Puvirnituq
| Puvirnituq | |||
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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 ° 3 ′ N , 77 ° 17 ′ W | ||
| Residents : | 1287 (as of 2001) | ||
With a population of 1,287 (as of 2001), Puvirnituq is the third largest Inuit settlement in the Nunavik region , administrative region of North du Québec . The Inuktitut name "Puvirnituq" means "place with a smell of rotten meat" (for which there are various, sometimes legendary, reasons); the earlier spelling of the settlement name, influenced by English, was Povungnituk (or “Pov” for short). The place is located on the east coast of Hudson Bay on the west side of the Ungava Peninsula , about 4 kilometers from Puvirnituq Bay on a larger river of the same name ( Rivière de Puvirnituq ).
In 1921 the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) established a trading post. At that time, the Inuit still lived in remote camps and had to take long walks if they wanted to exchange their skins for goods from the south. Thirty years later, in 1951, the HBC closed its trading post on Qikiqtarjuaq (literally "big island", Cape Smith near Akulivik ) and at Kangirsuruaq and combined all activities in Puvirnituq with the construction of a larger storage facility. As a result, the Inuit living in remote camps had no choice but to move to the settlement center of Puvirnituq. In 1956 a Roman Catholic mission station was established in Puvirnituq. Two years later, encouraged the Oblates to -Pater André Steinman, the Inuit should form a union of stone sculptures-Schnitzer (Carvers' Association of Povungnituk); This soon resulted in a cooperative, the "Co-operative Association of Puvirnituq", which is still exemplary today.
Together with the residents of Ivujivik and 49% of the population of Salluit , the Inuit of Puvirnituq refused in 1975 to sign the Agreement between the Baie-James and North Quebec, under which the remaining Inuit of Nunavik acquired certain land claims and rights and in return the Provincial Government enabled the ambitious Baie James hydropower project to be carried out. Instead, they formed their own interest group ("Inuit Tungavinga Nunamini").
Nowadays, Puvirnituq is the focal point with all the necessary facilities such as schools, churches and health center for the Inuit living on the Hudson Bay coast, and its airfield is the starting point for flights to smaller and more remote communities. Inuit art continues to play an important economic role for Puvirnituq .
Sons and daughters
Generally known were u. a. the artists Aisa Qupirualu Alasua (* 1916), Davidialuk Alasua Amittu (1910–1976), Mattiusie Iyaituk (* 1950), Nutaraaluk Vilia Iyaituk (* 1943), Johnny Angutigulu Novalinga "Pov" (1908–1978), Josie Pamiutu Papialuk, "Puppy" (1918-1996), Levi Qumaluk (1919-1997), Joe Talirunili (1899-1976).
