April 12, 2014

  • K is for Kugluktuk and other hamlets..

    Place names often reflect the geographical features, and/or history of the area or the inhabitants and their culture. Often you may have noticed there will be changes In the name of a town, a city or a street.

     

    In Nunavut, such has been the situation and even a program whose prime purpose was “to preserve and promote Inuit language and culture by providing official recognition to traditional Inuktitut place names.” Called Toponymy, here is the link…

     

    http://www.ch.gov.nu.ca/en/Toponymy.aspx

     

    Kugaaruk or Kuugaarruk; English: "little stream") …also called Arviligjuaq, meaning "the great bowhead whale” ..formerly Pelly Bay.

     

    Kugluktuk or in the local language Inuinnaqtun: Qurluktuk, "the place of moving water"; was formerly Coppermine until 1 January 1996 and is  situated at the mouth of the Coppermine River.F1000008

     

    Kimmirut known as previously as Lake Harbour is a community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada.

     

    Taloyoak or Talurjuaq formerly known as Spence Bay until 1 July 1992 has a 2006 population of 809.

     

    Arctic Bay, one of my favorites, has of 2011 Population: 823, or in Inuktitut Ikpiarjuk  means "the pocket". It is an Inuit hamlet located in the northern part of the Borden Peninsula on Baffin Island IMG_1414 in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada.

    History

    Arctic Bay Health Centre

    The Arctic Bay area has been occupied for nearly 5000 years by Inuit nomads migrating from the west. In 1872, a European whaling ship, the Arctic, captained by Willie Adams, passed through and gave the area its English name. It has the lowest tidal range in Canada.

    The Inuktitut name for Arctic Bay is Ikpiarjuk which means "the pocket" in English. This name describes the high hills that surround the almost landlocked bay. To the southeast, the flat-topped King George V Mountain dominates the landscape of the hamlet.IMG_1342 The community is served by annual supply sealift, and by Arctic Bay Airport. There is also a road connecting it to Nanisivik, a mining community just inland that is being closed up.IMG_2361 Residents had hoped to boost their housing and public facilities with buildings relocated from Nanisivik, but those hopes were dashed due to lead-zinc contamination. However, IMG_2527

    a church was relocated from Nanisivik to Arctic Bay in August 2007.IMG_4478

Comments (7)

  • You make me dream , Bonnie , when you describe those places that are preserved their inheritage and where I will never go .
    I appreciated also to find the toponymy site translated in French ;

    Love
    Michel

  • Lovely blog, glad I popped by

  • I'm delighted to see the Nunavut effort going into preserving the Inuit way of life -- language and place names are an important part of that, and I hope they are reverting to historic place names.

  • I loved reading back through all your alphabet posts. I have never been further north then Thompson House in Manitoba. So much of what you share here I only know through pictures. Thank you for adding your personal experience for us to share. I loved seeing all the pictures.

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An Albertan & Canadian, definitely a northern gal. Social worker by profession, this blog has included some of my work over 10 years in Nunavut from 2002 on. Passionate about slowing down & taking time to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors or kindness in relationships as gifts & blessings; injustices against children in situations beyond their control; my faith; Nature, experiencing the outdoors whether cycling, walking. x-c skiing or gardening, my dogs, capturing on film God's beauty, experiencing life intensely & with the senses, richness of late afternoon light, wind in my hair cycling with my dog on a beach road, couching inches from an arctic flower or alpine lichen to capture it with my camera, insight of a student's new learning, a good conversation over a coffee.

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