Kinngait, Nunavut, previously known as Cape Dorset until 27 February 2020, is an Inuit hamlet nestled on Dorset Island near Foxe Peninsula at the southern tip of Baffin Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. The Inuit name "Kinngait" translates to "high mountain" or "where the hills are".
The history of Kinngait is rich and dates back to the Thule (Early Inuit) and pre-Inuit Dorset people (Tuniit) who lived between 1000 BCE and 1100 CE. The European name of Cape Dorset was given by Captain Luke Foxe after Edward Sackville, 4th Earl of Dorset, on 24 September 1631. The Inuit originally called the inlet Sikusiilaq, after the area of sea ocean nearby that remains ice-free all winter.
In 1913, the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post in Kinngait, trading furs and skins for supplies such as tobacco, ammunition, flour, gas, tea, and sugar. In December 2019, the residents of Cape Dorset voted in favour of officially renaming the hamlet to its Inuktitut name of Kinngait.
Since the 1950s, Kinngait has been a hub for drawing, printmaking, and carving, earning itself the title of the "Capital of Inuit Art". The community's main economic activities continue to be printmaking and carving in the 21st century. Each year, Kinngait Studios issues an annual print collection, and the community has been hailed as the most artistic in Canada, with some 22% of the labour force employed in the arts.
In 1957, James Archibald Houston created a graphic arts workshop in Kinngait, sponsored by the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources. The print program was modelled after Japanese ukiyo-e workshops. The artists have experimented with etching, engraving, lithography, and silkscreen, producing annual catalogues advertising the limited edition prints. Between the years of 1959 and 1974, Kinngait artists produced more than 48,000 prints.
According to the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Kinngait had a population of 1,396 living in 362 of its 416 total private dwellings, a change of -3.1% from its 2016 population of 1,441. With a land area of 9.89 km2 (3.82 sq mi), it had a population density of 141.2/km2 (365.6/sq mi) in 2021.
Kinngait is crisscrossed by a handful of unnamed dirt/gravel roads, with cars and trucks being the main means of transportation. These are supplemented by snowmobiles and ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) during the winter. The people use boats and ships for seasonal travel to and from Kinngait when the Hudson Strait is ice-free. The area is serviced by the Cape Dorset Airport with connections only within Nunavut. Travel outside Nunavut can be made via connections through Iqaluit Airport.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has a detachment in Kinngait, staffed by six officers and sometimes as many as 10 officers with one sergeant and one corporal. The Fire Department is staffed by 25 volunteers and a pumper at a single fire hall. Medical facilities are basic at the Cape Dorset Health Centre. Advanced medical care requires an airlift to the 35-bed Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit.
The community has been served by the Qiniq network since 2005. The Qiniq network is designed and operated by SSi Canada. In 2017, the network was upgraded to 4G LTE technology, and 2G-GSM for mobile voice.
Like the rest of Nunavut, houses in Kinngait are overcrowded, with a 2006 report stating that up to 12 people were living in a two-bedroom unit. However, the Nunavut Housing Corporation plans to build 5 new housing units in the town by late 2022 or early 2023.
The cost of basic food staples like milk, cheese, flour, and butter is 65-75% higher than in Ottawa or Montreal, leading to high rates of food insecurity in Kinngait, as well as in the rest of Nunavut.
Mallikjuaq Territorial Park, spanning both Dorset Island and Mallik Island, is notable for archaeological sites revealing Thule culture, Dorset culture, and Inuit history. The park is reachable by foot from Kinngait at low tide, or by boat. In September 2018, the Kenokuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop opened, serving as a community facility, art studio, and exhibition space for local artists.
Kinngait has a tundra climate (ET) with short but cool summers and long cold winters.
