smaller, some home to just a few hundred
residents. No roads link the tiny settle-
ments, nor are there roads connecting
Nunavut to the rest of Canada.
In the remote hamlets, life is often still
lived according to age-old timetables and
traditions. Though snowmobiles, boats
and guns have largely replaced dogsleds,
kayaks and harpoons, many Inuit continue
to hunt and fish to support their extended
families. Once nomadic, they love to go
out "on the land," camping throughout
summer, collecting bird eggs and picking
berries. Women wear homemade amauti
jackets that keep their babies tucked
against their backs.
Drum dancing, throat singing, carving,
storytelling and sewing traditional clothes
are still practiced throughout Nunavut and
locals are happy to share the experiences.
OUT ON THE LAND
While the communities are cultural outposts,
most visitors also want to experience the
mystical Arctic wilderness with its dramatic
scenery and wealth of wildlife. Always choose
licenced and insured operators whether they
are locals situated in most hamlets or
southern-based outfitters that also offer a
variety of adventures from canoeing and hiking
to dogsledding and cultural visits with specific
dates using some locals as guides. Reservations
are required with both types of operators as
most trips are booked well in advance.
An increasingly popular way to explore
Canada's Arctic is via cruise ships that
hopscotch along the coast, stopping at
several communities where locals welcome
guests with performances, feasts and
handmade artwork and souvenirs. Often,
Inuit elders, artists and cultural experts will
travel on-board to enhance the experience.
EXTREME TERRITORY
Temperatures range from +30°C (86°F) in
summer to -50°C (-58°F) in winter when
much of the territory lies in almost 24-hour
darkness as skies shimmer with the magical
colours of the aurora borealis. So most
visitors come during the short summers,
when pleasantly cool days are lit around the
clock by the midnight sun and the tundra
comes to life with wildflowers and wildlife
and the waters teem with whales, walrus
and seals.
WHAT'S NEW?
Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conser-
vation Area, an area rich in biodiversity, was
established north of Baffin Island. At approx-
imately 108,000 square kilometres (41,699
sq. mi.), this breathtaking Arctic landscape,
where narwhals and thousands of seabirds
reside, is rich with majestic fjords and
glaciers (www.pc.gc.ca/en/amnc-nmca/
cnamnc-cnnmca/tallurutiup-imanga).
The Agguttinni Territorial Park is being
established north of Clyde River and will be
the largest park in Nunavut. It offers
amazing flora and stunning landscapes of
mountains fjords, ice caps and coastal sites.
The area includes significant Inuit cultural
sites, important bird areas and essential
habitat for polar bears and caribou.
Iqaluit's Inukpak Outfitting has a 5-day,
hotel-based Pangnirtung town and
Auyuittuq National Park cultural and nature
discovery tour (www.inukpakoutfitting.ca/
en/discovery/hiking-pangnirtung-and-
auyuittuq).
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INUIT WOMAN, POND INLET • SHUTTERSTOCK/SADIE WHITELOCKS
