Akulivik
| Akulivik | |||
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| Location in Quebec | |||
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| State : |
 Canada
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| Province : | Quebec | ||
| Administrative region : | North du Quebec | ||
| MRC or equivalent : | Nunavik | ||
| Coordinates : | 60 ° 49 ′ N , 78 ° 9 ′ W | ||
| Residents : | 507 (as of 2006) | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern Time ( UTC − 5 ) | ||
Akulivik is an Inuit settlement in the Nunavik region , administrative region North du Québec , on the west coast of the Ungava Peninsula with 507 inhabitants (as of 2006). The Inuktitut word "Akulivik" is derived from the geographic location, a peninsula that juts out into Hudson Bay like a three-pronged fish spear, Kakivak ; Akulivik is the middle tine.
There is a great wealth of game that can be hunted in the area. Traditional hunting grounds are located on Smith Island, which the Inuit call Qikiqtarjuaq, or big island, which is only a few minutes away by boat. In winter, as in Kangiqsujuaq, mussel fishing plays an important role.
The region's history goes back to the days of the Dorset culture . It is proven that the polar explorer Henry Hudson passed Qikiqtarjuaq in 1610. In 1750 this island was named Island of Cape Smith in honor of Sir Thomas Smith, the first chairman of the Hudson's Bay Company, then known as "The Company of Adventurers" . In 1922 this company first established an outpost on the site of the present settlement, but then moved it to the strategically more conveniently located Smith Island. At that time the Inuit lived mostly scattered all over the coast in their camps, but between 1922 and 1955 more and more groups moved closer to the outposts; In 1933 around 140 Inuit are said to have stayed on Smith Island. Their summer camps were located where the Akulivik settlement extends today.
When the outpost was abandoned in 1952, not a few Inuit were forced by rampant diseases to relocate to the nearest trading post at Puvirnituq . However, the Smith Island region remained unforgettable, and when the first family finally returned in 1973 20 years later, more soon followed; there was practically no integration with the local population. The returnees even took their prefabricated houses with them on snowmobiles and in boats, and so the Akulivik settlement came into being, not least with government support. In 1976 it was officially raised to the status of a community and in 1979 it was included in the agreement of the Baie James and North Quebec .