Though the Inuit people who live in Nunavut are descendants from Thule people who migrated here from Asia about 1,000 years ago, it wasn’t until the 1990s that their claims to the land in the eastern Arctic were settled. The Government of Canada split the Northwest Territories to create the new territory Nunavut, officially celebrated on April 1, 1999. Today the Inuit comprise 86 percent of the population in Nunavut, maintaining their traditional life while incorporating aspects of the contemporary world. Nunavut’s borders are the Northwest Territories to the west; Baffin Bay and the Arctic Ocean to the north; Hudson Bay, and Quebec to the east (as well as Baffin Bay farther north); and Manitoba (and the Northwest Territories) to the south. Despite long winters that last from November through May, this slice of the Arctic has plenty to offer tourists, from touring the weaving studios in Pangnirtung to cruising the Northwest Passage. Visit three national parks – Auyuittuq, Sirmilik, and Quittinirpaaq – all located in the High Arctic. Whale watch for snow-white beluga, the narwhal, and the behemoth bowhead, or bird watch for species such as golden eagles, peregrine falcons, snowy owls, and arctic loons. Cape Dorset is famous the world over for its Inuit art and the many artists who create here. While in town, tour the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative, internationally renowned for its Inuit sculpture, lithographic printmaking, and stonecut printmaking. Adventure travels embark from Resolute for polar explorations, and for visits to Quittinirpaaq National Park. Wherever you travel across the territory, learn to embrace and live off the land by visiting some of the 28 small communities of hardy locals who make their home here. Start with a visit to Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut and the territory’s only city.