Nunavut

On April 1, 1999, the native Inuit people of northern Canada were officially granted their own territory. Nunavut, created by dividing the former Northwest Territories, represents the largest aboriginal land settlement in history. Though its ultimate success will depend on a host of economic and social factors, Nunavut has shown remarkable growth and development since its inception.

General Information

Name: Nunavut means "Our Land" in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit.

Provincial Symbols

Bird: Rock ptarmigan

Flower: Purple saxifrage

Tree: No official designation

Motto: Nunavut Sanginivut, meaning "Nunavut, our strength"

Capital: Iqaluit, located at the southern tip of Baffin Island, has been the territorial capital of Nunavut since 1995, when it won a popular referendum. It serves as a transportation and communications hub for the territory. As the seat of government, it has attracted the largest population and the greatest economic development. Iqaluit is also home to the territory's only hospital.

People & Culture

Population: By 2004, Nunavut's population had surpassed 29,000, a figure that grew further through migration and a high birth rate among the Inuit. Though widely distributed across a vast area, most of the population is concentrated in small settlements. About half live in the Baffin region; the Keewatin region claims about one-third of the population while the rest live in the Kitikmeot region. According to 2021 estimates, the population was 39,403.

There are twenty-eight settlements in Nunavut, nearly all of which are located along the coastline. Iqaluit is the largest, followed by Rankin Inlet; in 2016, they had 7,740 and 2,842 people, respectively. Only a few other settlements have over 1,000 people.

Native People: In ethnic terms, Nunavut is highly homogenous, with only small pockets of non-Inuit people. According to the census, the Inuit represented roughly 83 percent of the population with 29,950 people in 2016. The name Inuit means "the people," and the Inuit have lived in the region for thousands of years.

Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun are the main languages in Nunavut and the territory's official languages along with English and French. Inuktitut belongs to the Inuit-Aleut language family and has a unique alphabet, devised in the early nineteenth century by an Anglican missionary.

Many social problems afflict the Inuit, including alcoholism, family violence, and suicide. Their population is also very young, with more than half being under twenty-five years of age in 2011. In the past, education in the territory has been poor. Since Nunavut officially came into being, however, it has gradually improved, as the young and more educated population has joined the work force.

Arts & Entertainment: The Inuit use the term iliqqisug to describe their traditional way of life. It comprises everything in their ancient culture, from their medicine and mode of survival to their clothing and respect for family, community, and land.

Their rich oral traditions have found expression in Inuit artists, including Susan Aglukark, a singer-songwriter, and the author Mitiarjuk Attasie Nappaaluk. Aglukark established herself as one of Canada's foremost recording artists. Singing in both English and Inuktitut and combining popular music with Inuit traditions, she released several acclaimed recordings. Nappaaluk spent much of her life collecting Inuit mythology and wisdom in various forms. She compiled an encyclopedia of Inuit culture and also published Sannaq, the first Inuit novel.

Nunavut has scores of artists who work with such traditional materials as bone and hide to craft fine jewelry, sculptures, and clothing. Their work is frequently on display in local museums and libraries and is exported the world over, their soapstone carvings most famously. Nunavut's most important museum, Nunatta Sunaguttangit, is located in Iqaluit.

Another important cultural site is the Kekerten Historic Park on Kekerten Island. There, visitors can see a reconstructed whaling station and explore the history of whaling in the Northwest Territories, a history shared by Europeans and Inuit alike.

Sports and recreation center on the outdoors, with canoeing and kayaking, fishing, and cross-country skiing among the most popular activities. For those interested in adventure travel, Nunavut offers white-water rafting, rock-climbing, and treks across its vast landscape.

Toonik Tyme, celebrated throughout Nunavut, is a modern festival with ancient roots. Based on the coming of spring, participants in engage in hunting, seal-skinning, and igloo-building competitions.

Environment & Geography

Topography: Representing one-fifth of Canada's land mass, Nunavut includes 1,936,113 square kilometers (747,537 square miles) of land and 157,077 square kilometers (60,648 square miles) of water for a total area of 2,093,190 square kilometers (808,185 square miles). It is made up of the Arctic mainland, Arctic islands, and the Canadian Shield, a rocky mass that dates to the oldest geological time period and stretches across northeastern Canada. The elevation of Nunavut rises from coastal plains to 8,583 feet at its highest point, Barbeau Peak, found on Ellesmere Island. Nunavut has a variety of landscapes, from plateaus and rolling hills to rugged, ice-covered mountains.

About half of Nunavut's total land mass is composed of islands, collectively called the Arctic Archipelago; Baffin and Ellesmere are two of the largest. Surrounding these islands is the Arctic Ocean, which combined with the Atlantic Ocean and Hudson Bay, gives Nunavut a 28,000-mile coastline.

The major rivers are the Back and Coppermine, which flow into the Arctic Ocean, and the Kazan and Thelon, which flow into Hudson Bay. Two major lakes, Nettiling and Amadjuak, are located on Baffin Island. Baker, Yathkyed, and Dubawnt Lakes are on the mainland.

National Parks: Nunavut has fifteen territorial parks and five national parks.

Auyuittuq National Park Reserve is Nunavut's most famous park and the third largest in Canada. Located on Baffin Island, it offers hiking, cross-country skiing, and rock-climbing in dramatic mountain scenery. Aksayook Pass and Mount Thor are its two main attractions. The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, jointly administered with the Northwest Territories, is a reserve for the once-threatened musk ox.

Natural Resources: Nunavut lacks natural resources such as timber and soil for agricultural activities, but it is notably rich in others such as minerals, petroleum, and natural gas. Metal ores, particularly zinc and lead, have been discovered throughout the territory.

Plants & Animals: Permanently frozen ground, known as "permafrost," restricts the territory's plant growth. During the brief summers, some tundra vegetation does appear on the southern portions of the landscape. Dwarf shrubs, heath, lichen, and sedge are common in some areas, but only lichen can survive in the extremely cold and dry polar desert.

The distribution of animals follows a similar pattern, with few animals venturing into the polar desert. Herds of caribou, the most significant land animal, roam the land. Other land animals include polar bears, lemmings, ground squirrels, rabbit, bear, fox, and wolves. Flocks of birds migrate north to nest, while the ptarmigan remains in the north during the winter. Walrus, ringed and bearded seal, beluga and bowhead whale, narwhal, and arctic char live in the cold waters. Historically, the bowhead whale and musk ox were nearly hunted to extinction.

International agreements now restrict the hunting of some species, though the Inuit enjoy broad rights as set out in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act. The federal government has attempted to balance the protection of the animals and the native people's traditional hunting rights. Animal activists have, however, made significant inroads toward curtailing these traditions.

Climate: Nunavut has an arctic climate, entailing long, cold, dark winters and brief summers with near-constant sunlight. The average temperatures in the summer range from 6 to 11 degrees Celsius (42.8 to 51.8 degrees Fahrenheit), while the average temperatures in winter reaches from −27 to −32 degrees Celsius (−16 to −25.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The winter skies are often clear, though blizzards and freezing temperatures can occur at any time during the year.

Economy

Because of its remoteness and extreme climate, Nunavut's economic growth has been hampered. Overall, the economy is very small, especially in the more remote areas. Lack of educational opportunities and social problems have contributed to a high rate of unemployment (estimated at 16.4 percent in 2021). The labor force was estimated at 15,600 in 2021. The government is one of the largest employers in Nunavut, with public administration accounting for a significant share of real gross domestic product (GDP).

After the service sector, which includes government jobs, major employers include construction, hunting, fishing, and mining. Although commercial fishing and hunting activities bring in a relatively small amount in real GDP, the importance of hunting and fishing as a source of food for the native population cannot be underestimated; fish and wild game make up about 60 percent of the traditional Inuit diet.

The high costs and underdeveloped infrastructure have prevented Nunavut from building a strong manufacturing sector. As a result, the territory has to import nearly all manufactured goods.

Tourism: As the infrastructure improves, more and more tourists are visiting Nunavut, attracted by the remoteness of the territory, the wildlife, the native culture, and its natural beauty. Though their facilities are not highly developed, the two national parks and numerous territorial parks receive a fair number of visitors. Other tourists take advantage of unique experiences such as polar bear hunts and dog sledding. Both ecotourism and adventure travel are set to grow.

Weather conditions, especially in the north, dictate that most of the tourists visit during the summer. An estimated 14,000 non-residents visited Nunavut annually, according to the territorial government in the 2010s. A study by Nunavut Tourism placed the number at over 51,000 in 2018. It is estimated that visitors spent more than $271 million in 2018.

Another important source of income for small Nunavut communities is the trade brought by cruise ships, which are stopping more frequently at ports on Baffin Island en route to major destinations. Revenue is generated through cultural performances and sales of food and of arts and crafts.

Agriculture & Mining: Nunavut's climate prevents agricultural-based industry. Mining, in contrast, is promising, though the territory's remoteness has made exploitation of these resources exceedingly difficult, and the industry is prone to boom-and-bust cycles. The costs associated with prospective ventures are also steep, given the distances across which the heavy equipment and the product must be transported. Zinc, lead, gold, and diamonds are among the mineral resources mined in Nunavut.

Transportation: There are few roads in Nunavut, nearly none of them designed for all-weather driving. Thus visitors and residents must rely on airplanes for travel and the transport of foodstuffs. Iqaluit is the main hub for air travel.

During the summer, after the ice breaks up, ships are able to bring nonperishable goods to communities and the mines and also transport nonperishables to world markets. However, port infrastructure is lacking.

Government & History

Government: Nunavut's territorial government relies on federal and national funding for its existence and operates within the framework of the Canadian parliamentary government. It is represented in the Canadian House of Commons, based in Ottawa, Ontario, by one senator and one member elected in Nunavut.

The legislative assembly, composed of one member from each of Nunavut's twenty-two electoral districts and elected at least every five years, has wide responsibilities. It makes laws for the territory and elects both the premier, who presides over the territorial government, and the members of the cabinet. The members of the assembly are not affiliated with any political parties and the government follows a consensus-based model.

History: The Inuit, whose name means "the people" in Inuktitut, have lived in the territory for thousands of years. Their direct ancestors were the Thule, who migrated from the Alaskan region. It is thought that Paleo-Inuit people originated in Asia and migrated across the Bering Strait and into modern-day Nunavut about five thousand years ago.

In the sixteenth century, the history of the Inuit and their territory became a history shared with European explorers and settlers. It began with the arrival of Martin Frobisher in 1576 on Baffin Island and his desire to find the Northwest Passage to Asia. When it was discovered almost three hundred years later, it proved to be useless because of the arctic climate. However, these visits suggested to the explorers that the land contained vast mineral resources, and they soon became interested in promoting and controlling the whaling and fur trade industries.

The territory now known as Nunavut first came under the jurisdiction of the British, then the Canadians, who had taken over the territory by 1880 and incorporated it into the Confederation of Canada, naming it the Northwest Territories.

Exposure to the outside world had profound, mostly negative, effects on the Inuit. In order to satisfy the European markets, whales and other animals that the Inuit traditionally relied on for their own sustenance were over-hunted. As a result, the Inuit became dependent on world markets that could go into decline, as both the whaling and fur industries eventually did.

Beginning in the early twentieth century, the Canadian government pursued a policy of assimilation for the Inuit. Within a few generations, their nomadic lifestyle had ended and nearly all of the Inuit were established in settlements. Anglican and Roman Catholic missionaries successfully proselytized among them, converting nearly the entire native population from their animist beliefs to Christianity. The government also set up boarding schools for the Inuit as a means to separate them from their families and traditions and educate them according to Western principles. The last of these boarding schools closed in 1969.

World War II, then the Cold War, further transformed the region and its people. The US military built several air bases in the territory so that airplanes flying to Europe could stop to refuel. Later, when the United States deemed it necessary to monitor the Soviet Union's military activities, distant early warning radar stations were installed across the Arctic. Both of these projects utilized Inuit labor and brought the Inuit into more sustained contact with outsiders.

The movement to create Nunavut began in the 1970s with the filing of an Inuit land claim and was not completed for another few decades. The most important steps in this lengthy process include the plebiscite of 1982, when voters approved the division of Nunavut from the Northwest Territories, and the signing in 1992 of the Nunavut Land Claims Act. This guaranteed an independent homeland for the Inuit by 1999, broad rights to the many resources of the land, and substantial financial support. Nunavut became a territory as scheduled and has been striving toward economic self-sufficiency and a harmonious blend of the modern and the traditional ever since.

Trivia

• Nunavut's flag is blue, gold and red, symbolizing the sky, the riches of the land, and Canada, respectively.
• The coldest recorded temperature in Nunavut was -57.8 degrees Celsius (-74.9 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Inuit hunters mark their path with stones erected into figures that resemble men. Called "inuksuit," they have become a common symbol for Nunavut and the Inuit way of life.

Bibliography

Battle, Ken, and Sherri Torjman. Poverty and Prosperity in Nunavut. Caledon Inst. of Social Policy, 2014.

Bennett, John R., and Susan Rowley, eds. Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut. McGill-Queen's UP, 2008.

Cameron, Emilie. Far Off Metal River: Inuit Lands, Settler Stories, and the Makings of the Contemporary Arctic. UBC, 2015.

"Economic Data." Government of Nunavut, Dept. of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, Government of Nunavut, www.gov.nu.ca/executive-and-intergovernmental-affairs/information/economic-data. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

Fischer, George. Canada's Exotic North: Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Nimbus, 2015.

Kikkert, Peter. "Nunavut." The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 8 July 2021, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nunavut/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

"Population Estimates, Quarterly." Statistics Canada, 29 Sept. 2021, www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

Oosten, Jarich, Frédéric B. Laugrand, and François Trudel. Memory and History in Nunavut. Nunavut Arctic College, 2012.

"Welcome to Nunavut." Travel Nunavut, travelnunavut.ca/welcome-to-nunavut/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.