Formerly known as the Keewatin, this area to the west of Hudson Bay includes an engrossing Inuit Museum in Rankin Inlet. The main commercial center of the Kilvalliq, Rankin Inlet is the gateway to Marble Island, where Thule camps, shipwrecks and the remains of a whaling station lie spread across a barren piece of land.
The Sallirmiut, a splinter group of the Dorset people, lived a Stone Age existence in total isolation on Southampton Island for hundreds of years, but in the winter of 1902-03, they mysteriously died. The site of their settlement, accessed by boat from the hamlet of Coral Harbour, provokes a veneration for a now-extinct culture that survived unbelievable natural hardships.
As you go inland, you'll find the lone community of Baker Lake, where Inuit use centuries-old craft skills to produce beautiful artwork that reflects the importance of caribou. Committed birders will want to make the trek to Arviat (Eskimo Point), the gateway to the McConnell River Bird Sanctuary, a refuge for many species, including snow geese, snowy owls, falcons and arctic terns.
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