholly controlled and developed within the com- munity. A workshop was recently held in Gameti, bringing together all interested parties and representatives from across the Dogrib home- land, to detail the project parameters and program. It was supported by two territorial government departments, Municipal and Community Affairs and the NWT Housing Corporation.The Diavik Communities Advisory Board also sponsored the event. The project will train youth in research methods, design and construc- tion, developing capacity and transferable skills.The elders of Gameti have promoted this project because of their belief in being strong like two people , thus working with and learning from the elders will be a part of the train- ing process being developed in association with Aurora College. The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is supporting an early phase of the project which aims to protect the built heritage of Gameti, in particular the remaining original cabins which will be designated as national heritage sites.
On Site review 11
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Spring 2004
Architecture of the Circumpolar Region
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