Northlands

= The Northlands = The Northlands includes Labrador, northern Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in Canada, as well as the norther portions of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota in the US. It includes all of Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, and a portion of Yukon and Alaska.

=**Niagara Falls:**=


 * Niagara Falls ** is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States ;more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great lakes carved a path through the NiagaraEscarpment in route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m 3 ) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow,and almost four million cubic feet (110,000 m 3 ) on average.

The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.

=**Population Information:**=

=
Nunavut is Canada's newest and largest territory, home to the aboriginal Inuit people. The Canadian government agreed to give the Inuit their own land and allowed them to have their own government when Nunavut territory was created on April 1, 1999. Although it is Canada's largest territory with 725,018 sq mi, it is the least populous and is home to the northernmost inhabited place in the world. ======

Nunavut is home to about 33,330 people, and the Inuit make up about 84% of the population. This area has supported a continuous indigenous population for over 4,000 years. Inuktitut is the language of the Inuit; //N////unavut// means "our land" and //Inuit// means "the people". The other spoken languages are Inuinnaqtun, English, and French. There are 25 Inuit communities that all collectively and respectively get along, and they all care deeply about their land and animals that share their world.

The environment in Nunavut is less than pleasant since the land and water are frozen most of the year. Its northernmost community, Grise Fiord, has a 24 hour day daylight period for four months along with a 24 hour a day darkness for four months as well. The Inuit people have survived in the Arctic climate for centuries and have used traditional igloos to keep warm during the harsh winter season. During the winter months they went ice fishing and hunted caribou, while in the spring and summer they fished for seal and hunted birds and eggs.

=**National Aboriginal Day in Canada:**= Canada's National Aboriginal Day is held annually on June 21st to celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding achievements of the nation's Aboriginal peoples. There are three Aboriginal groups in Canada- the First Nations, Inuit, and the Metis. This holiday gives many people the chance to learn more about Aboriginal people and their contributions towards the country's development and progress. The First Nation, Metis, and Inuit people have the opportunity to showcase their cultures and achievements throughout Canada on this day. All regions across Canada celebrate this day in which includes: This is a paid holiday for employees in the Northwest Territories, except those in the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association. It is not a statutory holiday in other parts of Canada. Traffic and parking though in some areas might be affected due to large celebrations to commemorate the day.
 * summer solstice festivals
 * barbecue fundraisers
 * social networking gatherings with traditional and contemporary music, dancing, and singing.
 * sacred fire extinguishing ceremonies
 * traditional feasts, which may include fry bread and moose stew
 * the cutting of a cake to honor National Aboriginal Day

=**__Historic Site: Montmorency Park__**= Located at the top of Cote de la Montagne in the historic district of Old Quebec, Montmorency park, it has been a place for a cemetery, a seat of religious and civil powers, a strategic military site and an urban park. Its function as the meeting place of the Legislature of the United Province of Canada between 1841 and 1866 was what led the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to designate it as a site of national historic significance in 1949. It became a public park in 1898 and in 1908 it was named Montmorency Gardens in memory of the victory of New France, Henri II, Duke of Montmorency, and the first bishop of Quebec. In 1950, the federal government took ownership.

=__**Favorite Tidbit of History: Viking Settlement**__=

L'Anse Aux Meadows is an archaeological site on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland. It was discovered in 1960, and it is the most famous site of a Norse or Viking settlement in North America. L'Anse Aux Meadows comes from the French word //L'Anse-aux-Meduses// or "Jellyfish Cove". Archaeologists have determined that the site was occupied by Norse Vikings for a short period approximately 1,000 years ago.



The Icelandic Sagas tell the story of Leif Eriksson's discovery of the Vinland, and archaeologists were convinced that the prevailing winds and currents would have brought the vessels from Greenland to this part of the Newfoundland Coast. The Sagas attribute the failure of the settlement due to conflicts within the community and conflicts with the ‘Srælings’, who were natives of the region. The study of L'Anse Aux Meadows found 8 turf houses that unmistakably resembled the Norse buildings in Greenland and Iceland. The houses are believed to have been constructed of sod placed over a wooden frame. Other finds include an iron forge, carpentry workshop and a spot which was clearly used to repair boats. Everyday Norse items such as whetstone, bone knitting needle, spindles, and a stone oil lamp show that this was indeed a Norse settlement.



=Music: Arcade Fire=
 * Arcade Fire** is an indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, along with Win's brother Will Butler, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member Sarah Neufeld, frequent collaborator Owen Pallett two additional percussionists, Diol Edmond and Tiwill Duprate, and saxophonists Matt Bauder and Stuart Bogie. Founded in 2001 by friends and classmates Win Butler and Josh Deu, the band came to prominence in 2004 with the release of their critically acclaimed debut album //Funeral//, and has won numerous awards, including the 2011 Grammy for Album of the year.

We Exist
media type="youtube" key="hRXc_-c_9Xc" width="560" height="315"

media type="youtube" key="P77GfpzqDvQ" width="420" height="315"

=**Food:**= =Tourtière= a meat pie originating from lower Canada (now Quebec), usually made with finely diced pork, veal or beef. Wild game is often added to enhance the taste of the pie. A traditional part of the Christmas revellion and New Year's Eve meal in Quebec,it is also sold in grocery stores all year long. Tourtière is not exclusive to Quebec. It is a traditional French Canadian dish served by generations of French-Canadian families throughout Canada and the bordering areas of the United States. In the New England region of the U.S., especially in Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts (e.g., Chicopee and Attleboro), late 19th and early 20th century immigrants from Quebec introduced the dish.

There is no one correct filling; the meat depends on what is regionally available. In coastal areas, fish such as salmon is commonly used, whereas pork, beef, rabbit and game are often included inland. The name derives from the vessel in which it was originally cooked, a tourtière.

=**Primary Language spoken in Nunavut**= The Inuit language includes Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut.
 * __The Inuit language__**

There are two different ways people in Nunavut write the Inuit language: Qaliujaaqpait (or Roman orthography) and Qaniujaaqpait (syllabics). Most Inuktitut speakers in Nunavut use syllabic to write their language. This writing system is made up of about 60 characters, most of them representing complete syllables. Thus “NU” in Roman orthography is written with one character in syllabics: “ᓄ”. The Roman orthography writing system uses the same letters that are used to write English or French. Many people who normally use syllabics will also use the Roman orthography, especially for writing e-mails or when doing other tasks on computers. The Government of Nunavut’s computers now have the capacity to work in syllabics. Inuinnaqtun speakers almost always use Roman orthography.

In the 2006 census, 64% of respondents reported using the Inuit Language in the home, even though it is the mother tongue of 83% percent of the population. This represents a 12% decline in ten years. This is partly due to a very large youth population, with a median age in 2006 of 23.1 years, compared to Canada’s media age of 39.5 years.

The 2006 Census reported 420 individuals with French as their mother tongue and 1200 claiming to speak it. Nunavut’s capital of Iqaluit is home to a thriving Francophone community. Although close to 800 in Iqaluit reported the ability to speak French, there are many Franco-Inuit families in the city. The French speaking population is served by a school, a daycare, a community radio station, and a cultural centre that is open daily and stages various events throughout the year.
 * __French__ **

English is very prevalent in regional centres and larger communities and is the de-facto language of government and industry.
 * __English__**