Hopedale, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Hopedale is a town located in the North of Labrador
, the mainland portion of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador
. Hopedale is the legislative capital of the Inuit Land Claims Area Nunatsiavut
, and where the Nunatsiavut Assembly meets. As of 2006 it has a population of 530.
settlement named Agvituk, Inuktitut
for "place of the whales". In 1782, Moravian missionaries from Germany
arrived in the area to convert the population. They renamed the settlement Hopedale (Hoffental in German) shortly afterward. The Hopedale Mission is still standing and is thought to be the oldest wooden-frame building in Canada
standing east of Quebec
. As such, it was named a National Historic Site. It is currently run by the Agvituk Historical Society as a part of a museum on the history of missionaries in the area.
as a first language, but a significant minority (21%) speak Inuktitut
.
About 93% of the population identify themselves as Inuit, 5% are mainly of European stock, and 2% are of Punjabi origin. Many of the Inuit in the town are actually mixed Inuit and White.
About 86% of the population belongs to a Protestant denomination, about 2% are Roman Catholic, and another 2% are Sikh
. About 10% are not affiliated with any religion.
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, the mainland portion of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. Hopedale is the legislative capital of the Inuit Land Claims Area Nunatsiavut
Nunatsiavut
Nunatsiavut is an autonomous area claimed by the Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The settlement area includes territory in Labrador extending to the Quebec border. In 2002, the Labrador Inuit Association submitted a proposal for limited autonomy to the government of Newfoundland and...
, and where the Nunatsiavut Assembly meets. As of 2006 it has a population of 530.
History
Hopedale was founded as an InuitInuit
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...
settlement named Agvituk, Inuktitut
Inuktitut
Inuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
for "place of the whales". In 1782, Moravian missionaries from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
arrived in the area to convert the population. They renamed the settlement Hopedale (Hoffental in German) shortly afterward. The Hopedale Mission is still standing and is thought to be the oldest wooden-frame building in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
standing east of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. As such, it was named a National Historic Site. It is currently run by the Agvituk Historical Society as a part of a museum on the history of missionaries in the area.
Demographics
The majority of people in Hopedale (79%) speak EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as a first language, but a significant minority (21%) speak Inuktitut
Inuktitut
Inuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
.
About 93% of the population identify themselves as Inuit, 5% are mainly of European stock, and 2% are of Punjabi origin. Many of the Inuit in the town are actually mixed Inuit and White.
About 86% of the population belongs to a Protestant denomination, about 2% are Roman Catholic, and another 2% are Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
. About 10% are not affiliated with any religion.