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Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories
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Tuktoyaktuk, or Tuktuyaaqtuuq (Inuvialuktun: it looks like a caribou),[3] is an Inuvialuit hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Commonly referred to simply by its first syllable, Tuk, the settlement lies north of the Arctic Circle on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Formerly known as Port Brabant, the community was renamed in 1950 as part of the trend of changing community names to those originally given by the Native inhabitants.citation needed
History
Tuktoyaktuk is the anglicized form of the native Inuvialuit place-name, meaning "resembling a caribou." According to legend, a woman looked on as caribou, common at the site, waded into the water and turned into stone, or became petrified. Today, reefs resembling these petrified caribou are said to be visible at low tide along the shore of the town.[6]
No formal archaeological sites exist today, but the settlement has been used by the native Inuvialuit for centuries as a place to harvest caribou and beluga whales. In addition, Tuktoyaktuk's natural harbour was historically used as a means to transport supplies to other Inuvialuit settlements.
Between 1890 and 1910, a sizeable number of Tuktoyaktuk's native families were wiped out in flu epidemics brought in by American whalers. In subsequent years, the Alaskan Dene people, as well as residents of Herschel Island, settled here. A Hudson's Bay Company trading post was established in 1937.
Radar domes were installed beginning in the 1950s as part of the Distant Early Warning Line, to monitor air traffic and detect possible Soviet intrusions during the Cold War. The settlement's location played an important role in resupplying civilian contractors and Air Force personnel along the "DEW Line."
The community of Tuktoyaktuk eventually became a base for the oil and natural gas exploration in the Beaufort Sea. Large industrial buildings remain from the busy period following the 1973 OPEC oil embargo and 1979 summertime fuel shortage. This brought many more outsiders into the region.
On 3 September 1995, the Molson Brewing Company arranged for several popular rock bands to give a concert in Tuktoyaktuk as a publicity stunt to promote their new ice-brewed beer. During the months leading up to concert, radio stations across North America ran contests in which they gave away free tickets. Dubbed The Molson Ice Beach Party and Polar Beach Party, it featured Hole, Metallica, Moist and Veruca Salt. Canadian film-maker Albert Nerenberg made a documentary about this concert entitled Invasion of the Beer People.[7]
In 2008, Tuktoyaktuk was featured in the second season of the reality television series Ice Road Truckers.
Geography
Pingos near Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
Tuktoyaktuk is set on Kugmallit Bay, near the Mackenzie River Delta, and is located on the Arctic tree line.
Many locals still hunt, fish, and trap. Locals rely on caribou in the autumn, ducks and geese in both spring and autumn, and fishing year-round. Other activities include collecting driftwood, caribou herding, and berrypicking. Most wages today, however, come from tourism and transportation. Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) is a major employer in this region. In addition, the oil and gas industry continues to employ explorers and other workers.
Tuktoyaktuk is the gateway for exploring Pingo National Landmark, an area protecting eight pingos in a region which contains approximately 1,350 of these Arctic ice dome hills. The landmark comprises an area roughly 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi), just a few miles west of the community, and includes Canada's highest (the world's second-highest) pingo, at 49 m (160 ft). It is managed by Parks Canada within the national park system, and, although a nationwide Landmarks program was envisioned, Pingo remains the country's only National Landmark.[8]
Demographics
As of the 2006 census, the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk has a population of 870, down 6.5% from the 2001 Census total of 930. There are 274 private dwellings, and a population density of 78.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (204 /sq mi). The average annual salary of a full-time worker is $45,598 Canadian. Tuktoyaktuk has a large Protestant following, with a sizeable Catholic population as well. Local languages are Inuvialuktun and English.[1][9]
See also
References
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