Solving the Franklin mystery: Glanmore

How Canada’s “Inuit” knowledge helped solve the mystery of the 1845 Franklin expedition in the Arctic is the theme of a new exhibit at Glanmore National Historic Site in Belleville.

The fate of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition to find a route across the top of Canada was one of the enduring Arctic mysteries. The new exhibit, The Ones We Met – Inuit Traditional Knowledge and the Franklin Expedition, explores the role of Inuit oral history in solving that mystery.

The exhibition features photographs, illustrations and an animated map of routes charted by Europeans looking for a Northwest Passage in the 350 years before Franklin’s expedition.

Exhibit Development coordinator Danielle McMahon-Jones tells Quinte News maps and panels help visitors understand the role played in the search for the Franklin ships which were found just a few years ago.

“Ä really cool interactive map that shows the pattern of European exploration to find”the Northwest Passage over the centuries.

McMahon-Jones added, “You can kind of get a visual idea of where the Europeans were travelling and where they landed. Of course you can see on a map where the (Franklin) ships were found.”

“Ön the panels you see the stories of the Inuit traditional knowledge that was passed down through generations and how that reflected where exactly they found the ships and how that’s all connected.

The Ones We Met – Inuit Traditional Knowledge and the Franklin Expedition is a travelling exhibition developed by the Canadian Museum of History in partnership with the Inuit Heritage Trust. Presented in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English and French — the four official languages of Nunavut — the exhibition will be on display at Glanmore National Historic Site until April 19.

In a statement, Jennifer Lyons, Manager of Museum Services says “Glanmore is honoured to host this special exhibition. The Franklin Expedition has captivated the imaginations of people around the world since the 1840s; and this exhibit explores how the recent underwater discoveries are intrinsically linked to Inuit oral histories. Traditional knowledge of the Inuit is something to be treasured, whether you are situated in Iqaluit, Nunavut or in Belleville, Ontario.”