Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park

Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park ("the land around the river of littles fishes") is a park located 10 km northwest of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. The park is situated in the valley which straddles the Meliadine River. Access is available by foot or vehicle along a gravel road from the community of Rankin Inlet directly to the south side of the park.

The park was previously referred to as "Ijiraliq", a reference to both the river's cliff area and, in Inuit legend, the name of someone who turns into a whistling spirit, like a caribou. The park's physical features include an esker covered by lichen-moss, glacial deposit, bedrock outcrop, and unusual plants, including three-awned grass, found nowhere else in Kivalliq Region. There are more than 45 archaeological sites within the park and these include house ruins, tent rings, graves, and other remains of the Thule. Some of the ruins date back as far as the Pre-Dorset period from 1000 BC to 500 BC. The main archaeological feature is "Qamaviniqtalik" ("place with ancient sod houses"). [cite web |url=http://www.nunavuthandbook.com/parks_pgs_297_331.pdf |title=Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park |author=Karen LeGresley Hamre |publisher=nunavuthandbook.com |accessdate=2008-01-26]

References

* [http://www.nunavutparks.com/on_the_land/igalugaarjuup_park.cfm Nunavut Parks]