Congratulations to Anthropology Major Spencer Millar who has received funding from the Government of Nunavut Department of Culture and Heritage. The award will support his participation in Dr. SamWalker’s Amittuq Archaeological Project, which investigates two inland settlement sites—Angmaluqtuq and Kinngatuaq—located roughly 50 kilometers from the coastal community of Sanirajak.
Spencer will assist with archaeological fieldwork and remote sensing operations, and will also lead a youth archaeology camp in Igloolik, Nunavut, as part of the project’s broader commitment to community engagement. The research also aims to address issues of intellectual authority in Arctic archaeology, inform cultural heritage policies that have historically distanced Inuit from their ancestral lands, contribute to ongoing academic debates about intercultural interaction, and underscore the validity of Inuit oral histories in interpreting Tuniit lifeways.|
I feel incredibly honored to receive this grant, which allows me to participate in meaningful research in a remote and culturally significant part of the world. It also gives me the opportunity to gain practical, firsthand experience in the field under the guidance of Dr. Walker, for whom I’ve developed deep admiration over the past year as one of her students. To me, this truly feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I couldn’t be more grateful to those around me who helped make it possible. – Spencer Millar
