Kuujjuaq

Kuujjuaq, " Big River " in Inuktitut, is with about 2,100 inhabitants, the largest Inuit settlement in the region of Nunavik, administrative region of Nord- du- Québec. The village lies on the west bank of the river Koksoak, about 50 kilometers above its confluence with the Ungava Bay, and since 1975 as a regional management center. Here therefore all significant regional organizations have their headquarters, the Makivik Corporation, the Kativik Regional Government, the Council for Regional Kativik Development ( " Katutjiniq " in Inuktitut ), the regional administration for health and social care in Nunavik and the Nunavik Research Centre their seat

The earlier name of the settlement was Fort Chimo Kuujjuaq, which derives this word from Inuktitut: saimuuq, "Peace be with you!"

The first Europeans to 1811, the Moravian missionaries Benjamin carbon Master and George Knoch came here. Began in 1830, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC ), the fur trade with the resident Inuit, but also with emerging soon Montagnais and Naskapi here. She built about 5 kilometers below the present settlement a trading post on the east bank of the river Koksoak, she graduated in 1842 again, but in 1866 opened again. During the Second World War, U.S. forces were talking 1941 to 1945 at the present site of the settlement an airbase ( " Crystal 1") and gave him after the war to the Canadian federal government. 1948 finally came here a Roman Catholic mission station, and was soon followed by a hospital, a school and a weather station. When, in 1958, the HBC shifted its activities in the vicinity of the runways, even living on the other side of the river at the former Fort Chimo Inuit families moved here. 1961 founded the Inuit a cooperative, not to be totally dependent on the HBC.

After the signing of important for the State Development Agreement, the James Bay and Northern Quebec of Kuujjuaq in 1975 became the administrative center of Nunavik. With its well-developed two runways Kuujjuaq is now also a major stopover point for flights to Nunavut and the starting point for regional flights to the rest of the settlements in Nunavik.