The Northern Territories Flashcards
Define Inuktitut
The native language of the Inuit
Define Aurora Borealis.
The colorful bands of light that can be seen in the skies of the Northern Hemisphere
What did Canada’s indigenous people believe the lights of the aurora borealis represented?
Spirits, Spirits playing games, and if you whistled loudly, the spirits would whisk you away.
What do scientists today believe the causes of the lights from the aurora borealis are?
They think the lights are caused by the reaction that occurs when charged particles from the sun hit gases in earth’s atmosphere.
In addition to its provinces, Canada has three territories- ________________, ___________________, and ____________.
Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, and Nunavut
The territories make up more than 1._______ of Canada’s total land area and stretch far north into the 2.___________________.
- one third 2. Arctic Ocean
What is the main reason for the low population in this region?
Rugged terrain and harsh climate
What is this area made up of? (List 3)
Tundra with little vegetation, icy waters, and subarctic forests.
In the Northwest Territories, almost 1._______ of the population os made up of indigenous peoples. In Nunavut, about 2.______ of the population are Inuits. Only about 3.______ of the Yukon population is made up of Native people.
- 50% 2. 85% 3. 14%
How has technology played an important role in the ways in which the indigenous peoples live?
The Inuit hunters use snowmobiles instead of dogsleds to cross the frozen land when seal hunting.
How do the governments of the provinces and territories differ? How are they the same?
Different: The federal government has more control over the territories’ government than it does over the provinces. Similarities: They all have their own legislative bodies.
What event made the Yukon Territory famous? How did that event cause the town of Dawson to grow?
The event was the Klondike gold rush. This event caused thousands of prospectors to swarm the area.
The 1.________, who make up most of Nunavut’s population, proposed the formation of Nunavut in the 1970s.
- Inuit
Nunavut means _______________ in Inuktitut.
Our land
Why might Inuits have wanted to create a self-governing territory?
They may have wanted to create a self-governing territory because they have a different heritage, traditions, and beliefs than other Canadians.
