Formerly known as Holman, this Inuvialuit community of about 500 wraps around the head of an Arctic inlet on the west coast of Victoria Island, the ninth-largest island on Earth.
Its name translates to “where there is ulu material,” referring to the copper used to make the semi-circular Inuit knife called an ulu. The large bluff overlooking Ulukhaktok was the source of these materials.
Although people travelled here to harvest slate and copper, this wasn’t a permanent settlement until the opening of a Hudson’s Bay Company store and Roman Catholic mission in the 1930s. Since then Ulukhaktok has become famous for two things: the world’s northernmost golf course and exquisite Inuit prints.
The world-renowned Ulukhaktok Arts Centre, originally known as the Holman Eskimo Co-operative, was formed in 1961 to sell Inuit artwork. Don’t leave this community without picking up a print, a pair of sealskin mittens or other traditional Inuit crafts like a tea cosy or doll.
Summertime visitors should be sure to take in the Billy Joss Open, a three-day, 24-hour tournament under the Midnight Sun that’s attracted hockey players, football stars, celebrities and pro golfers from across the globe.
