In honor of Canada’s 150 birthday, we are featuring a different province or territory each week. This week we head to the province notoriously known by schoolchildren for being difficult to color on a map of Canada... Nunavut!
The Inuit named the land Nunavut because it means "our land" in Inuktitut. The original settlers of the territory of Nunavut were the Paleo-Eskimos, which "crossed the Bering Strait sometime around 3000 BC and moved into the Canadian Arctic Archipelago around 2500 BC, apparently because of a change in climate. From there they followed marine mammals and herds of big game land animals across all of Nunavut to Greenland" (Tourism Nunavut). The people of Nunavut continue to practice and celebrate traditions from their ancestors, proudly representing a rich piece of Canada's heritage. Nunavut was the final territory to become part of Canada, joining the confederation in 1999. It may be the youngest territory, but it is the biggest!
Nunavut has created a space that nurtures traditional indigenous practices. Tourism Nunavut writes, "Nunavummiut are deeply pleased to invite visitors into their lovely home, into one of the largest unspoiled natural paradises on the planet. People from everywhere are cordially invited to come here and enjoy the arctic wildlife and the Inuit way of life, to explore the top of the world and be dazzled by the vivid dancing hues of the Aurora Borealis." If that quote alone does not make you want to pack you bag and travel to Nunavut this moment, we don't know what will.
Nunavut is celebrating Canada 150 by remembering their history and educating others on the significant role Nunavut has played in the development of Canada. Canada Post is helping them with this mission. In Iqaluit, Nunavut's Premier "unveiled a stamp that commemorates the creation of the territory of Nunavut in 1999 and celebrates the people who call it home. The creation of Nunavut was the first major change to Canada’s map since Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation in 1949, and came about from the largest Aboriginal land claims settlement in Canadian history" (Canada Post).
The stamp features Leah Ejangiaq Kines, a resident of Arctic Bay, Nunavut. Her husband took the photograph and is especially proud of it because three generations of his family has worked for the postal service for over 97 years.
Check back here on the blog to read about Nunavut's hidden gems on Thursday!
(Image Via Canva)
Posted by Ken Richter on
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