Exploring Nunavut: Land of Inuksuks, History, and Arctic Wonders

1. Nunavut http://www.nunavuttourism.com/media/search.aspx?tag=24&tagname=Animal

2. This rock statue is called an inuksuk (in-uk-suk) • Inuit use them as directional markers and landmarks • “Inuk” means person and “suk” means substitute • It is meant to symbolize a person pointing travelers in the right direction

3. A Brief History of Nunavut • Scientists believe that the first people in North America were the Old World hunters, who came in search of food 30 000-25 000 BC. • These hunters hunted mammoths and mastodons. • Between 30 000 and 12 000 BCE most of Canada was buried under a thick ice sheet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoKxkx0bYRk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJJDM675Ypw

4. By 9000 BC the ice sheet was almost completely melted • Around the year 1000 the Thule culture starts to appear. • The Thule are the ancestors of the Inuit

5. Between the 1570-1820 there were numerous expeditions by British explorers. • The British set up many settlements which primarily served as whaling stations.

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4oJBYkPwkQ • In 1999Nunavut becomes Canada’s official 3rd territory.

7. Nunavut: Land • Nunavut means “our land” in Inuktitut. • It makes up 21.3% of Canada’s total area (largest part of Canada) • It is an Arctic Archipelago (group of islands). • Mountainous and rocky

8. Some areas are covered by ice sheets 2 km thick. • Lots of valleys, frozen lakes, and costal fjords, caused by glaciers.

9. It has very rocky, mountainous terrain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiQkZcUEtfc&nohtml5=False EXPEDITION Q - A crossing of Baffin Island Baffin Island Fjord Nunavut

10. The Regions of Nunavut • Nunavut has three major regions: 1.Baffin Region Cities & towns include: a) Iqaluit b) Pond Inlet c) Clyde River d) Eureka e) Alert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi0TACqvc88

11. Fjord: A narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes

12. Eureka Note: Eureka is located on Ellesmere Island and is primarily used as a military base and satellite/ radio monitoring Note: Alert is the most northern settlement in the world. It has only 5 permanent residents. Alert is also used for military and research. Alert

13. 2. Keewatin Region: • Cities and Towns Include: • Chesterfield Inlet • Repulse Bay • Rankin Inlet

14. Include: a) Cambridge Bay b) Bathurst Inlet 3. Kitikmeot Region:

15. Purple Saxifrage is Nunavut’s official flower • It is one of the few plants that will grow in Nunavut • Source of food (Inuit) • Sweet tasting flower – (Eat it raw or boil it in water)

16. Climate • It is harsh • Winters are long and cold(-40°C) with strong winds • Summers are short and cool(+/-10°C). • Frost in the summer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzE0CF2Qmzw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0AdN3lfySw

17. Climate continued… Its mostly polar desert: • Annual precipitation: <250 mm • Average temp. during the warmest month is <10 °C. • Land is mostly hard bedrock or gravel plains

18. Vegetation • Very few plants are able to survive (harsh climate). Tundra vegetation consists: • Small bushes • Patches of grass • Mosses, lichens • Some flowers • NO trees

19. Population • Total area of 1.9 million km2. • Approx. 30 000 inhabitants • Iqaluit (capital city) has a little over 6,200 inhabitants. • Over 85% of Nunavut’s population is Inuit. Quebec has an area of 1.3 million km2 and has almost 8 million people.

20. Government • Premier is the Honourable PETER TAPTUNA (since 2013)

21. Narwhal is a sea animal with a long tusk on it’s face. • +/- 4m-6m in length • Weighs up to 1.6 tons • Live +/- 50 years • Source of food (Inuit) • Tusks - used to make tools & weapons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO58kt-jETA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7aTCbiD0KM

22. Language and Education TODAY • Inuit kids go to public school. • They speak English or French & Inuktitut. • Also trying to protect their culture (like Qc). PAST • Knowledge was passed down orally from elders to grandchildren; kids did not attend schools

23. Inuit Clothing • Traditional clothing comes from animal skins, intestines or furs. • These parts retained heat and were waterproof • Getting wet/not wearing proper clothing in the arctic is very dangerous...can lead to death.

24. Shelter and Transportation • Traditionally, they lived in skin tents or mud houses (summer) and in igloos (winter). • Today they live in wooden, permanent houses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB4JGUzve6M

25. Different modes of transportation are either traditional or modern. • Modern: snowmobiles, ATV’s and trucks • Traditional: dog-sled, kayak, and umiaq (row boat)

26. Sources of Food https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrH0S68-luc • Inuit diet is made up of meat and fish & edible plants. • Most Inuitwillhunt or fish. • Food sources: narwhal, polar bear, seal, caribou, musk ox, and whale. • This diet gives them lots of energy (very important in the North). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAqEK7K5oCQ

27. WEAPONS PAST • Harpoon – Used it to hunt large animals. • 3 main parts: The shaft, head, and rope. • Harpoon head stabs animal & rope is used to pull body towards you. TODAY • High-powered rifles • Harpoons

28. Inuit Diet • Diet consists mostly of meat - provides them with the energy needed to survive in the Arctic. • Edible plants- purple saxifrage

29. Hunting in Nunavut • Hunting is the main source of acquiring food in Nunavut. • Today the Inuit can buy food in general stores, but most still hunt.

30. Main hunting ground for the Inuit was on pack ice and ice floes. • Inuit hunted larger animals (ex: whales and seals) on sea ice.

31. Inuit hunting weapons: • Harpoon and spear (larger animals) • Bow and arrows, clubs, and knives (smaller animals) • Bolas were used to hunt birds. • A Bola is a small net with bone beads attached to it.

32. Polar Bear hunting • It is a traditional food source for the Inuit. • Inuit eat its meat and use its skin to make clothing. • Claws and bones are used to make tools & weapons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SAEneWhwXc

33. In the past: • Used harpoons & bow and arrows to kill polar bears. Today: • Use high powered rifles.

34. Polar Bear hunting and Tourism: Great for Nunavut’s Economy! • The average American adventure travelerwill pay up to $30,000 for the chance to kill a polar bear. • Tourists provide hundreds of jobs to locals (employment) in many communities.

35. The government also makes money because it collects taxes from: • Tourists (hunting permits, tourist tax) • Local businesses (tour guides, hunting permits, restaurants, souvenir shops, hotels, airline companies etc.)

36. Canadian Government & Hunting Quotas • The government of Canada allows polar bear hunting. • It sets yearly quotas that must be respected by the hunting industry. • A Quota is a limited quantity of polar bears that can be hunted in one year. • In Canada, the quota for polar pears is approximately 500

37. Are Polar Bear Endangered? YES! • Experts believe Polar Bearswill go on the endangered species list for two reasons: • Killed by hunters (high quota) • Starving to death due to lack of food caused by global warming

38. Seal hunting • Seals arekilled for their skin, blubber, & meat • The Inuit use seals for foodand use their skin and bones to make clothing and tools • The Inuit still useclubs, harpoons, and hakapiks to kill them

39. Seals are hunted for 3 reasons: • Food • Balancing out its population • Make products we buy in stores • Clothing companies sell seal skin products (Ex: Versace, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger)

40. Controversy: Seal Hunting • Sealing is mostly done in the Canadian north. • Canadian Gov’t is criticized for allowing sealingto continue. • It sets yearly quotas (a fixed number ) at approximately 300 000 seals.

41. Canada is also criticized by animal rights groups for allowing sealers to use hakapiks to kill seals. • It is considered a brutal methodbecause seals are beaten to death with these weapons.

42. Canadian Government argues: • Beating is painless • Sealing balances out its population in the North • Sealing is good for our economy ($25 million every year).

43. Greenland Facts • 81% of its surface is covered by an ice sheet. • Heavy ice sheet has pushed the surface 300m below sea level. • World’s largest island • Population: 60 000

44. What does Greenland & Nunavut have in common? • Large native population (Kalaallisut) • Both natives groups: • Live similar lifestyles • Rely on hunting & fishing • Use sea ice & land glaciers to hunt • Same climate & vegetation • Ice melt due to GLOBAL WARMING

45. Global Warming: The Basics • It is a gradual, natural increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere

46. Greenhouse gasesare created by: • Using large amounts of energy • Burning of fossil fuels

47. What is speeding up the process of Global Warming? • Greenhouse Gases • Pollution • Deforestation

48. What are the effects of global warming in Nunavut? • Sea ice for hunting is disappearing • Marine mammals and animals that use the ice will disappear • Inuit will loose valuable food sources • Inuit communities will disappear

49. Some General effects of Global Warming • Extreme Weather (Hurricane Sandy) • Sea level rise • Flooding or Drought • Loss of drinkable water • Decreased food supplies • Loss of many animal species • Cost for many products (food, electricity, etc.) will increase.