Caribou, river and ocean: Harvaqtuurmiut landscape organization and orientation
The Harvaqtuurmiut were an Inuit society whose territory was Harvaqtuuq—the lower Kazan River—between the outlet of Hikuligjuaq (Yathkyed Lake) and the river’s mouth at Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake). The Harvaqtuurmiut lived a completely inland existence and their subsistence revolved largely around the...
| Published in: | Études/Inuit/Studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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Association Inuksiutiit Katimajiit Inc.
2004
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/013195ar https://doi.org/10.7202/013195ar |
| Summary: | The Harvaqtuurmiut were an Inuit society whose territory was Harvaqtuuq—the lower Kazan River—between the outlet of Hikuligjuaq (Yathkyed Lake) and the river’s mouth at Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake). The Harvaqtuurmiut lived a completely inland existence and their subsistence revolved largely around the migration of caribou. In Harvaqtuurmiut perception, the landscape was organized and given orientation by three important influences: the migration of caribou; the flow of the river; and the relative location of the ocean. The organizing and orienting effects of these three influences are demonstrated through an analysis of Harvaqtuurmiut place names. Concepts related to the flow of the river and the relative location of the ocean were imbedded in the Inuktitut language at the time of Inuit migration to Harvaqtuuq in the mid-19th century. The environmental force of the caribou migration became very influential in Harvaqtuurmiut perception of landscape organization and orientation only after they had adapted to subsistence inland. Les Harvaqtuurmiut habitaient le territoire Harvaqtuuq — le bas de la rivière Kazan — situé entre la décharge de Hikuligjuaq (le lac Yathkyed) et l’embouchure de la rivière à Qamani’tuaq (le lac Baker). Les Harvaqtuurmiut vivaient de façon recluse et leur subsistance était principalement assurée par la migration du caribou. Selon la perception des Harvaqtuurmiut, le paysage était structuré et orienté par trois influences majeures: la migration du caribou, l’écoulement de la rivière et la proximité de l’océan. Les effets de l’organisation et de l’orientation de ces trois influences sont expliqués par l’analyse de toponymes harvaqtuurmiut. Les concepts concernant l’écoulement de la rivière et la proximité de l’océan étaient enchâssés dans la langue inuktitut au moment de la migration des Inuit vers Harvaqtuuq au milieu du 19ième siècle. La force de la migration du caribou sur l’environnement devint une influence très importante sur la perception des Harvaqtuurmiut concernant l’organisation et ... |
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