Paulatuk () is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

located in the

Inuvik Region The Inuvik Region or ''Beaufort Delta Region'' is one of List of regions of the Northwest Territories, five administrative regions in the Northwest Territories of Canada. According to Municipal and Community Affairs the region consists of eig ...

of the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

, Canada. It is located adjacent to Darnley Bay, in the

Amundsen Gulf Amundsen Gulf is a gulf located mainly in the Inuvik Region, Northwest Territories, Canada with a small section in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. It lies between Banks Island and Victoria Island (Canada), Victoria Island and the mainland. It i ...

, and east of the Smoking Hills. The town was named for the coal that was found in the area in the 1920s, and the Siglitun spelling is ''Paulatuuq'', "place of coal".

History

The area has been inhabited by humans, including the Thule and Copper Inuit, since roughly 1000 CE. Most recently, it is part of the

Inuvialuit Settlement Region The Inuvialuit Settlement Region, abbreviated as ISR (; ), located in Canada's western Arctic, was designated in 1984 in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement by the Government of Canada for the Inuvialuit (''the real people''). It spans , including ...

. The hamlet dates back as early as the 1920s when several Inuit settled at this site on Darnley Bay, however the community only became permanently occupied following the opening of a trading post in 1935. Paulatuk was incorporated as a hamlet in 1987 and celebrated the 50th anniversary of its settlement in 2015.

Demographics

In the

2021 Canadian census The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Paulatuk had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 census 235 people were listed as Indigenous and all were

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

(

Inuvialuit The Inuvialuit (sing. Inuvialuk; ''the real people'') or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska. Their homelan ...

). The two principal languages spoken in Paulatuk are Inuinnaqtun (

Inuvialuktun Inuvialuktun (part of ''Western Canadian Inuit'' / ''Inuktitut'' / '' Inuktut'' / '' Inuktun'') comprises several Inuit language varieties spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by Canadian Inuit who call themselves ''Inuvialuit''. Some d ...

) and English.

Community

European settlement began when the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

opened a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

. In the 1950s a Distant Early Warning Line site was built about to the northwest at Cape Parry, on the Parry Peninsula, providing a wage-based income for the community. The trading post was taken over by the local co-op and today the local store is part of The North West Company.Northwestel

Hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

trapping Animal trapping, or simply trapping or ginning, is the use of a device to remotely catch and often kill an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including for meat, fur trade, fur/feathers, sport hunting, pest control, and w ...

are major economic activities, but in recent years art printmaking has played an increasing role in the local economy. The Smoking Hills which are about west on the shores of the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...

are a scientifically interesting object, since they are diminishing the pH value of the water areas. So the buffer effect has completely disappeared. Located to the east of the community is Tuktut Nogait National Park and

Parks Canada Parks Canada ()Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 37 National Parks, three National Marine Co ...

has an office in the community.

Notable residents

Artists

Paulatuk's Inuit artists are known across Canada and around the world for dance, music, sculptures, prints, and drawings.

Floyd Kuptana

Floyd Kuptana was born in 1964. He studied under David Ruben Piqtoukun and began solo work in 1992. He is a carver, sculptor, and painter.Gallery Philip
“Floyd Kuptana – Artist Biography”
2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

Robert Kuptana

Robert Kuptana was born in 1962. A carver since his youth, he studied under his brother Floyd and began professional work in 1998.

The Paulatuk Moonlight Dancers

The Paulatuk Moonlight Dancers are a group of traditional Inuvialuit dancers. They have performed in Canada, the United States, Greenland, and Germany, and are led by Michael “Nolan” Green. Green also served as a hamlet councillor and received a Canada Youth Award in 2002.

Abraham Anghik Ruben

Abraham Anghik Ruben was born south of Paulatuk in 1951 and lived on the land with his family until he was eight years old. He currently lives on Salt Spring Island. His 2001 sculpture ''The Last Goodbye'' reflects Ruben and his brothers' experiences of being separated from their family by Canada's residential school system. Ruben writes, Ruben became an Officer in the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

on November 17, 2016 for his artistic contributions as a sculptor and for his preservation of northern heritage.

David Ruben Piqtoukun

David Ruben Piqtoukun was born in Paulatuk in 1950. A sculptor and print artist, he is also brother to Abraham Anghik Ruben and was a mentor to Floyd Kuptana.

Mayors

A mayor has led the hamlet since its incorporation in 1987, when the first mayor, Garrett Ruben, was elected. Ruben was also a community leader before incorporation. As a young man he worked near the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line site at Cape Parry, but the area was isolated and far from traditional hunting grounds. After leaving this work, he negotiated for the community locally and in the south and became Settlement Chair prior to serving as mayor. Ruben died in 2007 at the age of 72. The hamlet has formally recognized him for his 24 years of service. Ray Ruben, the sixth and current mayor, is his son.Morin, Phillipe
“Paulatuk marks passing of first mayor, Garrett Ruben”
'' Northern News Services'', Paulatuk, 18 June 2007. Retrieved on 17 August 2015.

Other figures

Anny Illasiak

Paulatuk elder Anny Illasiak, also known as Granny Uma, died in 2012 at the age of 74. A resident of Paulatuk since the 1970s, Illasiak was a leader in training children and young people to live on the land. She also organized a community sewing group, teaching others to make traditional clothing and creating tapestries herself, and volunteered as a cook with the Paulatuk Community Kitchen. She served as the Aboriginal language teacher for the Paulatuk Aboriginal Headstart Program for 10 years and continued to assist with the program after her retirement.

Elizabeth Kuptana

Elizabeth "Liz" Kuptana, recipient of the Wallace Goose Award (given to those who have “shown beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he or she has unselfishly dedicated time, effort, and sometimes blood, sweat, and tears for the advancement and benefit of all Inuvialuit”) is a Paulatuk elder, teacher, and storyteller. She teaches children and youth about Inuvialuit culture and language as well as the history of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013.

The Paulatuuq Oral History Project

''Paulatuuq Oral History Project: Elders Share Their Stories'' was published in 2004. Eight community elders, including Edward Ruben and Mary Evik Ruben, contributed to this record of the hamlet's oral history, completing interviews transcribed by Cathy Cockney.

Services

Services include a two-member

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

detachment and a health centre with two nurses.Infrastructure
/ref> Phone services are provided by Northwestel with Internet by SSI Micro and their AirWare service. The community is part of the Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council and schooling is available up to Grade 12 at the Angik School. There is also a community learning centre operated by Aurora College. The community is not accessible by road but there is an airport, Paulatuk (Nora Aliqatchialuk Ruben) Airport, and flights into the community are provided by Aklak Air from

Inuvik Inuvik (''place of man'') is the only town in the Inuvik Region, and the List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories, third largest community in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located in what is sometimes called the Beaufort Delta Re ...

three times a week. In the summer

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

s can use the Paulatuk Water Aerodrome and an annual

sealift Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies. It complements other means of transport, such as ...

is provided by

Northern Transportation Company Limited Marine Transportation Services (MTS) formerly Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) is a Ship transport, marine transportation company operating primarily in the Mackenzie River watershed of the Northwest Territories and northern Albert ...

from Hay River.2008 sailing schedule

Climate

Paulatuk has a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

( Dfc), narrowly avoiding being a

tundra climate The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. It is classified as ET according to the Köppen climate classification. It is a climate which at least one month has an average temperature high enough ...

(ET) due to July having an average temperature above . Rainfall is in limited amounts and confined to the months of June through September, the only months the average temperature remains above freezing.

Notes

References

{{Authority control Paulatuk Populated places in Arctic Canada Hudson's Bay Company trading posts Inuit in the Northwest Territories Road-inaccessible communities of the Northwest Territories Oral history