Ojibway Indians of Nunavut

What is now Nunavut, was home to 10,000's of Chippewa Indians. Ojibway Indians of Nunavut are known as the Chipewyan of the location between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, with other Chipewyan Peoples living at the Northwest Territories, Yukon and eastern Alaska known as the Gwich'in. Dogrib People are also Chipewyan as are Yellowknife People. Copper People were probably Russians! The Gwich'in brought many "Ish-gi-moag" under their subjugation and the "Ish-gi-moag" did likewise to Gwich'in People. They are thus an admixture of Algonquian and Eskimo. Nunavut is a land with an abundance of wildlife, especially caribou, which Ojibway Indians of Nunavut largely subsisted on. It allowed the Ojibwa population to remain large. Other foods Ojibway Indians of Nunavut lived on were deer, fish and fowl. Nunavut had and continues to have, an enormous amount of lakes. Both large and small lakes. It was large lakes Ojibway Indians of Nunavut established their villages near during the short cool summers. They (lakes) provided them with fish while they sent out hunters to hunt for caribou. During the short cool summers, caribou harvested were prepared for later use. Among the lakes which were most important to the Chippewa's were Kasba Lake, Nueltin Lake and Ennadai Lake. Those lakes that were especially attractive to them were Aberdeen Lake, Angikuni Lake, Baker Lake, Dubawnt Lake (Cart Maker Lake), Kamilukuac Lake, Nowleye Lake, Wharton Lake and Yathkyed Lake. Their prime rivers were Dubawnt River, Kasba River and Thelon River. At what is now Nunavut, those lakes and rivers were locations where Ojibway Indians of Nunavut established permanent villages and summer villages.

Climate conditions are extremely cold winters and short cool summers. Both Ennadai Lake and Baker Lake have similar summer climate conditions. Howver, Baker Lake is located 100's of miles to the north of Baker Lake. Maximums for July and August at Baker Lake are 63� and 59�. At Ennadai Lake maximums for July and August are 64� and 60�. Elevation is a factor as are waterways like large lakes which keep locations cooler during summer months and warmer during winter months. Ennadai Lake has an elevation of 1,020 feet or 311 meters while Baker Lake has and elevation of 59 feet or 18 meters. So the region between Ennadai Lake and Baker lake actually have very similar climate conditions. Summer maximums further away from large lakes are several degrees warmer at both locations. In fact, maximums for June might be closer to 60� at the Ennadai Lake region. At Baker Lake possibly 55�.

Scattered forests (before whites invaded the woodlands were far more extensive than they are now and possibly extended a considerable distance north of Ennadai Lake and possibly Nueltin Lake) were located in southern Nunavut which provided fuel year round. If Ojibwa's lived as far north as Baker Lake it was because of trade with southern Ojibway's who brought firewood north to Ojibwa's at Baker Lake, from south Nunavut. This is before whites invaded! Come winter time most Ojibwa's retreated south of the tree line for fuel. From Kasba Lake to Ennadai Lake to Nueltin Lake they lived year round. Their winter villages extended 20 to 40 miles north of Ennadai Lake and 20 to 40 miles north and east of Nueltin Lake. Kazan River was their main waterway to reach Baker Lake (the mouth of Kazan River is at Baker Lake and it's source is Kasba Lake) where the established summer villages and hunted caribou. Kasba Lake was a very important location for collection of firewood which was much more abundant northwest, west and south of Kasba Lake. If any permanent Ojibwa villages were located as far north as Baker Lake, it was because of Kasba Lake and Kazan River. Though sending wood down Kazan River to Baker Lake was a difficult task it was definitely accomplished. Establishing permanent villages 50 or 60 miles north and north east of Ennadai Lake was risky. According to Samuel Hearne who wrote about Barren Lands Ojibwa's, they were known to eat fish and meat raw. Lack of fuel forced them to eat fish and meat raw.

Using caribou hides they'd contruct tents to live in. To allow their homes more warmth, they'd apply several layers of caribou hides which kept the temperature inside their tents warmer. Caribou hides also provided them their clothing which during winter months they wore several layers of. At forested areas they'd collect bark (mostly birch bark) to built kayaks. Samuel Hearne described their kayaks as looking similar to canoes yet much smaller. Their lengths were 12 to 13 feet and width about 2 feet. Only two people could sail in their kayaks. One to paddle the vehile while the other had to lay down in the vehicle. Hearne didn't describe the kayak being covered over. However, if Ojibwa's did cover over their kayaks they did so using hides from caribou or other animals or used a flexible cover made of bark that they connected to the vehicle and disconnected to allow the passengers including the one laying in the kayak, to get out of the kayak. I doubt if Ojibwa's established villages adjacent to Hudson Bay at Nunavut. Being meat eaters, the Barren Lands was a far more aceptable location. Famine was not known by them before whites invaded. Always was there a supply of fish and meat. If food supplies became low during winter months they'd fish the many lakes scattered throughout interior Nunavut.

Ojibwa villages were located adjacent to or near Kazan River from Kasba Lake to Baker Lake. However, their villages at and near Baker Lake were probably only summer villages. From the Baker Lake region Ojibwa Hunters ventured far out to the Barren Lands to hunt caribou. Being sturdy they'd butcher the animals and probably used fat as a preservative to assure the meat lasted up to a year. At least one permanent Ojibwa village had to have been located at Baker Lake. That's how important Baker Lake was. Though if Ojibwa's who lived much further south visited the Nunavut region, possibly became too eagerly to return much further south, Ojibwa's native to the Nunavut region were very much at home. What kept them content was a constant supply of food.

They controlled nearly all of Nunavut up to the early 19th century. During their wars against the "Ish-gi-moag," they took many captive as did the "Ish-gi-moag" did to the Chippewa's. Eskimos were supplied with revolvers by the mid 19th century by Europeans who brought them to North America to fight their wars and that allowed them to force their way 100's of miles inland. Ojibway Indians of Nunavut, continued to control land from Baker Lake and to it's south. In the 20th century, Canada forced 1,000's of Ojibway's and Eskimos to relocate to Ojibway Reserves much further south and to coastal villages along Hudson Bay. Canada refused to deal with Ojibway leaders about creating Reserves in Nunavut. They instead negotiated with Eskimos which is illegal. Eskimos are not native to the America's. We don't recognize the land set aside for Eskimos. We consider it land set aside for Ojibway Indians of Nunavut. Below is a list of Nunavut villages.

Arviat: 2011 population 2,318

Baker Lake: 2011 population 1,872

Cape Dorset: 2011 population 1,363 (it's on Dorset Island)

Chesterfield Inlet: 2006 population 332

Coral Harbour: 2011 population 834 (it' located on Southampton Island)

Iqaluit: 2011 population 6,699 (it's located on Baffin Island)

Kimmirut: 2011 population 455 (it's located on Baffin Island)

Rankin Inlet: 2011 population 2,577

Sanikiluaq: 2011 population 812 (it's located on Flaherty Island)

Whale Cove: 2006 population 353