Colonial encounters: Inuit agency and colonial narratives in the Eastern Arctic

Møller Gray, Kirstine (2025) Colonial encounters: Inuit agency and colonial narratives in the Eastern Arctic. Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This dissertation examines the cultural encounters, colonial disruptions, and Indigenous agency in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) and Nunatsiavut (Labrador) during the 18th and 19th centuries. The point of departure is the Moravian mission at Noorliit (Neu Herrnhut) and its interactions with Kalaallit Inuit and the Danish colony. This research demonstrates how cross-cultural engagements produced nuanced power dynamics, negotiating traditions, religious conversion, and economic exchange by framing the Nuuk peninsula as a colonial contact zone. Through an interdisciplinary approach integrating archaeology, historical analysis, and Indigenous methodologies, this research reassesses the impact of colonial structures while centring Kalaallit perspectives. The Noorliit Archaeological Field School prioritised ethical, community-based methodologies, ensuring Kalaallit students actively shaped the excavation process. Emphasising relational accountability and decolonial praxis, the fieldwork fostered the co-production of knowledge rather than extractive research. Discussions on site selection, excavation strategies, and interpretations were conducted collaboratively, reinforcing the principle that archaeology should serve the descendant community. Beyond excavation, the field school integrated museum days to reconnect with historical material culture, using archival research and tactile engagement with cultural belongings to deepen an Indigenous-centred understanding of the past. This approach underscored the role of museums as sites of colonial memory while simultaneously reclaiming them as spaces of cultural resurgence and critical reflection. The excavation at Noorliit revealed material evidence of structural transformation and Indigenous resilience, shedding light on shifting household arrangements, architectural modifications, and the selective adaptation of European culture. The theoretical framework incorporates postcolonial theory, transculturation, and the concept of contact zones to explore how cultural entanglements in Kalaallit Nunaat were multidirectional rather than unilaterally imposed. The study critiques the historiography of Arctic colonialism, highlighting the role of colonial amnesia in erasing Indigenous contributions from historical narratives. By recovering some of these suppressed histories, the dissertation underscores the importance of ethical, collaborative research approaches in historical archaeology. Ultimately, this dissertation challenges conventional understandings of colonial encounters in the Arctic, demonstrating that Kalaallit Inuit actively engaged in resistance and adaptation, strategically integrating and reinterpreting colonial influences to sustain their cultural identity. The findings contribute to broader discussions on Indigenous agency within colonial contexts and call for an inclusive, decolonial approach to Arctic history and archaeology.

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