History of the RCMP in Inuit Lands

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have had officers in Uqsuqtuuq since after the Second World War. Before permanent settlements were built beginning in the 1950s, RCMP would travel throughout the Arctic on wooden ships called schooners, which were designed specially to go through the ice in the Northwest Passage. Every year, RCMP officers would make trips to the different Inuit settlements during what was called the Eastern Arctic Patrol. These visits were typically short. RCMP would administer government services, occasionally hold court, deliver mail, and gather information for the Canadian government census.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, originally called the North-West Mounted Police, was created by the Canadian government in 1873. This was the beginning of a long period when outsiders began to extend control over Inuit lands. After Confederation in 1867, the Canadian government decided it needed a police force to enforce its laws across the North-West Territories. Over time, the North-West Mounted Police, and later the RCMP, moved into the areas now known as Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and eventually Nunavut. While the government saw the RCMP as a way to maintain law and order, for Inuit, the arrival of the police brought rules and systems that often did not respect Inuit ways of life.

RCMP officers were often among the very few qablunaat who would come to the settlements, along with the trading post manager and missionaries from the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. They were usually a very frightening presence for young people, especially. The police meant qablunaat rules and laws, and if you didn’t follow the laws you could be fined or put in jail. Many young people and parents would try to follow the rules to avoid getting in trouble, even though the rules were strange and often did not make any sense. For example, RCMP would often enforce laws that limited hunting and harvesting of animals used for furs and food.

The arrival of the RCMP brought many challenges. Hunting regulations were introduced that often conflicted with traditional Inuit practices, and officers participated in relocations of families and youth to residential schools. The government also introduced the identification system known as “disc numbers,” which treated Inuit people as numbered records rather than individuals. These policies caused deep disruption to families, culture, and society. While some services, such as medical care or supplies, were helpful, the overall effect was a loss of autonomy and a new set of restrictions imposed on Inuit life.

The St. Roch

The St. Roch RCMP schooner played an important role in this history. Built in 1928 in Vancouver, it was designed to travel through Arctic ice and bring officers, supplies, and mail to remote communities. The ship made regular voyages as part of the Eastern Arctic Patrols, which traveled to Inuit communities during the 1920s through the 1950s. These patrols were often the only contact Inuit had with the Canadian government. While the ship brought food, fuel, and medical care, it also carried government officials who enforced laws that interfered with Inuit ways and helped implement relocations and other policies that harmed Inuit.

In 1940, during the Second World War, the St. Roch traveled from west to east through the Northwest Passage, stopping and spending winters in the Arctic. Inuit guides like George Washington Porter supported the crew, navigating the ice and working with dog teams, showing the skills and knowledge of Inuit. In 1950, the St. Roch made the journey from east to west in a single season, demonstrating how Arctic knowledge and navigation could make travel faster and safer.

After the Second World War, changes in transportation, such as airplanes, reduced the need for ship patrols. The government encouraged Inuit to settle in permanent communities, and the RCMP kept detachments in these towns. Schools, nursing stations, and local governments developed, and the RCMP’s role shifted to more conventional policing. For Inuit, this period meant increased contact with southern-style justice systems, which often did not understand Inuit culture or language, making legal processes difficult and sometimes unfair.