Paper short abstract:

As part of our work with the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project on Banks Island, we explore the potential of artifact "copies" such as 3D models and 3D prints to link Inuvialuit community members in Sachs Harbour to ancestral archaeological material now curated in distant repositories.

Paper long abstract:

Institutions that manage objects of archaeological and cultural heritage are increasingly using representations, replicas, and other "copies" to document and preserve information and facilitate its sharing. As mediums of communication, both within and outside the archaeological realm, these "copies" form a locus for engagement and experience. Here, as part of our work with the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project on Banks Island, we explore the potential of artifact "copies" to link Inuvialuit community members in Sachs Harbour to ancestral archaeological material now curated in distant repositories while also looking at "digital repatriation" or "digital return" through a critical lens. Over the summer of 2015, Compton conducted interviews and focus groups in Sachs Harbour, Inuvik and Yellowknife with a diverse array of archaeological constituents including local Inuvialuit community members (elders, adults, and youth), museologists, curators, and archaeologists in order to explore how their experiences, perceptions, and values differ when comparing archaeological copies to original archaeological material. A collection of artifacts, digital photographs, 3D models, 3D prints, and handmade replicas provided hands-on inspiration for this dialogue. While the majority of participants demonstrated a strong interest in emerging 3D technologies, there was a high diversity of opinion, both between and within communities, about the specific roles archaeological replicas should play. We conclude that while archaeological representations and replicas are insufficient "substitutes" for originals, they do have enormous potential as unique cultural objects in themselves to aid in areas of accessibility, education, and cultural revitalization.