baffin island culture

Author of the article: Jennifer Allford. Witness the culture of the Inuit whose ancestors established a trade route with Vikings. ), One of the best-known communities just off Baffin Island, on Dorset Island, is Cape Dorset, now recognized around the world for the outstanding soapstone carvings, prints and drawings of its Inuit artists. The meetings were also meant to allow community members from Pond Inlet, Sanirajak, Igloolik, Clyde River and Arctic Bay—the five communities on northern Baffin Island … (See also Inuit Myth and Legend and The Goddess of the Sea: The Story of Sedna. Natanine wants the caribou to remain in good shape. “They are narrators of their community.”, Pootoogook, one of the first to include violence and other social issues in her drawings, “really broke the glass ceiling of Inuit art to be accepted in the mainstream of contemporary art, which allowed other artists access to that,” says Campbell. Much like neighboring Greenland, Baffin contains all the elements that people generally associate with the arctic: midnight sun, the Aurora Borealis, expansive tundra, steep fiords, drifting pack ice, ice caps, glaciers, icebergs, polar bears, caribou, walrus, etc. Farther north, the Inuit of Davis Strait did not encounter outsiders in any numbers until after 1820, when Scottish and American whalers started making annual visits to Baffin Island through the heavy drift ice of western Baffin Bay. Courtesy, Jennifer Allford, Famed Inuit artist Shuvinai Ashoona holds one of her drawings at the new Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop in Cape Dorset. Why go to Baffin Island? The language has several subdialects, including North and South Baffin. Outside, artists are selling carvings, little seal skin ookpiks and drawings. We sit in zodiacs, binoculars (or cameras) glued to our eyes as the bear approaches, sizes up the (much larger) walrus and retreats. Inuktitut is a language commonly spoken by many Baffin Island Inuit. Here, we explore the beauty and bewilderment of Baffin Island. (See also Inuit Art and  Contemporary Inuit Art.). On a geological basis, Baffin Island is known to be a continuation of Canadian Shield’s eastern edge. Baffin Island is a must-visit for avid bird-watchers. After relocation projects in the 1950s that forcibly removed Inuit from their traditional camps, the Baffin Island Inuit now live in homes in Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay), the transportation hub and largest settlement on the island. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Maybe, I think, the bear is just checking that the pantry is full. Jennifer Allford was supported by First Air and hosted by One Ocean Expeditions, which did not review or approve this story. Build an igloo, play ice hockey on a frozen pond, kite-ski, dog-sled, bite into steaming hot traditional bannock bread and caribou stew, and then swallow your shyness and give Inuit throat-singing a try. Read more about cookies here. According to the 2016 census, the total Inuit population in the Baffin region was 14,875; the total non-Inuit population was significantly smaller: 5,440. “It was started as an economic engine for communities,” says Campbell. It existed from approximately 800 bc to ad 1300. In. South Coast-Baffinland: An Area Economic Survey. I buy an ookpik and two drawings, one of blackberries another of a camp stove. International Travel; Exploring south Baffin Island’s art, culture and wildlife. The picturesque hamlet of Pond Inlet, also called ‘Mittimatalik’ in Inuktitut after an unknown ancient person presumed to be buried here, is a traditional Inuit community located on the northern tip of Baffin Island near the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage. Also check out the links to Inuktitut language resources. NORÐLAND (NORTH COUNTRY). The Goddess of the Sea: The Story of Sedna, Taylor, J., Baffin Island Inuit (2018). Pootoogook died in Ottawa in 2016 and is buried in Cape Dorset’s rocky graveyard overlooking the water. Baffin Island, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Many Inuit opposed the program, arguing that the testing might harm and disturb local food sources, including seals, whales and walruses. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. The Baffin Island Inuit display considerable regional diversity in both language and culture. Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, Inuit along the south coast had occasional trade contacts with European exploration and supply vessels that stopped briefly on their way through to Hudson Bay. It is administered as part of Baffin region, Nunavut territory, Canada. The Pre-Dorset culture was a Paleo-Eskimo group of people who settled on the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and in northern Greenland around 2500 BC, lasting to around 500 BC. (See alsoIndigenous Territory.). Reps say that plans to boost iron ore output will affect marine mammals that Inuit depend upon. The Vikings called them ‘Skræling.’ Like the ancient Norse seafaring people of Greenland, the Dorset people became extinct by 1500 AD. “What now?” I ask, a little surprised. As part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Baffin Island is home to a number of Inuit communities, including Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Arctic Bay, Kimmirut and Nanisivik. In late 985 or 986, Bjarni Herjólfsson, sailing from Iceland to Greenland, was blown off course and sighted land southwest of Greenland. Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. The Baffin Island Inuit display considerable regional diversity in both language and culture. We’d received a crash course on Ashoona, her cousin, the late Annie Pootoogook and other Inuit artists during a presentation on board the Resolute by Nancy Campbell, a leading curator of and expert in Inuit art. The Baffin Island Inuit display considerable regional diversity in both dialect and culture. For Romani Makkik, of Igloolik, which is on the most northeastern point of continental Canada across from northern Baffin Island, this means caribou, seal, narwhal, beluga, walrus, arctic char along with geese and ducks and their eggs. He brought with him four Inuit captives, who did not survive more than two months. “I did my first Inukshuk with a file and I sold it, so I started doing more,” Pudlak tells me, echoing the practicality of generations of Inuit artists. Circumnavigate Canada’s high Arctic Baffin Island from western Greenland Visit local Inuit communities and learn about their culture, both modern and traditional Chance to observe Arctic wildlife: polar bears, whales, seals and large bird colonies See immense icebergs at UNESCO World Heritage site Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland This movement to stop the testing was not the first instance in which Baffin Island Inuit fought against offshore oil and gas extraction. His dad taught him. In these parts of the arctic, traditional food is referred to as “country food.” For Romani Makkik, of Igloolik, which is on the most northeastern point of continental Canada across from northern Baffin Island, this means caribou, seal, narwhal, beluga, walrus, arctic char along with geese and ducks and their eggs. Baffin Island has been inhabited for over 3,000 years, first by the pre-Dorset, followed by the Dorset, and then by the Thule people, ancestors of the Inuit, who have lived on the island for the last thousand years. On a geological basis, Baffin Island is known to be a continuation of Canadian Shield’s eastern edge. The teenager catches up to ask whether we’d like to buy the white marble Inukshuk he’s carrying. Consultez également les liens donnant accès aux ressources sur la langue inuktitute. We’ve arrived by zodiac from One Ocean Expedition’s RCGS Resolute, one of many excursions we take in 10 days of exploring art, culture and wildlife on south Baffin Island. Inuit material culture was greatly modified by the increased flow of trade goods, including firearms, and by the large supply of wood provided by frequent shipwrecks. Finally, in 2010, Baffin Island Inuit successfully opposed a seismic testing program in and around Lancaster Sound. “It was a game, because that’s all they had,” explains guide Silaqqi Alariaq. (See alsoInuit High Arctic Relocations in Canada.). In many of the central Nunavut dialects, it has the etymologically related name inuksugaq (plural: inuksugait). We see a lot of the Inuit’s natural world in our 10 days in the Arctic. In June 2014, the National Energy Board approved plans from a consortium led by Multi-Klient Invest AS (MKI) to begin five years of seismic testing around Baffin Island. What does this mean? Dr. Patricia Sutherland has theorized that archeological remains of carved masks, yarn, European rats and tally sticks indicate European contact with the Baffin Island Inuit as early as 1000 CE. The next issue of Calgary Herald Headline News will soon be in your inbox. Dorset culture, Greenlandic Kalaallit Nunaat, prehistoric culture of Greenland and the Canadian eastern Arctic as far south as present-day Newfoundland. Inuksuit are his favourite. You don’t have to search far to find a long list of accomplished Inuit artists in Cape Dorset, an ‘Art Capital of Canada’ and we are lucky to meet a few during our afternoon here. Baffin Island, Nunavut, 507,451 km 2, 1,500 km long and 200–700 km wide, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Inuit leaders from North Baffin Island say that their culture could be destroyed if Baffinland expands its iron ore mine as planned. The Pre-Dorset culture was a Paleo-Eskimo group of people who settled on the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and in northern Greenland around 2500 BC, lasting to around 500 BC. In about 986, Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red, formed three settlements near the southwestern tip of Greenland. One of the best-known communities just off Baffin Island, on Dorset Island, is Cape Dorset, now recognized around the world for the outstanding soapstone carvings, prints and drawings of its Inuit artists (see Inuit Art; Contemporary Inuit Art). Apak: North Baffin Island Learning to hunt is an important right of passage for Inuit boys. He finished this one, about as long as my hand, in about half an hour. Qamutiks are seen on the sea ice at Pond Inlet, overlooking Bylot Island. When the site, Iningat Ilaglit, goes live later this year (with a low bandwidth option for the north), it will be the first time many Inuit have seen the early drawings. Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map. Inuit culture is ancient and very much alive today. On board, we have presentations and workshops from naturalists, archeologists, historians, painters and a husband/wife team of Inuit guides. Courtesy, Jennifer Allford, Candace Pedersen, an Inuit guide who travelled with passengers onboard the RCGS Resolute, gave a presentation about her traditional tattoos; their history, present-day comeback and meaning. The cemetery, Campbell says, is a “lesson in Canadian art history.”. Oh, and his work has been shown in museums in London and Barcelona. The names ‘Dorset’ and ‘Pre-Dorset’ come from Cape Dorset, Baffin Island. Apak: North Baffin Island Learning to hunt is an important right of passage for Inuit boys. At Cape Dorset’s new Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop, we meet Shuvinai Ashoona. Well, literally it means that the brand was born in "The Great White North", Canada; and product that we still manufacture today in Stoney Creek, was first setup for production in the late 1970s. (See alsoIndigenous Languages in Canada.). Their drawings were turned into prints that sold in the south (such as Kenojuak Ashevak’s iconic Enchanted Owl). The Landscapes. At Cape Dorset’s new Kenojuak Cultural … Seven years later, the Canadian government placed another moratorium on oil development in Lancaster Sound after Inuit groups successfully expressed their opposition to the program. Still others, like David Pudlat, show you their work as you walk around town. When Frosbisher returned to Baffin Island in July and August, hostilities with the Inuit were renewed, prompting Frobisher to return to England. Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions. The Dorset culture has been assumed to have developed from the Pre-Dorset, however the relationship between the two remains unclear. Baffin Island Inuit (also known as Nunatsiarmiut) are Indigenous peoples who live on Baffin Island, the largest island in the Arctic Archipelago and in the territory of Nunavut. Later, she and a couple of young throat singers board the Resolute to perform in pairs, holding each other’s elbows and rocking as they sing. With support from various organizations, such as the Nunavut Marine Council, Greenpeace, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, the Sierra Club, Amnesty International, the Inuit continue to defend and protect Arctic lands, waters and wildlife. The famous and famously shy artist holds up a pencil drawing that’s almost as big as she is. Breadcrumb Trail Links. Mountains that tower as high as 7,000 feet form the backbone of the island’s geography along the northeastern coasts. Publishing date: Sep 27, 2019 • • 5 minute read. The latter share many cultural traits with the Labrador Inuit on the other side of Hudson Strait, which was frequently crossed for trading purposes. Come explore Baffin Island and experience the first place that Europeans landed in the New World. The remaining groups, often collectively referred to as the South Baffin Island Inuit, are concentrated along the rugged east coast, including Cumberland Sound and Frobisher Bay, and along the north shore of Hudson Strait. On shore, we pile out of the zodiacs, enjoy bannock and barbecued char and watch men compete in muskox fights (wrestling) and mouth tug of war (you sit side by side and hook your finger in the other guy’s mouth and pull — there is groaning). A welcome email is on its way. “Just search my name,” the kid in the ball cap says, a little bored with all the questions. Helluland was the first European settlement site in Canada in a region known today as Baffin Island. Courtesy, Adeline Heymann, One Ocean Expeditions, tap here to see other videos from our team. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Nunatta Sunaqutangit Museum (Building Number 212, Iqaluit) is the best place to learn more about Inuit culture, especially on days when resident elders share firsthand stories. Exploring south Baffin Island’s art, culture and wildlife. Visitors to the Nunavut territory … Lake Harbour, Baffin Island: An Introduction to the Social and Economic Problems of a Small Eskimo Community. In Nunavut, there are over 100 … These peoples were succeeded by the Dorset Culture, so named because the first physical evidence of this culture was found near Cape Dorset off the island's southwestern coast. You’d experience outdoor adventure, arts, culture, festivals, fresh dining, history everything. From paninuittrails.org. They don’t get many customers in Kimmirut. The tests, which use high-intensity sounds, will help map the seafloor and undersea geology. It existed from approximately 800 bc to ad 1300. Inuit from Baffin Island are descendants of the Thule, who expanded eastward across Canada from Alaska in the 12th and 13th centuries. “In the past they used to make inuksuit so they don’t get lost — ‘if I can see this Inukshuk, (I know) we’re in this place.’”. Baffin Island is Home to Nunavut’s Capital city Iqaluit, and 2 others. Enjoy arctic wilderness and Inuit culture on this Canadian Heritage River. Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. After Inuit protests, the federal government placed a moratorium on offshore oil development near Coral Harbour in 1971. Now, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is digitizing 100,000 Inuit works drawn between 1959 and 1988. According to the 2016 census, 36,015 people of the Indigenous population reported Inuktitut as their mother tongue. Baffin Island is magnificent, remote and unspoilt - one of the most wild places left on Earth. Join us on a paddling adventure down the Soper River in Nunavut, Canada. Please try again. The Baffin Island Inuit (like other modern Inuit) share biological and cultural links with their Thule ancestors. N'T see it please check your junk folder, 2019 • • 5 minute read ( ). “ Sure, ” she says opposed the program, arguing that pantry! 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