Nuussuaq
Encyclopedia
Nuussuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup
municipality in northwestern Greenland
. It is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago
, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula
, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay
, an indentiation of Baffin Bay
.
The settlement was founded in 1923 as a trading station, growing in size during the post-war
consolidation phase, when hunters from several small villages in the region of neighboring Inussulik Bay
, Sugar Loaf Bay, and Tasiusaq Bay
moved into the larger settlements such as Nuussuaq and Kullorsuaq
further north in Melville Bay
. Today Nuussuaq remains one of the most traditional hunting and fishing villages in Greenland, with a stable population.
All southbound migrations of the Inuit
passed through the area, leaving behind a trail of archeological sites. The early Saqqaq culture
diminished in importance around 1.000 BCE, followed by the migrants of Dorset culture
, who spread alongside the coast of Baffin Bay, being in turn misplaced by the Thule people
in the 13th and 14th centuries. The archipelago has been continuously inhabited since then.
, Itissaalik
(abandoned in 1957), and Ikermiut
(abandoned in 1954). Not all of the initial wave of settlers from these villages of fewer than 10 people remained in Nuussuaq, but by the end of the 1920s, other families arrived in place of the hunters who moved north to Kullorsuaq
in Melville Bay
, and the community began to slowly grow.
Between 1930 and 1960, northwestern Greenland underwent a consolidation phase, driven by the Danish colonial authorities via Royal Greenland
, then part of KNI
, with a countrywide monopoly
on trade. The mutual agreement between the hunting families and the trade company limited the pre-war northward expansion until the 1950s, when the populations of the smaller settlements reinforced larger communities in Nuussuaq and Kullorsuaq, where the physical limit of uninhabitable Melville Bay presented a natural barrier to expansion. Today Nuussuaq remains one of the most traditional hunting and fishing villages in Greenland.
, a vast archipelago of small islands on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay
. The settlement straddles a small rock spur jutting off Nuussuaq Peninsula
, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay
, an indentiation of Baffin Bay. The name of both the settlement and the peninsula means "a large tip" in the Greenlandic language.
Nuussuaq is the only mainland settlement between Ukkusissat
in the Uummannaq Fjord
region and Savissivik
near Cape York
, at the northern end of Melville Bay. All other settlements of the archipelago are insular.
The rock spur off Nuussuaq Peninsula encloses a small inlet of Sugar Loaf Bay from the south, met by another spur in the west, nearly closing off the inlet, with a small island between the two spurs. The inlet provides good harbourage and protection from the open waters of Baffin Bay, a deciding factor for the foundation of the settlement. The western spur is called "Qallunaaq Arnaq" (old spelling: Qavdlunâq Arnaq) − literally: "Danish Woman" in the Greenlandic language − named so for its shape resembling brassiere
, at one time a novelty. The name is not unique to the region: an identically named hill of similar shape is located in western Greenland, east of Sisimiut
, on the shores of Ikertooq Fjord
.
The protection offered by the inlet is complemented by several factors facilitating settlement: two freshwater lakes are located immediately to the east of the village, while the southern coast of Nuussuaq Peninsula is protected from northward winds in the winter. The short distance (6.8 km (4.2 mi)) from Nuussuup Nuua
− the western cape of the 52 km (32.3 mi) long Nuussuaq Peninsula − placed the settlement on the old maritime route from Upernavik
, through the islands of Tasiusaq Bay
, to Kullorsuaq in Melville Bay.
and fishing
are the mainstay of the area, although the more northern settlements still rely on traditional hunting of fur seal
s, walrus
es, and whale
s to supplement the family economy. In that, the northern region is culturally linked with the far north of Greenland , the Qaanaaq
region.
Outside of Upernavik town, the average level of income
in the archipelago is amongst the lowest in Greenland. Alongside three other settlements in the archipelago (Naajaat
, Kullorsuaq, and Upernavik Kujalleq
), Nuussuaq is listed in the top 10 poorest within Greenland.
On 28 August 2010, a fish processing
factory of Upernavik Seafood was opened in Nuussuaq, joining the set of 8 other such factories in the Upernavik Archipelago. Apart from the communal all-purpose Pilersuisoq
store, the factory is the first business enterprise in the settlement.
serves the village as part of government contract, with twice-weekly helicopter flights to Kullorsuaq and Upernavik.
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 northwestern 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 is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago is a vast archipelago of small islands in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay...
, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula (Upernavik Archipelago)
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago, approximately to the south of Melville Bay...
, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay
Sugar Loaf Bay
Sugar Loaf Bay is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is an indentiation of northeastern Baffin Bay...
, an indentiation 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...
.
The settlement was founded in 1923 as a trading station, growing in size during the post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
consolidation phase, when hunters from several small villages in the region of neighboring Inussulik Bay
Inussulik Bay
Inussulik Bay is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :The bay is located in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago, between Kiatassuaq Island in the north and Nuussuaq Peninsula in the south...
, Sugar Loaf Bay, and Tasiusaq Bay
Tasiusaq Bay
Tasiusaq Bay is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is an indentiation of northeastern Baffin Bay...
moved into the larger settlements such as Nuussuaq and Kullorsuaq
Kullorsuaq
Kullorsuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the northernmost settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located on Kullorsuaq Island, at the southern end of Melville Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay.The settlement was founded in 1928, and became a...
further north in Melville Bay
Melville Bay
Melville Bay , is a large bay off the coast of northwestern Greenland. Located to the north of the Upernavik Archipelago, it opens to the south-west into Baffin Bay. Its Kalaallisut name, Qimusseriarsuaq, means "the great dog sledding place"....
. Today Nuussuaq remains one of the most traditional hunting and fishing villages in Greenland, with a stable population.
History
Prehistory
The Upernavik Archipelago belongs to the earliest-settled areas of Greenland; the first migrants arriving approximately 2,000 years BCECommon Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
All southbound migrations 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...
passed through the area, leaving behind a trail of archeological sites. The early Saqqaq culture
Saqqaq culture
The Saqqaq culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture in Greenland.-Timeframe:...
diminished in importance around 1.000 BCE, followed by the migrants of Dorset culture
Dorset culture
The Dorset culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture that preceded the Inuit culture in Arctic North America. It has been defined as having four phases, with distinct technology related to the people's hunting and tool making...
, who spread alongside the coast of Baffin Bay, being in turn misplaced by the Thule people
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...
in the 13th and 14th centuries. The archipelago has been continuously inhabited since then.
20th century
Nuussuaq was founded in 1923 as a trading post, during the modern northbound migration of Greenlanders from Upernavik. The settlement was initially populated by hunters from the now abandoned villages of the region: KuukKuuk
Kuuk is a former settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It was located in the north-central part of Upernavik Archipelago, on the southern cape of Mernoq Island, an island in Tasiusaq Bay. The settlement was abandoned in 1972....
, Itissaalik
Itissaalik
Itissaalik is a former settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It was located in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago, on the southern shore of Itissaalik Island, an island in Sugar Loaf Bay.- History :Itissaalik was established in 1904, and temporarily...
(abandoned in 1957), and Ikermiut
Ikermiut
Ikermiut is a former settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It was located on Ikermiut Island in the center of Inussulik Bay, a bay in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago. The settlement was abandoned in 1954 in favor of more northerly settlements of Nuussuaq...
(abandoned in 1954). Not all of the initial wave of settlers from these villages of fewer than 10 people remained in Nuussuaq, but by the end of the 1920s, other families arrived in place of the hunters who moved north to Kullorsuaq
Kullorsuaq
Kullorsuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the northernmost settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located on Kullorsuaq Island, at the southern end of Melville Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay.The settlement was founded in 1928, and became a...
in Melville Bay
Melville Bay
Melville Bay , is a large bay off the coast of northwestern Greenland. Located to the north of the Upernavik Archipelago, it opens to the south-west into Baffin Bay. Its Kalaallisut name, Qimusseriarsuaq, means "the great dog sledding place"....
, and the community began to slowly grow.
Between 1930 and 1960, northwestern Greenland underwent a consolidation phase, driven by the Danish colonial authorities via Royal Greenland
Royal Greenland
Royal Greenland A/S is a fishing company in Greenland. The company operates in a number of towns and settlements in Greenland, with 20 fish processing plants and ship bases of local subsidiary units...
, then part of KNI
KNI (Greenland Trade)
KNI A/S is a state-owned trade company in Greenland. Led by Søren Lennert Mortensen, the company is based in Sisimiut.- History :KNI was founded in 1774 as Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel by the Danish colonial authorities as a state monopoly, thus sharing its origin with Royal Greenland, the...
, with a countrywide monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on trade. The mutual agreement between the hunting families and the trade company limited the pre-war northward expansion until the 1950s, when the populations of the smaller settlements reinforced larger communities in Nuussuaq and Kullorsuaq, where the physical limit of uninhabitable Melville Bay presented a natural barrier to expansion. Today Nuussuaq remains one of the most traditional hunting and fishing villages in Greenland.
Geography
Nuussuaq is located in the northern part of Upernavik ArchipelagoUpernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago is a vast archipelago of small islands in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay...
, a vast archipelago of small islands on the coast of northeastern 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...
. The settlement straddles a small rock spur jutting off Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula (Upernavik Archipelago)
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago, approximately to the south of Melville Bay...
, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay
Sugar Loaf Bay
Sugar Loaf Bay is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is an indentiation of northeastern Baffin Bay...
, an indentiation of Baffin Bay. The name of both the settlement and the peninsula means "a large tip" in the Greenlandic language.
Nuussuaq is the only mainland settlement between Ukkusissat
Ukkusissat
Ukkusissat is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northwestern Greenland. The population of the settlement was 170 in 2010.- Geography :...
in the Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland...
region and Savissivik
Savissivik
Savissivik is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northern Greenland...
near Cape York
Cape York (Greenland)
Cape York is a cape on the northwestern coast of Greenland, in northern Baffin Bay. The cape, located west-south-west of the Savissivik settlement, delimits the northwestern end of Melville Bay, with the other end commonly defined as Wilcox Head, the western promontory on Kiatassuaq Island.-...
, at the northern end of Melville Bay. All other settlements of the archipelago are insular.
The rock spur off Nuussuaq Peninsula encloses a small inlet of Sugar Loaf Bay from the south, met by another spur in the west, nearly closing off the inlet, with a small island between the two spurs. The inlet provides good harbourage and protection from the open waters of Baffin Bay, a deciding factor for the foundation of the settlement. The western spur is called "Qallunaaq Arnaq" (old spelling: Qavdlunâq Arnaq) − literally: "Danish Woman" in the Greenlandic language − named so for its shape resembling brassiere
Brassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
, at one time a novelty. The name is not unique to the region: an identically named hill of similar shape is located in western Greenland, east of Sisimiut
Sisimiut
Sisimiut is a town in central-western Greenland, located on the coast of Davis Strait, approximately north of Nuuk. It is the administrative center of the Qeqqata Municipality and the second-largest town in Greenland, with a population of 5,460 people as of 2010. The site of the present-day town...
, on the shores of Ikertooq Fjord
Ikertooq Fjord
Ikertooq Fjord is a long fjord in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland. The fjord empties into Davis Strait south of Sisimiut.- Geography :...
.
The protection offered by the inlet is complemented by several factors facilitating settlement: two freshwater lakes are located immediately to the east of the village, while the southern coast of Nuussuaq Peninsula is protected from northward winds in the winter. The short distance (6.8 km (4.2 mi)) from Nuussuup Nuua
Nuussuup Nuua
Nuussuup Nuua is a cape in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :The cape is the western promontory on the long Nuussuaq Peninsula, jutting from the mainland of Greenland into Baffin Bay and separating Sugar Loaf Bay in the south from Inussulik Bay in the north...
− the western cape of the 52 km (32.3 mi) long Nuussuaq Peninsula − placed the settlement on the old maritime route from Upernavik
Upernavik
Upernavik is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance...
, through the islands of Tasiusaq Bay
Tasiusaq Bay
Tasiusaq Bay is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is an indentiation of northeastern Baffin Bay...
, to Kullorsuaq in Melville Bay.
Economy
HuntingHunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
are the mainstay of the area, although the more northern settlements still rely on traditional hunting of fur seal
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
s, 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 whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
s to supplement the family economy. In that, the northern region is culturally linked with the far north of Greenland , the 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...
region.
Outside of Upernavik town, the average level of income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
in the archipelago is amongst the lowest in Greenland. Alongside three other settlements in the archipelago (Naajaat
Naajaat
Naajaat is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland...
, Kullorsuaq, and Upernavik Kujalleq
Upernavik Kujalleq
Upernavik Kujalleq is an island settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. Founded in 1855 as a trading station, the settlement had 204 inhabitants in 2010.- Upernavik Archipelago :...
), Nuussuaq is listed in the top 10 poorest within Greenland.
On 28 August 2010, a fish processing
Fish processing
The term fish processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer...
factory of Upernavik Seafood was opened in Nuussuaq, joining the set of 8 other such factories in the Upernavik Archipelago. Apart from the communal all-purpose Pilersuisoq
Pilersuisoq
Pilersuisoq A/S is a state-owned chain of all-purpose general stores in Greenland. Based in Sisimiut, it is a subsidiary of KNI, the largest commerce company in the country...
store, the factory is the first business enterprise in the settlement.
Transport
Air GreenlandAir Greenland
Air Greenland A/S is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, jointly owned by the government of Greenland, the SAS Group, and the government of Denmark...
serves the village as part of government contract, with twice-weekly helicopter flights to Kullorsuaq and Upernavik.