Canada and the Inuit are now officially co-owners of the two long-lost ships from the Franklin expedition. The Government of Canada yesterday received the historic gift of the Franklin expedition ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, from the United Kingdom.
The two shipwrecks of the 1845 Franklin Expedition are now jointly owned by Canada and Inuit through Parks Canada and the Inuit Heritage Trust.
The locations of the two British Royal Navy ships had been a mystery since Sir John Franklin and his crew went missing in 1846 while searching for a Northwest Passage. Over time, Inuit traditional stories helped European searchers better understand the fate of the Franklin ships; and that same traditional knowledge – or Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit – combined with the technology of modern searchers, finally uncovered the sunken vessels in 2014 and 2016.
The United Kingdom will retain the 65 artifacts already recovered from HMS Erebus by Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Team as a representative sample of their importance and symbolism. All yet-to-be discovered artifacts from HMS Erebus and HMS Terror – along with the wrecks – will now be jointly owned by Canada and Inuit.
This agreement ensures that these historic treasures will be available to Inuit, and the public and researchers in both Canada and the United Kingdom.
Parks Canada’s upcoming investigation of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, in collaboration with Inuit, will usher in one of the largest and most important underwater archaeological projects in Canadian history. Parks Canada experts anticipate that the thousands of artifacts remaining on the two shipwrecks, which may include written documents, will help further unravel the mystery of the British expedition that set out to find a Northwest Passage.
With a commitment to reconciliation, and direction from the Franklin Interim Advisory Committee, the Government of Canada will continue to collaborate with Inuit to share the story of the Franklin Expedition, and the important role of Inuit in the discovery and on-going protection of the Franklin wrecks.
Catherine McKenna, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, accepted the gift on behalf of the people of Canada. The Minister accepted the vessels along with Torsten Diesel from Inuit Heritage Trust, at an event with Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque CMG, the British High Commissioner to Canada.
Minister McKenna said, “Moving forward, we will work with the Inuit Heritage Trust to ensure these historic treasures are protected, and that the intriguing and expanding story of the Franklin Expedition continues to be shared with Canada and the world.”
