Kinngait meaning "high mountain" or "where the hills are" and known as Cape Dorset until 27 February 2020, is an Inuit hamlet located on Dorset Island near Foxe Peninsula at the southern tip of Baffin Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada and is a community of 1500 souls. For a location map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinngait
As I will reveal the nickname for Kinngait is: 'Capital of Inuit Art'.
- Visit the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative, studio of globally renowned artists such as Kenojoak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Annie Pootoogook, Peter Pitseolak, or
- To visit the ancient Thule, Dorset and Inuit archaeological sites at the nearby Mallikjuaq Territorial Park
The tidal range in this area is high and we were warned that the visit to the Mallikjuaq (Meaning "big wave") Territorial Park would involve a wet landing on mud and then require a climb over slippery, stoney ground up the beach and over the hill to the archaeological remains. I decided against this option but this link will enable you to read about this site if you wish to do so: https://www.gov.nu.ca/sites/default/files/publications/2022-01/3213-025_mallikjuaq_eng.pdf
The following is a brief extract from this website describing the ancient remains:
"Across the flats lie the low mountains,small ponds in green tundra valleys, sandy beaches, and rocky hillsides of Mallikjuaq Island. Pre-Dorset and Dorset people occupied this site as long ago as 2000 BC, but most structures are of Thule origin (300 to 800 years ago), and modern Inuit (during the last 200 years). The printed guide includes topographic maps of the trail and explains the various structures located along the way. These structures are in some cases partially restored, but for the most part are as time has left them, and knowing where they are in order to find and photograph or observe them is part of the adventure.
On your hike, you'll encounter nine winter houses clustered at the edge of a pond. Generally, the Thule lived in stone and sod houses with roofs of skins supported by the jawbones and ribs of bowhead whales. When spring thaws made these uninhabitable, the people moved out into skin tents. Along the trail, you will find small stone hearths, storage caches of stacked boulders, and tent rings, many with sleeping platforms outlined by stones. You'll also find stone markers called inuksuit that indicated good camping spots, places where something was stored, or trails for others to follow. The large square- topped piles of rocks are kayak stands, which were used to elevate the skin qayaq (kayak) out of the reach of hungry dogs."
Before I conclude this post let me share with you an interesting fact that I learnt at a recent Enrichment Lecture. One of the keynote speakers aboard is an Archaeologist and was wondering why the remains of the houses at this site are high up and well back from the current beach. She raised this question by email with a Geologist friend who confirmed that the land in this area is still rising which explains their location.
The photos are of a general view of Cape Dorset plus a street sign which presumably means children and dogs crossing?
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