The Canadian territory of
NUNAVUT
Tereza Vargová, FNSPE CTU
General Information
General Information
• the largest, northernmost, newest and least
populous Canadian territory
• Nunavut means 'our land' in Inuktitut, the
Inuit language
• Inuit means 'the people', singularly Inuk
• covers 1,877,787 km2 of land and 160, 935
km2 of water => almost 20% of Canada
General Information
• the capital city: Iqaluit (formerly known as
Frobisher Bay)
• population of 31,906, mostly Inuit, with
population density being one of the lowest in
the world – 0.015 persons per square
kilometre
• highest point: Barbeau Peak – 2,616 m on
Ellesmere Island
Alert, Canada
Nunavut Flag
Coat of Arms
Climate
• most of the area is frozen and snow-covered
for more than half the year
• the earth of the Arctic tundra has a
permanently frozen subsoil (= permafrost)
• in summer, a thin layer of topsoil thaws and
creates many pools, lakes, and marshes =>
attracts mosquitoes, midges, black flies =>
attracts migrant birds
Polar bear
Arctic fox
Beaver
Canadian Lynx
Moose
Grey wolf
Wolverine
Wolverine
(short) History of the Inuit
• the first well-documented post-Columbian
contact between Europeans and the Inuit was
during Martin Frobisher’s 1576 search for the
Northwest Passage
– sought as a possible trade route to East Asia
The Northwest Passage
(short) History of the Inuit
• the discovery of oil in the northern regions of
Canada during the 1960s and 1970s
stimulated aboriginal groups to bring several
land claims against the Alaskan and Canadian
governments
• transition completed on April 1, 1999
The Inuit People
• there are 4 Inuit regions in Canada,
collectively known as ‘Inuit Nunangat’
– Nunatsiavut (Labrador)
– Nunavik (Québec)
– Nunavut
– Inuvialuit (Northwest Territories)
The Inuit People
The Inuit People
• there are 8 main Inuit ethnic groups: the
Labrador, Ungava (= Québec), Baffin Island,
Igloolik, Caribou, Netsilik, Copper and West
Arctic Inuit
• Inuktitut, the Inuit language, has five main
dialects in Canada
The Inuit People
The Inuit People
• traditionally hunters, fishers, and gatherers
who moved seasonally from one camp to
another
– hunt whales, walrus, caribou, seal, polar bears,
birds, and fish
– gather naturally available plants – grasses, roots,
stems, berries, and seaweed
Bowhead whale
Walrus
Caribou
Seal
The Inuit People
• somewhat traditional gender roles
• marriage was common for women at puberty
and for men when they became productive
hunters
• family structure is quite flexible
– several households form communities
The Inuit People
• the Inuit use dog sleds for transportation on
both land and sea ice
– the Canadian Eskimo Dog (the official animal of
Nunavut), the Greenland Dog, the Siberian
Husky, and the Alaskan Malamute are favoured
by the Inuit
• Inukshuk - human-made stone landmarks
used where natural landmarks are insufficient
Inuit dog sleds
Inuit dog sleds
Inukshuk
The Inuit People
• traditional law:
– maligait – refers to what has to be followed
– piqujait – refers to what has to be done
– tirigusuusiit – refers to what has to be avoided
• should an individual’s actions go against the
traditional laws, the shaman would usually
intervene
The Inuit People
• in a culture with oral history, elders are the
keepers of communal knowledge, the
community library => cultural taboos against
sacrificing elders
• among the Igloolik Inuit, however, death of
elders by suicide is not uncommon
Quiz
Quiz
• In 1576, Martin Frobisher was searching for:
•
•
•
•
A) the Northeast Passage
B) the Southwest Passage
C) the Northwest Passage
D) the Southeast Passage
Quiz
• In 1576, Martin Frobisher was searching for:
• C) the Northwest Passage
Quiz
• The traditional law does not consist of:
•
•
•
•
A) piqujait
B) inugait
C) tirigusuusiit
D) maligait
Quiz
• The traditional law does not consist of:
• B) inugait
Quiz
• Death of elders by suicide is not uncommon
among:
•
•
•
•
A) the Netsilik Inuit
B) the Ungava Inuit
C) the Igloolik Inuit
D) the Baffin Island Inuit
Quiz
• Death of elders by suicide is not uncommon
among:
• C) the Igloolik Inuit
References
• http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/
• http://www.ducksters.com/history/native_am
ericans/inuit_peoples.php
• various Wikipedia pages
– https://en.wikipedia.org/
• various infoplease pages
– http://www.infoplease.com/
Thank you for your attention!