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Auyuittuq National Park<br />
+bv<br />
Pat Sieber*<br />
Becawe the parks are also for people, the changes that a-re al-lq^Ied<br />
are tlrcse that ernble people to enjoy the wil-derness areas rrore<br />
safely and easily. Fhwerzer, every man-made change is carefully<br />
considered to decide if tlre advantages to wisi-tors are r,vorth the<br />
cost of altering the l-ard. Basically tlre parks mr:st be protected<br />
from the forces that have so drasticalj-y changed tte rest of the<br />
trcuntry. Tlre pa.rks belong to all peoole ard, therefore, no one<br />
cart use these ar-eas in a selfish rnanner that wil-i detract frorn the<br />
enjolment others f ind there.<br />
fio preserve a portion of Baffin Island's beaubiful and r:nspoiled<br />
highlands, tle goverment of Canada decided to form a rratiorral park<br />
on the Cr.rnberlard Peninsr:.Ia between Pangnirtung and Broughton Island.<br />
A large narb of the park area is correred by the Perury Ice Cap -<br />
sncnu that has accumulated over hun&eds of 1rears, wh-ich has been<br />
changed into ice by tJ:e pressure of its civrn weight, and which does<br />
rot nElt dtring the sunrer. It is from this ice cap and tJ:e glaciers<br />
that extended frcrn it that the park's name Ar4ruittuq cdlles. Ttre<br />
rnne Arrytrittuq was felt to be appropriate becar:se of the glaciers<br />
that are there nou, and because ttre rrcvenents of the graciers through<br />
hundreds of years have shaped the lard into what it is today"<br />
Tburists, especially tlrose ratro get pleasrre frcrn cUmbing d.if,ficult<br />
rnoun+.ains, have been ordng to the Pargnirtung Pass for many years"<br />
Othrer tourists cane to canp and hike on the rral-ley floor and enjoy<br />
the beauty there. <strong>The</strong> idea of protecting this area began to grovr<br />
and in 1972 plans were nade to set the area aside as a rrational park.<br />
Goverrrrent officials began talking to the Inuit people of Pangnirturq<br />
and B:oughton Island to see if the idea was acceptable. Other people<br />
began gathering infonration as to what changes coul-d be rnde to protect<br />
both the visitors and the land and vtrat changes should be avoided.<br />
In 1973 a srncerintenderrt a:rived in Pangnirtrng and beg'an setting r-p<br />
an office and Lr-iring staff .<br />
As vord of the nevy park spread, nore and npre tor"rists cane to Panqnttung<br />
and sone to Broughton Island. In l-973 one hrndred and fifty, in 1974<br />
ei@t hr:ndred and ten, in 1975 one thor:sand three hundred and eighty-five<br />
people visited ttre parkrs offices and tLre park" Peopl-e wlro visited tlre<br />
park spent an average of 16.5 days canpj:rg, hiking or climbing. In order<br />
to reachr the park frcrn Pangnirtr:ng or Bror:ghton Island, nnst tourists<br />
hired Inuit to carry them by canoe or by sncrmrpbil-e. Orce in ttre<br />
park the tor:rists are on ttreir c ^rn, carrying everythirq they wil-I need<br />
on tlreir backs. This sense of self sufficienc.y is one of the th-ings<br />
+;trat visitors to Arryrittr:q find rewarding. Tro be solely responsible<br />
for their ovyn well-being ard their cnnrr enjoytrent, or even in sone cases<br />
discomfort, is a feeling nnny people living in cities rarely operierce and, thenefore, of great rah-e.<br />
*reprinted, with permission frcnr Innuttituut/Inuttitr:n<br />
fal1 1976 p. 27-35.
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