April 12, 2014
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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.
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 in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada.
History
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. 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. 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,
a church was relocated from Nanisivik to Arctic Bay in August 2007.
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
Thanks for stopping by again Michel, faithful as yo are to Xanga and lovely blog!
Lovely blog, glad I popped by
Thanks for stopping by Micheal!
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.
Thanks for stopping by Linda!
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