Uummarmiut
Encyclopedia
The Uummarmiut is the name given to the Inuvialuit
who live predominantly in the Mackenzie Delta
communities of Aklavik
and Inuvik
, Northwest Territories
, Canada
. Their language is known as Uummarmiutun
, an Inupiaq
dialect of the Alaskan branch of the Eskimo–Aleut languages.
Originally from the Alaska
n interior, where they were known as Nunatamiut
, they moved into the Siglit area around 1910, due to an increased demand for furs by the Hudson's Bay Company
, the possibility of employment with the whaling
industry and the lack of caribou
in their traditional hunting grounds. The move was made easier because the Siglit had been decimated by disease
s and were reduced to about 150 people.
At first the two groups were antagonistic towards each other, in part due to the Uummarmiut using poison
when trapping. Over time, they have intermingeled and marriage
has become common.
Inuvialuit
The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit people who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska...
who live predominantly in the Mackenzie Delta
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
communities of Aklavik
Aklavik, Northwest Territories
Aklavik is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Until 1961, the community served as the regional administrative centre for the territorial government...
and Inuvik
Inuvik, Northwest Territories
Inuvik is a town in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the administrative centre for the Inuvik Region.The population as of the 2006 Census was 3,484, but the two previous census counts show wide fluctuations due to economic conditions: 2,894 in 2001 and 3,296 in 1996...
, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Their language is known as Uummarmiutun
Uummarmiutun
Uummarmiutun or Canadian Iñupiaq is the variant of Iñupiaq spoken by the Uummarmiut, part of the Inuvialuit, who live mainly in the communities of Inuvik and Aklavik in the Northwest Territories of Canada....
, an Inupiaq
Inupiaq language
The Inupiat language, also known as Inupiatun, Inupiaq, Iñupiaq, Inyupiaq, Inyupiat, Inyupeat, Inyupik, and Inupik, is a group of dialects of the Inuit language, spoken in northern and northwestern Alaska. The Iñupiaq language is a member of the Eskimo languages group. There are roughly 2,100...
dialect of the Alaskan branch of the Eskimo–Aleut languages.
Originally from the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n interior, where they were known as Nunatamiut
Nunatamiut
The Nunatamiut are an Alaskan Inuit nomadic group who lived in the Alaskan interior and were known as great caribou hunters. When caribou numbers dwindled in the 19th century, some Nunatamiut migrated towards the Mackenzie River delta...
, they moved into the Siglit area around 1910, due to an increased demand for furs by 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...
, the possibility of employment with the whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
industry and the lack of caribou
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
in their traditional hunting grounds. The move was made easier because the Siglit had been decimated by disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s and were reduced to about 150 people.
At first the two groups were antagonistic towards each other, in part due to the Uummarmiut using poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
when trapping. Over time, they have intermingeled and marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
has become common.