Pangnirtung, Nunavut
Encyclopedia
Pangnirtung is an Inuit
hamlet
, Qikiqtaaluk Region, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut
, located on Baffin Island
. As of the 2006 census
the population was 1,325, an increase of 3.8% from the 2001 census
. Pangnirtung is situated on a coastal plain at the coast of Pangnirtung Fjord, a fjord
which eventually merges with Cumberland Sound
. The area
of the town is 7.54 square kilometres. The mayor is Mosesee Qappik.
There is some confusion about the village name. Residents say the real name is Panniqtuuq, which means "the place of many bull caribou". Early in 2005 residents voted against officially changing the name of the village to the original native one, as Pangnirtung has achieved an international reputation for producing high-quality traditional arts, as well as printmaking
and weaving
.
In 2009 Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
proposed building a new modern harbour in Pangnirtung to support the region's turbot
-fishing industry.
Harper got a warm welcome with many residents gathered at the airport to greet him. The town's 1,500 residents listened as Harper announced that $17 million worth of harbour construction promised in the last two budgets would get under way this fall.
Harper said the greatest potential for the hamlet's future lies in the inshore turbot
fishery. The shortfalls of the current harbour are a big problem for fishermen. When the tide recedes, the harbour turns to mud.
Pangnirtung is nicknamed the Switzerland
of the Arctic
, or simply Pang.
Contact with European-Canadians has been limited to less than the last century. In 1921, the Hudson's Bay Company
established a trading post in Pangnirtung. Two years later the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
erected a permanent office. The first government-appointed teacher arrived in 1956. The first administrative office was established in 1962
Since then, numerous Inuit people have achieved success with marketing their traditional arts. They transformed traditional drawing skills to produce lithographs and other forms of prints, allowing reproduction and wider distribution of their work. Other artists have made sculptures and carvings in local stone. Since the government established a weaving studio in 1970, many Inuit have learned to weave and are producing tapestries and other works that find an international market.
fishery. In 2008, the federal government budgeted for the construction of a harbour.
Parks Canada
operates a visitor centre, which is located near the park office. Auyuittuq Lodge is the hamlet’s only hotel, which comprises 25 rooms, shared facilities, a dining room, and a lounge.
Pangnirtung is the nearest town (1 hour by boat) to Auyuittuq National Park
. Iglunga
, now uninhabited, is an Inuit hamlet to the west.
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...
hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
, Qikiqtaaluk Region, in the Canadian territory of 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...
, located on 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...
. As of the 2006 census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
the population was 1,325, an increase of 3.8% from the 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
. Pangnirtung is situated on a coastal plain at the coast of Pangnirtung Fjord, a fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
which eventually merges with Cumberland Sound
Cumberland Sound
Cumberland Sound is an Arctic waterway in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is a western arm of the Labrador Sea located between Baffin Island's Hall Peninsula and the Cumberland Peninsula...
. The area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of the town is 7.54 square kilometres. The mayor is Mosesee Qappik.
There is some confusion about the village name. Residents say the real name is Panniqtuuq, which means "the place of many bull caribou". Early in 2005 residents voted against officially changing the name of the village to the original native one, as Pangnirtung has achieved an international reputation for producing high-quality traditional arts, as well as printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
.
In 2009 Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
proposed building a new modern harbour in Pangnirtung to support the region's turbot
Turbot
The turbot is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.-Etymology:...
-fishing industry.
Harper got a warm welcome with many residents gathered at the airport to greet him. The town's 1,500 residents listened as Harper announced that $17 million worth of harbour construction promised in the last two budgets would get under way this fall.
Harper said the greatest potential for the hamlet's future lies in the inshore turbot
Turbot
The turbot is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.-Etymology:...
fishery. The shortfalls of the current harbour are a big problem for fishermen. When the tide recedes, the harbour turns to mud.
Pangnirtung is nicknamed the Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
of the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, or simply Pang.
History
The Inuit people and their ancestors have inhabited the area for thousands of years, perhaps as long as 4,000. Their cultures were well-adapted to the climate and environment.Contact with European-Canadians has been limited to less than the last century. In 1921, 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...
established a trading post in Pangnirtung. Two years later the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
erected a permanent office. The first government-appointed teacher arrived in 1956. The first administrative office was established in 1962
Since then, numerous Inuit people have achieved success with marketing their traditional arts. They transformed traditional drawing skills to produce lithographs and other forms of prints, allowing reproduction and wider distribution of their work. Other artists have made sculptures and carvings in local stone. Since the government established a weaving studio in 1970, many Inuit have learned to weave and are producing tapestries and other works that find an international market.
Services
The community operates a turbotTurbot
The turbot is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.-Etymology:...
fishery. In 2008, the federal government budgeted for the construction of a harbour.
Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
operates a visitor centre, which is located near the park office. Auyuittuq Lodge is the hamlet’s only hotel, which comprises 25 rooms, shared facilities, a dining room, and a lounge.
Pangnirtung is the nearest town (1 hour by boat) to Auyuittuq National Park
Auyuittuq National Park
Auyuittuq National Park is a national park located on Baffin Island's Cumberland Peninsula, Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, the largest political subdivision of Canada. It features the many terrains of Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers, and ice fields...
. Iglunga
Iglunga, Nunavut
Iglunga was an Inuit settlement, now uninhabited, in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located on a Baffin Island offshore island at the southern entrance into Bon Accord Harbour, southwest of Auyuittuq National Park Reserve...
, now uninhabited, is an Inuit hamlet to the west.
Notable residents
- Paul OkalikPaul OkalikPaul Okalik MLA is a Canadian politician. He is the first Inuk member called to the Nunavut Bar, the first Premier of Nunavut and the only multi-term premier of a Canadian territory....
, Nunavut's first premier - Peter KilabukPeter KilabukPeter Kilabuk is a Canadian politician, who was the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Pangnirtung in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut from 1999 to 2008....
- Simeonie KeenainakSimeonie KeenainakSimeonie Keenainak is an Inuit accordionist and retired RCMP officer from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada. He is also a photographer and hunter. He has performed at the Pangnirtung Music Festival and was featured in regional and national media for his musicianship and cultural community...
- Ipeelee KilabukIpeelee KilabukIpeelee Kilabuk was a territorial level politician from Pangnirtung, Northwest Territories, Canada.Kilabuk was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature in the 1975 Northwest Territories general election. He ran for re-election in the 1979 Northwest Territories general election but...
- Stephen OsborneStephen Osborne (writer)Stephen Osborne is a Canadian writer and editor. He is the author of Ice & Fire: Dispatches from the New World, and since 1990 has been the editor of Geist magazine.-Life and work:...
- NakasukNakasukNakasuk was an Inuk who was born at a sealing camp near Pangnirtung, Nunavut in the early 20th century and grew up around Kimmirut . He assisted a US Navy party wintering on Baffin Island during the 1941-1942 winter to find a suitable location for a US air base...
- Andrew QappikAndrew QappikAndrew Qappik is a Canadian Inuit graphic artist currently residing in Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Qappik is known for his printmaking and his contribution to the Nunavut Coat of arms....
- Rassi Nashalik, presenter of CBC NorthCBC NorthCBC North is the name for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio and television service in the Canadian Arctic. Originally known as the CBC Northern Service, its first operations began in 1958 with radio broadcasts including the takeover of CFYK, originally a Royal Canadian Signal...
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