Etah, Greenland
Encyclopedia
Etah is an abandoned settlement in the Qaasuitsup
municipality in northern Greenland
. It was a starting point of discovery expeditions to the North Pole
, and the landing site of the last migration of the Inuit
from the Canadian Arctic.
near Reindeer Point. The fjord is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide and several miles long with 2000 ft (609.6 m) cliffs on each side. Brother John's Glacier terminates at the eastern end of the fjord. At the foot of the glacier is Lake Alida, a small body of frozen fresh water. The northern end of Baffin Bay
west of the former village, narrowing into Nares Strait
between Greenland and Ellesmere Island
, is usually frozen from October to July.
and Independence II
cultures 4,400 and 2,700 years ago, respectively, to the southbound Thule culture migrants a thousand years ago.
It is also the point where the last migration of the Inuit from Baffin Island
reached the coast of Greenland in 1865. An Inuit shaman named Qidlaq led the migrants from Baffin Island alongside the coast of Ellesmere Island for seven years, crossing the strait to Etah. The group split there, with some returning to Pond Inlet in Canada at a cost of many lives. Inhabitants of Pituffik
, later relocated to Qaanaaq
, are partially descended from this last group of Arctic migrants to Greenland.
's failed attempts at the North Pole, the ill-fated Crocker Land Expedition
of 1913, the Humphrey Expedition of 1934-35, the MacGregor Arctic Expedition
in 1937-38, and the Haig Thomas Expedition of 1938. Descendants of Peary and the local Inuit still live in Qaanaaq.
Etah was once the most northerly populated settlement in the world, while Annoatok
, located approximately 24 km (14.9 mi) to the north, was only a seasonally occupied hunting camp. The village was abandoned, with the Inuit moving south to Pituffik, due to the harsh climate. In 1984 a group of Greenlanders from Qaanaaq moved to Etah in an attempt to repopulate the village. The attempt failed, with the hunters unable to support themselves and their families with income from animal hides, as well as unable to sever connections with the settled life and the amenities of Qaanaaq.
The huts of the former village are still standing. Today, Etah is seldom visited, only by occasional hunter visitors in the summertime, due to abundance of walrus
es and polar bear
s.
Lucky voyagers of Adventure Canada's Out of the Northwest Passage cruise were also lucky enough to spend a glorious day hiking, eating and taking in the truly spectacular scenery the area has to offer in September 2011.
Qaasuitsup
Qaasuitsup is a new municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. As of January 2010 its population is 17,749. The administrative center of the municipality is in Ilulissat...
municipality in northern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. It was a starting point of discovery expeditions to the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, and the landing site of the last migration of the Inuit
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...
from the Canadian Arctic.
Geography
The village was located on the shores of Foulk FjordFoulk Fjord
Foulk Fjord is a fjord in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.-Geography:Located near Reindeer Point, the fjord is about wide and several miles long with cliffs on each side. Brother John's Glacier terminates at the eastern end of the fjord. At the foot of the glacier is Lake...
near Reindeer Point. The fjord is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide and several miles long with 2000 ft (609.6 m) cliffs on each side. Brother John's Glacier terminates at the eastern end of the fjord. At the foot of the glacier is Lake Alida, a small body of frozen fresh water. The northern end of Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
west of the former village, narrowing into Nares Strait
Nares Strait
Nares Strait is a waterway between Ellesmere Island and Greenland that is the northern part of Baffin Bay where it meets the Lincoln Sea. From south to north, the strait includes Smith Sound, Kane Basin, Kennedy Channel, Hall Basin and Robeson Channel...
between Greenland and Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
, is usually frozen from October to July.
Last migration to Greenland
Etah lies on the ancient migration route from the north of the Canadian Arctic, with several waves of ancient migrants passing through the area, from the northbound Independence IIndependence I culture
The Independence I culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture of peoples who lived in northern Greenland from 2,400 to 1,000 B.C. It is named after Independence Fjord. During this time they coexisted with the Saqqaq culture of southern Greenland...
and Independence II
Independence II culture
The Independence II culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture that flourished in northern and northeastern Greenland , north and south of the Independence Fjord. The Independence II culture arose in the same region as the Independence I culture, which became extinct six centuries earlier...
cultures 4,400 and 2,700 years ago, respectively, to the southbound Thule culture migrants a thousand years ago.
It is also the point where the last migration of the Inuit from Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
reached the coast of Greenland in 1865. An Inuit shaman named Qidlaq led the migrants from Baffin Island alongside the coast of Ellesmere Island for seven years, crossing the strait to Etah. The group split there, with some returning to Pond Inlet in Canada at a cost of many lives. Inhabitants of Pituffik
Pituffik
Pituffik is a former settlement in northern Greenland, located at the current site of the American Thule Air Base. The former inhabitants were relocated to the present-day town of Qaanaaq...
, later relocated to Qaanaaq
Qaanaaq
Qaanaaq is the main town in the northern part of the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of the northernmost towns in the world. The inhabitants of Qaanaaq speak the West Greenlandic language and many also speak Inuktun. The town has a population of 626 as of 2010...
, are partially descended from this last group of Arctic migrants to Greenland.
20th century
Etah was used in the past as a base camp for several Arctic expeditions, including Knud Rasmussen's expeditions to the northern coast of Greenland, Robert PearyRobert Peary
Robert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole...
's failed attempts at the North Pole, the ill-fated Crocker Land Expedition
Crocker Land Expedition
The Crocker Land Expedition was an ill-fated 1913 expedition to investigate Crocker Land, a huge island supposedly sighted by the explorer Robert Peary from the top of Cape Colgate in 1906...
of 1913, the Humphrey Expedition of 1934-35, the MacGregor Arctic Expedition
MacGregor Arctic Expedition
The MacGregor Arctic Expedition was a privately funded expedition which set out to reoccupy Fort Conger, Ellesmere Island, Canada, a site within flying distance of the North Pole...
in 1937-38, and the Haig Thomas Expedition of 1938. Descendants of Peary and the local Inuit still live in Qaanaaq.
Etah was once the most northerly populated settlement in the world, while Annoatok
Annoatok
Annoatok , located at , was a small hunting station in Greenland, on Smith Sound about north of Etah. It is now abandoned.- History :...
, located approximately 24 km (14.9 mi) to the north, was only a seasonally occupied hunting camp. The village was abandoned, with the Inuit moving south to Pituffik, due to the harsh climate. In 1984 a group of Greenlanders from Qaanaaq moved to Etah in an attempt to repopulate the village. The attempt failed, with the hunters unable to support themselves and their families with income from animal hides, as well as unable to sever connections with the settled life and the amenities of Qaanaaq.
The huts of the former village are still standing. Today, Etah is seldom visited, only by occasional hunter visitors in the summertime, due to abundance of walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
es and polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s.
Lucky voyagers of Adventure Canada's Out of the Northwest Passage cruise were also lucky enough to spend a glorious day hiking, eating and taking in the truly spectacular scenery the area has to offer in September 2011.