Inuvialuit
Encyclopedia
The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit
people who live in the western Canadian Arctic
region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule
who migrated eastward from Alaska
. Their homeland - the Inuvialuit Settlement Region
- covers the Arctic Ocean
coastline area from the Alaskan border, east through the Beaufort Sea
and beyond the Amundsen Gulf
which includes some of the western Canadian Arctic Islands
, as well as the inland community of Aklavik and part of the Yukon
. The land was demarked in 1984
by the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
, Alaskan Inuit, moved into traditional Siglit areas in the 1910s and 20s, enticed in part by renewed demand for furs from the Hudson's Bay Company
and European markets. The Nunatamiut who settled in the Siglit area became known as Uummarmiut
. Originally, there was an intense dislike between the Siglit and the Uummarmiut, but these differences faded over the years, and the two aboriginal peoples intermarried. With improved healthcare and Nunatamiut intermarriage, the Inuvialuit now number approximately 3,100.
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region Traditional Knowledge Report of 2006 identified additional naming characteristics. Those Inuvialuit who live in the west are called Ualinirmiut (Ualiniq) by the people of the east. The Inuvialuit who occupy the east are known as Kivaninmiut (Kivaliniq) by the people of the west.
The Inuit of Ulukhaktok are neither Siglit nor Uummarmiut but are Copper Inuit
and refer to themselves as Ulukhaktokmuit after Ulukhaktok, the native name for what used to be called Holman.
The proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline
would pass through both Inuvialuit and Gwich'in territory.
and it is made up of three or four dialects. Uummarmiutun
spoken by the Uummarmiut of Aklavik and Inuvik is an Inupiatun dialect but is usually associated with Inuvialuktun. Siglitun
is spoken by the Siglit of Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. Kangiryuarmiutun
is used by the Kangiryuarmiut
of Ulukhaktok. Kangiryuarmiutun is essentially the same as Inuinnaqtun
which is also used in the Nunavut
communities of Kugluktuk, Bathurst Inlet
and Cambridge Bay. Natsilingmiutut used by the Netsilingmiut of Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, Kugaaruk and Repulse Bay
in Nunavut. Uummarmiutun, Siglitun and Inuinnaqtun (Kangiryuarmiutun) are all written using Roman orthography
while Natsilingmiutut is written in Inuktitut syllabics
.
from the Cape Bathurst and Bluenose herds, and have also shared the Porcupine herd with the Gwich’in
. There has been some tension between the Inuvialuit and the Gwich’in over caribou hunting. Other activities are seasonal:
Traditional games include:
The area of the land covered by the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is 521707.68 km² (201,432.5 sq mi). Aklavik (Aklavik Indian Band, Ehdiitat Gwich’in Council) and Inuvik (Nihtat Gwich’in Council) are shared with the Gwich’in people who are represented by the Gwich’in Tribal Council.
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
people who live in the western Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule
Thule people
The Thule or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit. They developed in coastal Alaska by AD 1000 and expanded eastwards across Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. In the process, they replaced people of the earlier Dorset culture that had previously inhabited the region...
who migrated eastward from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Their homeland - the Inuvialuit Settlement Region
Inuvialuit Settlement Region
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region , located in Canada’s western Arctic, was designated in 1984 in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement by the Government of Canada for the Inuvialuit people...
- covers the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
coastline area from the Alaskan border, east through the Beaufort Sea
Beaufort Sea
The Beaufort Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska, west of Canada's Arctic islands. The sea is named after hydrographer Sir Francis Beaufort...
and beyond the Amundsen Gulf
Amundsen Gulf
Amundsen Gulf is a gulf located in Canadian Northwest Territories, between Banks Island and Victoria Island and the mainland . It is approximately in length and about across where it meets the Beaufort Sea....
which includes some of the western Canadian Arctic Islands
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Arctic Archipelago, is a Canadian archipelago north of the Canadian mainland in the Arctic...
, as well as the inland community of Aklavik and part of the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
. The land was demarked in 1984
1984 in Canada
-Incumbents:*Monarch: Elizabeth II*Governor General: Edward Schreyer then Jeanne Sauvé*Prime Minister: Pierre Trudeau then John Turner then Brian Mulroney*Premier of Alberta: Peter Lougheed*Premier of British Columbia: Bill Bennett...
by the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
History/Migration
Before the 20th century. the Inuvialuit Settlement Region was primarily inhabited by Siglit Inuit, but in the second half of the 19th century, their numbers were decimated by the introduction of new diseases. NunatamiutNunatamiut
The Nunatamiut are an Alaskan Inuit nomadic group who lived in the Alaskan interior and were known as great caribou hunters. When caribou numbers dwindled in the 19th century, some Nunatamiut migrated towards the Mackenzie River delta...
, Alaskan Inuit, moved into traditional Siglit areas in the 1910s and 20s, enticed in part by renewed demand for furs from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and European markets. The Nunatamiut who settled in the Siglit area became known as Uummarmiut
Uummarmiut
The Uummarmiut is the name given to the Inuvialuit who live predominantly in the Mackenzie Delta communities of Aklavik and Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada...
. Originally, there was an intense dislike between the Siglit and the Uummarmiut, but these differences faded over the years, and the two aboriginal peoples intermarried. With improved healthcare and Nunatamiut intermarriage, the Inuvialuit now number approximately 3,100.
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region Traditional Knowledge Report of 2006 identified additional naming characteristics. Those Inuvialuit who live in the west are called Ualinirmiut (Ualiniq) by the people of the east. The Inuvialuit who occupy the east are known as Kivaninmiut (Kivaliniq) by the people of the west.
The Inuit of Ulukhaktok are neither Siglit nor Uummarmiut but are Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit are a Canadian Inuit group who live north of the tree line, in Nunavut's Kitikmeot Region and the Northwest Territories's Inuvik Region. Most historically lived in the area around Coronation Gulf, on Victoria Island, and southern Banks Island.Their western boundary was Wise Point,...
and refer to themselves as Ulukhaktokmuit after Ulukhaktok, the native name for what used to be called Holman.
The proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline
Mackenzie Valley Pipeline
The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline is a proposed project to transport natural gas from the Beaufort Sea through Canada's Northwest Territories to tie into gas pipelines in northern Alberta. The project was first proposed in the early 1970s, but was scrapped following an inquiry conducted by Justice...
would pass through both Inuvialuit and Gwich'in territory.
Language
The traditional language is known as InuvialuktunInuvialuktun
Inuvialuktun, or Western Canadian Inuit language, Western Canadian Inuktitut, Western Canadian Inuktun comprises three Inuit dialects spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by those Canadian Inuit who call themselves Inuvialuk .Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta...
and it is made up of three or four dialects. Uummarmiutun
Uummarmiutun
Uummarmiutun or Canadian Iñupiaq is the variant of Iñupiaq spoken by the Uummarmiut, part of the Inuvialuit, who live mainly in the communities of Inuvik and Aklavik in the Northwest Territories of Canada....
spoken by the Uummarmiut of Aklavik and Inuvik is an Inupiatun dialect but is usually associated with Inuvialuktun. Siglitun
Siglitun
The Siglit dialect, or Siglitun, is the dialect of Inuvialuk language spoken by the Siglit Inuit. It is mainly used in the communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour and Tuktoyaktuk...
is spoken by the Siglit of Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. Kangiryuarmiutun
Kangiryuarmiutun
The Kangiryuarmiut dialect, or Kangiryuarmiutun , is the name of the dialect of Inuit language spoken in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada by Kangiryuarmiut people of Copper Inuit. The dialect is part of the Inuvialuktun language...
is used by the Kangiryuarmiut
Kangiryuarmiut
The Kangiryuarmiut were a Copper Inuit subgroup. They were located on Victoria Island in the areas of Prince Albert Sound, Cape Baring, and central Victoria island. They were also found around Nelson Head on Banks Island. Kangiryuarmiut subsisted on bear. They were the only Copper Inuit who...
of Ulukhaktok. Kangiryuarmiutun is essentially the same as Inuinnaqtun
Inuinnaqtun
Inuinnaqtun , is an indigenous Inuit language of Canada and a dialect of Inuvialuktun. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe that Inuinnaqtun is more appropriately classified as a dialect of Inuktitut...
which is also used in the Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
communities of Kugluktuk, Bathurst Inlet
Bathurst Inlet, Nunavut
Bathhurst Inlet, , is a small Inuit community located in Bathurst Inlet in the Kitikmeot Region of Canada's Nunavut Territory...
and Cambridge Bay. Natsilingmiutut used by the Netsilingmiut of Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, Kugaaruk and Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay, Nunavut
Repulse Bay is an Inuit hamlet located on the shore of Hudson Bay, Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut, Canada.-Location and wildlife:The hamlet is located exactly on the Arctic Circle, on the north shore of Repulse Bay and on the south shore of the Rae Isthmus. Transport to the community is provided...
in Nunavut. Uummarmiutun, Siglitun and Inuinnaqtun (Kangiryuarmiutun) are all written using Roman orthography
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
while Natsilingmiutut is written in Inuktitut syllabics
Inuktitut syllabics
Inuktitut syllabics is a writing system used by the Inuit in Nunavut and in Nunavik, Quebec...
.
Culture
Year-round, Inuvialuit hunt caribouReindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
from the Cape Bathurst and Bluenose herds, and have also shared the Porcupine herd with the Gwich’in
Gwich’in
The Gwich’in , literally "one who dwells" or "resident of [a region]", are a First Nations/Alaska Native people who live in the northwestern part of North America mostly above the Arctic Circle...
. There has been some tension between the Inuvialuit and the Gwich’in over caribou hunting. Other activities are seasonal:
- Spring: fishing, geese hunting, grizzly hunting
- Summer: whaling, fishing, gathering berries, roots and medicinal plants
- Autumn: fishing, sealing, geese hunting, and plant gathering
- Winter: fishing, sealing, polar bear hunting
Traditional games include:
- akimuq: high kick game
- ayahaaq: string game
- iglukisaaq: juggling rocks
- mak: played by trying to make a person laugh
- napaatchak: darts; played with a wooden handle and sharp nail
Communities
| Inuvialuit communities | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community | English translation | 2006 population | Inuvaluit | First Nations First Nations First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The... |
Métis Métis people (Canada) The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with... |
Other Aboriginal | non-Aboriginal | |
| Aklavik | "barren-ground grizzly place" | 594 | 350 | 185 | 10 | 0 | 40 | |
| Inuvik | "place of man" | 3,484 | 1,335 | 630 | 160 | 0 | 1,260 | |
| Paulatuk | "place of coal" | 294 | 260 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | |
| Sachs Harbour | traditionally called Ikahuak, meaning "where you go across to" | 122 | 105 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 15 | |
| Tuktoyaktuk | "resembling a caribou"; formerly known as Port Brabant | 870 | 705 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 145 | |
| Ulukhaktok | "a large bluff where we used to collect raw material to make ulu Ulu An ulu is an all-purpose knife traditionally used by Eskimo women, both Yupik and Inuit. It is utilized in applications as diverse as skinning and cleaning animals, cutting a child's hair, cutting food and, if necessary, trimming blocks of snow and ice used to build an igloo... s", formerly known as Holman |
398 | 360 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 30 | |
The area of the land covered by the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is 521707.68 km² (201,432.5 sq mi). Aklavik (Aklavik Indian Band, Ehdiitat Gwich’in Council) and Inuvik (Nihtat Gwich’in Council) are shared with the Gwich’in people who are represented by the Gwich’in Tribal Council.