Nanilavut Initiative – Finding loved ones lost during the tuberculosis epidemic
From the 1940s to the 1960s, many Inuit were taken from their communities for tuberculosis treatment in southern Canada. Most were sent to hospitals far from home — often without being told where they were going or for how long. If they died during treatment, their families were not always told where they were buried.
The Nanilavut Initiative helps families search for this information. This work is about healing and bringing peace to families who never got the answers they deserved.
Read the book
Click the image below to read ‘Nanilavut: Honouring Inuvialuit lost in the 1940s-1960s Tuberculosis Epidemic.’
Download a PDF of the book here.
The Nanilavut Initiative (audio)
Click on the links below to listen to audio recordings describing an overview of the Nanilavut Initiative and where to contact a Nanilavut project administrator in the language of your choosing.
The project administrator can help with searching for the following:
- hospital or treatment records
- death certificates
- graves or burial sites
- where relatives were taken and what happened to them
To do this, IRC works closely with:
- Health Canada and Indigenous Services Canada
- provincial health authorities and archives
- hospitals, churches and other record-holders
Please note that sometimes records are incomplete or cannot be found.
Who can access this support?
Inuvialuit families who are looking for information about loved ones who were sent south for TB treatment and never returned.
We understand how difficult this process can be. We can help:
- explain medical or historical records
- arrange visits to burial sites (in some cases)
- connect you with mental health or cultural support
Contact:
Beverly Lennie, Nanilavut project administrator: blennie@inuvialuit.com
Photo: The Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Hospital and Residential School was established in 1929 and closed in 1959. It operated in Aklavik, NT, and served Inuit and First Nations People.