Uqšuqtuuq – The Collection from Roald Amundsen

This exhibition tells a story of friendship and collaboration over cultural heritage. It all started in 1903 when the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen anchored the polar ship Gjøa in a remote bay in northern Canada. He arrived at a place known in nattilingmiut, the nattilik Inuit's own language, as Uqšuqtuuq, a site inhabited for over a millennium. The name translates to «the place with an abundance of blubber». Roald Amundsen and his crew spent nearly two winters here, during their Northwest Passage expedition, and named the settlement Gjoa Haven after the ship.

The value of a collection 

Soon after arrival, the expedition team and the local community established contact and developed friendships. The Norwegian polar explorer traded for 1200 items through his many encounters with the population. When he left Gjoa Haven, he brought with him not only new friendships and knowledge but also an extraordinary collection of items. Following the successful navigation of the Northwest Passage, these objects found their way to Oslo and the Museum of Cultural History, of which the Historical Museum is a part. 

Today, this collection is an exceptional cultural legacy from this region. People in Gjoa Haven find important parts of their material cultural heritage in Oslo. The exhibition provides insight into the lives of the Nattilik Inuit at the beginning of the 20th century and today, and shows the significance of the collection for the local community in Gjoa Haven.

A shared cultural heritage

This exhibition is a tale of cooperation. It starts with an encounter on the ice outside Uqšuqtuuq in the fall of 1903. It is about respect, friendship, trading, cultural heritage and Museums, about repatriation, sharing, learning, and the collaboration between the Museum in Gjoa Haven and us in managing the collection.  

From Amundsen's Gjoa Haven collection, some items have been returned to Gjoa Haven, others are stored in the museum archives, and some are displayed in this exhibition. The Museums in Uqšuqtuuq and Oslo are working together on the future of the collection. 

The entire collection is digitally accessible at the Museum of Cultural History, of which the Historical Museum is a part.

• Go to the Gjoa Haven collection

Read more

– «Our ancestors were amazing!»

They visit Oslo from Canada to study their ancestors' craftsmanship. It was a powerful encounter.