Nunatamiut

The Nunatamiut (people of the land) are an Alaskan Inuit nomadic group who lived in the Alaskan interior and were known as great caribou hunters. When caribou numbers dwindled in the 19th century, some Nunatamiut migrated towards the Mackenzie River delta.^[1] Around 1910, with continued insufficient caribou to sustain the native hunting grounds, further Nunatamiut migration occurred into the Siglit area spurred by increased demand for furs by the Hudson's Bay Company and the possibility of jobs within the whaling industry. The Inuvialuit of the Siglit area were unhappy with the arrival of the Nunatamiut, afraid that the Nunatamuit would deplete the Inuvialuit's Bluenose caribou herd. But the Nunatamiut, inland hunters of the Inupiat region, were in high demand by the American whalers.^[2]

Eventually, the Nunatamiut who settled in the Siglit area became known as the Uummarmiut (people of the green trees), and intermarried with the local Inuvialuit.^[3]

Notes

1. ^ "People of Mackenzie River". arcticblast. http://www.arcticblast.polarhusky.com/nomads. Retrieved 2007-09-30. 
2. ^ "Ivvavik National Park of Canada". pc.gc.ca. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/yt/ivvavik/natcul/natcul2_E.asp. Retrieved 2007-09-30. 
3. ^ David Morrison, Curator of N.W.T. Archaeology, District of Mackenzie, Canadian Museum of Civilization. "Retracing an Archaeological Expedition". canadianarchaeology.com. Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20070703010526/http://www.canadianarchaeology.com/cmcc/pinuva.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-30.