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{{Short description|Island in Yukon, Canada}} | |||
{{coor title dm|69|35|N|139|5|W|}} | |||
{{for|the island in Chile|Herschel Island (Chile)}} | |||
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} | |||
] | |||
{{use dmy dates |date=May 2024}} | |||
] | |||
'''Herschel Island''' is an island in the ] (part of the ]), which lies 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) off the coast of ], Canada, of which it is administratively a part. It is Yukon's northernmost point. | |||
{{For|the city in Alaska also called Qikiqtaġruk in Inuit|Kotzebue, Alaska}}{{More citations needed|date=May 2022}} | |||
== Early History == | |||
{{Infobox islands | |||
|name = Herschel Island | |||
|image_name = Image:Wfm herschell island location.jpg | |||
|image_caption = Location of Herschel Island | |||
|image_size = | |||
|pushpin_map = Canada Yukon#Canada | |||
|native_name = Qikiqtaruk | |||
|native_name_link = | |||
|nickname = | |||
|location = ] | |||
|coordinates = {{coord|69|35|23|N|139|05|57|W|scale:1000000|notes=<ref>{{Cite cgndb|KACVI|Herschel Island}}</ref>|display=inline,title}} | |||
|archipelago = | |||
|total_islands = | |||
|major_islands = | |||
|area_sqmi = 44.6 | |||
|length_mi = | |||
|width_min_km = 8 | |||
|width_max_km = 15 | |||
|highest_mount = | |||
|elevation_ft = 596 | |||
|country = Canada | |||
|country_admin_divisions_title = Territory | |||
|country_admin_divisions = ] | |||
|country_admin_divisions_title_1 = | |||
|country_admin_divisions_1 = | |||
|country_admin_divisions_title_2 = | |||
|country_admin_divisions_2 = | |||
|country_largest_city = | |||
|country_largest_city_population = | |||
|population = 0<ref name=Zielinski>{{cite journal|last1=Zielinski|first1=Sarah|title=Endangered Site: Herschel Island, Canada|journal=Smithsonian Magazine|date=March 2009|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/endangered-site-herschel-island-canada-54373929/?no-ist|access-date=13 May 2024}}</ref> | |||
|population_as_of = 2009 | |||
|density_km2 = | |||
|ethnic_groups = | |||
|additional_info = | |||
}} | |||
] | |||
The earliest evidence of human occupation unearthed so far by archaeological investigations is that of the ] culture, dating to approximately 1000 years ago. These people are the ancestors of the present-day ]. The Inuvialuit word for Herschel Island is "Qikiqtaruk", which simply means "island". | |||
'''Herschel Island''' ({{langx|fr|link=no|Île d'Herschel}}; ]: ''Qikiqtaruk'')<ref>{{cite book |last=Issenman |first=Betty |title=Sinews of Survival: The living legacy of Inuit clothing |publisher=UBC Press |date=1997 |pages=252-254 |oclc=38948647}}</ref> is an island in the ] (part of the Arctic Ocean), which lies {{cvt|5|km}} off the coast of ] in Canada, of which it is administratively a part. It is Yukon's only large offshore island. | |||
==History== | |||
The first European to sight the island was explorer Sir ], who reached it in ] and named it after his friend, scientist Sir ]. At the time of Franklin's explorations there were three ] settlements on Herschel Island. Estimates of the number of people living on the island (and along the Yukon North Slope) at that time ranged from 200 to 2000. The island was used as a base for hunting, fishing and whaling. | |||
== |
=== Early history === | ||
The earliest evidence of human occupation unearthed so far by archaeological investigations is that of the ] culture, dating to approximately 1000 years ago. These people are the ancestors of the present-day ].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The Composition of Fatty Materials from a Thule Eskimo Site on Herschel Island|first1=E.|last1=Morgan|first2=L.|last2=Titus|first3=R.|last3=Small|first4=C.|last4=Edwards|date=April 4, 1983|journal=Arctic|volume=36 |issue=4 |doi=10.14430/ARCTIC2290 |s2cid=54604836 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The ] word for Herschel Island is "Qikiqtaruk", which simply means "island". | |||
In the late ], whalers discovered that the ] was one of the last refuges of the depleted ] whale, which was prized for its ], blubber, and oil. Commercial bowhead hunting in the area began in ]. In order for the short arctic whaling season to be profitable, it was necessary to overwinter in the area. Herschel island was found to have a good harbour for large whaling ships. In ] a Euro-American settlement was established at ]. At the height of the Beaufort Sea whaling period (1893-94) the number of residents on the island was estimated at 1500, making it the largest Yukon community at that time. Though several frame buildings had been constructed, most residents continued to live on whaling ships. | |||
The first European to sight the island was explorer Sir ], who named it on 15 July 1826.<ref name="Burn 2009">{{cite journal |last=Burn |first=C. R. |date=2009 |title=After whom is Herschel Island named? |journal=Arctic |volume=62 |issue=3 |pages=317–323 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/40513310}}</ref> It is not clear after whom the island was named. Franklin's journal records states that he wished to honour the name Herschel, of which three persons are notable for their scientific accomplishments: Sir ], his sister ], and his son Sir ].;<ref name="Burn 2009" /> At the time of Franklin's explorations there were three Inuvialuit settlements on Herschel Island. Estimates of the number of people living on the island (and along the Yukon North Slope) at that time ranged from 200 to 2000. The island was used as a base for hunting, fishing and ]. | |||
In 1893, the ] (PSW Co.) constructed a building called the Community House at Pauline Cove. With a recreation room, an office for the manager and storekeeper, and storage facilities, the Community House became the most prominent building on the island. In 1896 the company offered the house to the Anglican church, who used the building until 1906. In 1911, the RCMP purchased all Herschel Island assets of the PSW Co. for $1500. The Community House still stands, and is believed to be the oldest frame building in Yukon. It remains in excellent condition, and is now used as a park office and visitor centre. | |||
== The |
=== The whaling period === | ||
In the late 19th century, whalers discovered that the Beaufort Sea was one of the last refuges of the depleted ], which was prized for its ] (whalebone), ], and ]. Commercial bowhead hunting in the area began in 1889. In order for the short ] whaling season to be profitable, it was necessary to overwinter in the area. Herschel Island was found to have a good harbour for large whaling ships. In 1890 a Euro-American settlement was established at ]. At the height of the Beaufort Sea whaling period (1893–94) the number of residents on the island was estimated at 1,500, making it the largest Yukon community at that time. Though several frame buildings had been constructed, most residents continued to live on ]. | |||
In 1893, the ] (PSW Co.) constructed a building called the Community House at Pauline Cove. With a recreation room, an office for the manager and storekeeper, and storage facilities, the Community House became the most prominent building on the island. In 1896 the company offered the house to the ] church, who used the building until 1906. | |||
The first court case held in the ] ] took place at Pauline Cove in 1924 in a building known as the Bonehouse, which was built in the mid-1890s as a storehouse for baleen (also known as ]). Court officials traveled from ] for the trial of two Inuvialuit men charged with murder. Jury members were chosen in ], ] and Herschel Island. The men were found guilty, and were hung from a ] in the Bonehouse. The tie beam was removed by the RCMP when they left the island in 1963. | |||
In 1903, ] was the first ] (NWMP) officer assigned to the area, who later died in the famous "]". | |||
== Missionaries, Police, and Traders == | |||
In 1911, the Royal North-West Mounted Police purchased all Herschel Island assets of the PSW Co. for $1,500. The Community House still stands, and is believed to be the oldest frame building in Yukon. It remains in excellent condition, and is now used as a park office and visitor centre. | |||
] missionary ] first visited Herschel Island in ]. He returned with his wife in ], and ministered to the people there until his departure in ]. Stringer and other missionaries attempted to build a church on the island, but were not successful. A mission house was constructed in ] by Reverend Whittaker. This building still stands, but is in poor condition. | |||
=== Application of law to Indigenous population === | |||
In ] ] Inspector Francis J. Fitzgerald visited Herschel Island. The following year, he and Constable Sutherland established a detachment on the island, which was at first based in two small sod huts. From ] to ] Herschel Island was subdistrict headquarters for the RCMP in the Western Arctic. Command was transferred to ] in 1931, and Herschel Island was patrolled intermittently until 1948, when the detachment was reopened on a seasonal basis. The RCMP post was closed permanently in 1964. | |||
In 1909, the Herschel Island police hired their first special constable. Generally, the cooperation of the Inuvialuit population, who worked as specials, and the general support the Mounted Police by the local population enabled the policing system on Herschel Island.<ref name=hircmp/> | |||
The police administered the law and extended the reach of British justice, most seriously to allegations of murder.<ref name=hircmp>{{Cite web |url=https://herschelislandrcmp.wordpress.com/ |title=The Mounted Police at Herschel Island Nov 6 |date=2011-11-06 |access-date=13 May 2024 |website=Herschel Island RCMP |last=Neufield |first=David}}</ref> Anxious to extend order and end what they perceived as savagery, the police investigated and brought to trial suspicious cases. After courts in southern Canada had been lenient in early murder trials, dangerous precedents from the police perspective, there was a growing determination to demonstrate the meaning of the law to the “Eskimo.”<ref name=hircmp/> In 1923 a number of murder cases were tried at Herschel Island. Two Koglucktuit men, Tatamagana and Alikomiak, were convicted of killing a policeman and Hudson’s Bay Company trader, and executed in February, 1924.<ref name=hircmp/> The lesson however was misconstrued by many in the audience. Recent interviews with elderly Inuvialuit women, who would have been young girls at the time of the trial, indicate conflation of these cases with an infanticide conviction of a few years afterwards.<ref name=hircmp/> These women remembered the seemingly random application of law. They recalled that white men often took Inuvialuit girlfriends but dropped them when they became pregnant.<ref name=hircmp/> The women asserted that the police would then threaten to put them in jail and hang them unless they married an Inuvialuit man. Cross-cultural understanding of justice took a long time to bridge this gap.<ref name=hircmp/> | |||
In ] the ] sent Mr. Christy Harding to Herschel Island to establish a post. Soon after his arrival he constructed a store, house, warehouse, and several other buildings. Business at the post was never lucrative. In 1937 the Bay closed its doors on the island, and its buildings were abandoned. None of them remain. | |||
This period represented the first Inuit tried and executed for murder under Canadian law.<ref name=hircmp/><ref name=aina>{{Cite journal |title="To Make These Tribes Understand": The Trial of Alikomiak and Tatamigana |journal=Arctic Institute of North America |url=https://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic51-3-220.pdf |last1=Coates |first1=K.S. |date=1997-08-20 |volume=51 |pages=220–230 |last2=Morrison |first2=W.R.}}</ref> In December 1921, Corporal W.A. Doak, accompanied by Inuit members of the police, investigated some killings of Inuit by other Inuit in Kent Peninsula. A short investigation, aided by community support, resulted in the arrest of Alikomiak (aged 16–19 years) and Tatamigana (unknown age).<ref name=aina/> A third man, Ikalukpiak, had been arrested earlier and was grouped with the two other men, though they were not confined as a result of a lack of lock-up. On the night of 1 April 1922, Alikomiak shot the sleeping Doak in the leg. The next morning, he shot Otto Binder, a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader. On the return of the second member of the RCMP, who had been on patrol during the shootings, an unresisting Alikomiak was tied up and brought with the other Inuit to Herschel Island for trial. Testimony from Alikomiak suggested the murder of Doak was motivated by fear of abuse, while the attack against Binder was motivated by Alikomiak's fear that on seeing Doak's body, Binder would retaliate against him.<ref name=aina/> | |||
In ] the ] constructed a store, warehouse and small shed on the island. These buildings still stand, though in recent years they have been moved as much as 10 meters inland, away from the receding shoreline. | |||
{{Quote box | |||
== Modern Developments == | |||
| quote = One evening late in winter, while following their customary occupation of making salmon nets, they were informed that they were to be hanged next morning at three o’clock. Young Alekámiaq received the news with a smile. The other man, who was somewhat older, felt as if he was choking and asked for a glass of water; having taken a drink he too was ready to meet his fate. Just before they were to be executed they gave the wife of the police sergeant some small souvenirs carved in walrus ivory, as a sign that they bore no malice towards the police. They ascended the scaffold with great calmness and met death without fear. | |||
| source = ''Intellectual culture of the Copper Eskimos'' (1932)<ref>{{cite book |last=Rasmussen |first=Knud |title=Intellectual culture of the Copper Eskimos |location=Copenhagen |date=1932 |publisher=Gyldendalske Boghandel}}</ref> | |||
| author = Rasmussen, K. | |||
}} | |||
{{clear}} | |||
There were four trials of Alikomiak and Tatamigana which followed, all of which were brief and appeared predecided.<ref name=aina/> The trial was a show trial, intended as a demonstration of force by Canadian law enforcement against the Inuit, as well as a demonstration to the world of Canada's claims to sovereign rights in the Arctic.<ref name=aina/> Herschel Island was chosen as the site for the trial because of its accessibility and because it was the only community along the Arctic coast that had significant buildings, a result of the whaling economy in the area.<ref name=aina/> Alikomiak was eventually sentenced for killing whites, while Tatamigana was sentenced for killing an Inuit, and both were sentenced to hang. Some bishops and locals protested the sentences and recommended other punishments, particularly because of Alikomiak's young age, though local newspapers tended to favor the verdict and the Canadian government refused to commute it.<ref name=aina/> | |||
], first RCMP officer assigned to Herschel Island (1903)]] | |||
While the island did see some renewed activity in the ] when it became a temporary safe harbor for oil-drilling ships, its last permanent, year-round residents (the MacKenzie family) left in ]. Inuvialuit still use the island seasonally for hunting, fishing, and as a place to camp while traveling. | |||
=== Missionaries, police, and traders === | |||
In 1978, a land claims agreement was reached in principle between the Inuvialuit and the ]. By 1984, the ] (IFA) was in place. In 1987, ] was created by the Government of Yukon in accordance with the terms of the IFA. The Government of Yukon and the Inuvialuit share responsibility for planning, managing, and protecting Herschel Island's natural and historic resources | |||
Anglican ] ] first visited Herschel Island in 1893. He returned with his wife in 1896, and ministered to the people there until his departure in 1901. Stringer and other missionaries attempted to build a church on the island, but were not successful. A mission house was constructed in 1916 by Reverend Whittaker. This building still stands, but is in poor condition. | |||
In 1903 RCMP ] Francis J. Fitzgerald visited Herschel Island. The following year, he and ] Sutherland established a detachment on the island, which was at first based in two small sod huts. From 1910 to 1931 Herschel Island was subdistrict headquarters for the RCMP in the Western Arctic. Command was transferred to ] in 1931, and Herschel Island was patrolled intermittently until 1948, when the detachment was reopened on a seasonal basis. On February 16, 1918, Herschel Island suffered its first loss of a police officer. Constable Alexander Lamont age 30, Badge Number 5548 Royal Northwest Mounted Police died of a duty-related illness. Constable Lamont died from typhoid fever while on Hershel Island, while attending to the needs of another victim of the disease.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canada.odmp.org/officer/584-constable-alexander-lamont|title=Constable Alexander Lamont|publisher=The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc.|access-date=2013-01-01|archive-date=2015-09-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908022704/http://canada.odmp.org/officer/584-constable-alexander-lamont|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
== Geography == | |||
Sadly, on July 14, 1958, Herschel Island suffered another loss of a police officer. Constable Carl Lennart Sundell, aged 24 years, was stationed on board the RCMP supply schooner HERSCHEL at the time of his death and died as a result of an accidental shooting. He was shot while boarding the vessel which was in a cradle onshore for repairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.odmp.org/canada/officer/470-constable-carl-lennart-sundell |title=Constable Carl Lennart Sundell |publisher=The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. |website=Odmp.org |date=1958-07-14 |access-date=2010-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424064101/http://www.odmp.org/canada/officer/470-constable-carl-lennart-sundell |archive-date=24 April 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> The RCMP post was closed permanently in 1964. | |||
In 1915 the ] sent Mr. Christy Harding to Herschel Island to establish a post. Soon after his arrival he constructed a store, house, warehouse, and several other buildings. Business at the post was never lucrative. In 1937 the Bay closed its doors on the island, and its buildings were abandoned. None of them remain. | |||
Herschel Island has an area of 116 square kilometers (45 square miles). It is approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) by 8 kilometers (5 miles) between shorelines, with a rolling ] terrain that ranges in height from sea level to 182 meters (596 feet). | |||
In 1926 the ] constructed a store, warehouse and small shed on the island. These buildings still stand, though in recent years they have been moved as much as 10 meters inland, away from the receding shoreline. | |||
The island was created from sediments that were thrust up by a lobe of ] ] ice emanating from the Mackenzie Valley and moving westward along the coastal plain approximately 30,000 years ago. There is no bedrock core to the island. The island is subject to very high rates of coastal erosion due to the ice-rich nature of the underlying permafrost, and its surface heaves and rolls down its own hillsides from the effects of frost creep and ]. | |||
== |
=== Modern developments === | ||
The island did see some renewed activity in the 1970s when it became a temporary safe harbour for oil-drilling ships. Its last permanent, year-round residents (the MacKenzie family) left in 1987. Inuvialuit still use the island seasonally for hunting, fishing, and as a place to camp while travelling. | |||
In 1978, a land claims agreement was reached in principle between the Inuvialuit and the ]. By 1984, the ] (IFA) was in place. In 1987, ] was created by the Government of Yukon in accordance with the terms of the IFA. The Government of Yukon and the Inuvialuit share responsibility for planning, managing, and protecting Herschel Island's natural and historic resources | |||
Herschel Island's climate is characterized by long cold winters followed by short but intense summers. Strong steady winds are prevalent throughout the year. July is the warmest month, with a mean temperature of 7.4°C and a mean daytime high of 12.8°C, but can reach as high as 30°C. January temperatures average -27°C to -30°C, but temperatures have been know to reach as low as -50°C. | |||
] | |||
From November to July, Herschel Island is locked in ice. Located within the ], Herschel Island enjoys continuous daylight every year between ] and ]. The sun does not appear above the horizon from ] to ], but significant ] is experienced for a few hours in the late morning and early afternoon during the latter period. | |||
== |
== Geography == | ||
Herschel Island has an area of {{cvt|116|km2}}. It is approximately {{cvt|15|by|8|km}} between shorelines, with a rolling ] terrain that ranges in height from sea level to {{cvt|182|m}}. | |||
The island was created from sediments that were thrust up by a lobe of ] ] ice emanating from the ] and moving westward along the ] approximately 30,000 years ago. There is no ] core to the island. The island is subject to very high rates of coastal erosion due to the ice-rich nature of the underlying ], and its surface heaves and rolls down its own hillsides from the effects of frost creep and ]. | |||
The waters around Herschel Island are a haven for fish and marine mammals. The ] flows into the Beaufort Sea southeast of the island. Its warm, nutrient-rich waters drift westward along the mainland shore as far as Herschel. ] feed on these nutrients, and are in turn eaten by larger fish, seals, and whales. Arctic cod, arctic char, pacific herring and arctic flounder are all found in this area. | |||
== Climate == | |||
Whales travel past Herschel Island on their seasonal migration. Bowhead whales can still be seen from Herschel as they migrate westward to the ] in September, feeding close to the surface on ]. ] whales are also seen from the island during the open water period. ] are the most common marine mammals in this part of the Arctic, feeding on fish along the edges of the ice during the summer months. | |||
Herschel Island has a dry-winter ] climate (Koppen ''ETw'') characterized by long, cold, dry winters and short, cool, moist summers. Strong steady winds are prevalent throughout the year. July is the warmest month, with a mean temperature of {{cvt|7.4|C}} and a mean daytime high of {{cvt|12.8|C}}, but can reach as high as {{cvt|30|C}}. January temperatures average {{cvt|-27|to|-30|C}}, but temperatures have been known to reach as low as {{cvt|-50|C}}. | |||
From November to early June, Herschel Island is locked in ice. Located north of the ], Herschel Island enjoys ] every year between May 19 and July 24. The sun does not appear ] from November 29 to January 14, but significant twilight is experienced for a few hours in the late morning and early afternoon during the latter period. | |||
The ] is a major predator of ringed seals. In summer they live along the edges of the pack ice near the island. In winter, a few female bears den on the island's northern slopes. | |||
== |
== Fish and marine mammals == | ||
The waters around Herschel Island are a haven for fish and marine mammals. The Mackenzie River flows into the Beaufort Sea southeast of the island. Its warm, nutrient-rich waters drift westward along the mainland shore as far as Herschel. ] feed on these nutrients, and are in turn eaten by larger fish, seals, and whales. ], ], ] and Arctic ] are all found in this area. | |||
Whales travel past Herschel Island on their seasonal migration. Bowhead whales can still be seen from Herschel as they migrate westward to the ] in September, feeding close to the surface on ]. ] whales are also seen from the island during the open water period. ]s are the most common ]s in this part of the Arctic, feeding on fish along the edges of the ice during the summer months. | |||
Small herds of ] (or Grant's Caribou, ''Rangifer tarandus grantii'') are frequently found on the island in summer. ], and ] are occasionally seen, crossing to Herschel from the mainland. ], tundra ] and arctic ] are common. ] and ] are also known to den on the island. | |||
The ] is a major predator of ringed seals. In summer they live along the edges of the ] near the island. In winter, a few female bears den on the island's northern slopes. | |||
== Birds == | |||
== Land mammals == | |||
At least 94 bird species have been counted on Herschel Island, 40 of which breed there. The island hosts the largest colony of ] in the Western Arctic, nesting in the old Anglican mission house. ], ], and ] make use of the tundra ponds and shingle beaches. Other birds that breed on the island include the ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
Small herds of ] (or Grant's caribou, ''Rangifer tarandus grantii'') are frequently found on the island in summer. ], and ]s are occasionally seen, crossing to Herschel from the mainland. ]s, ]s and ]s are common. ] and ]es are also known to den on the island. Natal Arctic fox dens are found each year on the island, usually one or two, but occasionally more.<ref>Ruttan, R. A.; Wooley, D. R. (1974). "A study of furbearers associated with proposed pipeline routes in the Yukon Territory and Mackenzie River Valley, 1971". Biological Report Series, Canadian Arctic Gas Study Limited and Alaskan Arctic Gas Study Company. Volume 8.</ref><ref name="Smits and Slough 1993">{{cite journal |last1=Smits |first1=C. M. M. |last2=Slough |first2=B. G. |date=1993 |title=Abundance and summer occupancy of arctic fox, Alopex lagopus, and red fox, Vulpes vulpes, dens in the northern Yukon Territory, 1984-1990 |journal=The Canadian Field-Naturalist |volume=107 |issue=1 |pages=13–18}}</ref> Red foxes also reproduce on the island but natal red fox dens are not observed every year.<ref name="Smits and Slough 1993" /> | |||
== Birds == | |||
At least 94 bird species have been counted on Herschel Island, 40 of which breed there. The island hosts the largest colony of ]s in the western Arctic, nesting in the old Anglican mission house. ]s, ]s, and ]s make use of the tundra ponds and ]es. Other birds that breed on the island include the ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
== Vegetation == | == Vegetation == | ||
Herschel Island is situated in the Yukon Coastal Plain ecoregion. The vegetation of this ] is described as Arctic tundra, with continuous ground cover and no trees present. | |||
There are over 200 species of plants on Herschel Island, which occur in a diversity of habitats. Most of the island is composed of level to gently sloping stable uplands, vegetated by ], ground shrubs, and wildflowers. | |||
From late June to early August, Herschel Island witnesses an explosion of colour. Its humid maritime climate during the growing season fosters a lush growth of tundra flowers, including ], ], ], ]s, and ]s. | |||
Herschel Island is situated in the Yukon Coastal Plain Ecoregion. The vegetation of this ] is described as Arctic Tundra, with continuous ground cover and no trees present. | |||
There are over 200 species of plants on Herschel Island, which occur in a diversity of habitats. Most of the island is composed of level to gently sloping stable uplands, vegetated by ], ground shrubs and wildflowers. | |||
From late June to early August, Herschel Island witnesses an explosion of colour. Its humid maritime climate during the growing season fosters a lush growth of tundra flowers, including ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
== UNESCO |
== UNESCO site == | ||
Herschel Island Territorial Park, together with ] and ] (both on the Yukon mainland), is a leading contender to become Canada's next ]. The region is on Canada's tentative list for a UNESCO nomination in both the cultural and natural categories.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1939/ |access-date=13 May 2024 |title=Ivvavik / Vuntut / Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk) |website=UNESCO World Heritage Convention}}</ref> | |||
== Climate change threats == | |||
Herschel Island Territorial Park, together with ] and ] (both on the Yukon mainland), is a leading contender to become Canada's next ]. The region is on Canada’s tentative list for a UNESCO nomination in both the cultural and natural categories. | |||
In 2007 the UNESCO World Heritage Centre published a report called ''Case Studies on Climate Change and World Heritage''. The report states that a decrease in ], and consequent increase in ], poses a serious threat to Herschel Island's historic resources.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/documents/publi_climatechange.pdf|title=Case Studies on Climate Change|page=58|date=2007|publisher=]|access-date=2008-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081114112540/https://whc.unesco.org/documents/publi_climatechange.pdf|archive-date=14 November 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> The ] has placed Herschel Island on its ''100 Most Endangered Sites, 2008'' watch list, citing "rising sea levels, eroding coastline and melting permafrost" as imminent threats.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-monumentsbox8jun08|title=On the World Monuments Fund endangered list|newspaper=LA Times|access-date=2008-09-03|date=June 8, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130134511/http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-monumentsbox8jun08|archive-date=30 January 2008|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/070606watch.asp|title=World Monuments Fund Unveils 2008 Watch List|website=Architectural Record|access-date=13 May 2024 |date=6 June 2007 |first=James |last=Murdock}}</ref> Coastal erosion is up to {{cvt|3|m}} per year in parts of the island's coastline.<ref name="Lantuit and Pollard 2008">{{cite journal |last1=Lantuit |first1=H. |last2=Pollard |first2=W. H. |date=March 2008 |title=Fifty years of coastal erosion and retrogressive thaw slump activity on Herschel Island, southern Beafort Sea, Yukon Territory, Canada |journal=Geomorphology |volume=95 |pages=84–102 |doi=10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.040}}</ref> There are several active ] or ] of considerable size along the south-eastern shore of the island and they have increased in abundance and size over the last fifty years.<ref name="Lantuit and Pollard 2008" /> In summer 2024 alone, over 700 coastal landslides slumped parts of the island into the ocean.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cecco |first=Leyland |date=2024-11-21 |title=‘The land is tearing itself apart’: life on a collapsing Arctic isle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/21/canada-arctic-herschel-island-qikiqtaruk-climate-permafrost-tundra-ecology-aoe |access-date=2024-11-21 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | |||
== Climate Change Threats == | |||
{{Portal|Geography|Canada|Islands}} | |||
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== References == | |||
In 2007 the ] World Heritage Centre published a report called ''Case Studies on Climate Change and World Heritage''. The report states that a decrease in sea ice, and consequent increase in coastal erosion, poses a serious threat to Herschel Island's historic resources. The ] has placed Herschel Island on its ''100 Most Endangered Sites, 2008'' watch list, citing "rising sea levels, eroding coastline and melting permafrost" as imminent threats. | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
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* The RCMP on Herschel | ||
* Isaac Stringer Virtual Museum | |||
* Yukon Department of Environment | |||
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Latest revision as of 03:45, 27 December 2024
Island in Yukon, Canada For the island in Chile, see Herschel Island (Chile).For the city in Alaska also called Qikiqtaġruk in Inuit, see Kotzebue, Alaska.
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Native name: Qikiqtaruk | |
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Location of Herschel Island | |
Herschel IslandShow map of YukonHerschel IslandShow map of Canada | |
Geography | |
Location | Yukon |
Coordinates | 69°35′23″N 139°05′57″W / 69.58972°N 139.09917°W / 69.58972; -139.09917 |
Area | 44.6 sq mi (116 km) |
Width | 8–15 km (5.0–9.3 mi) |
Highest elevation | 596 ft (181.7 m) |
Administration | |
Canada | |
Territory | Yukon |
Demographics | |
Population | 0 (2009) |
Herschel Island (French: Île d'Herschel; Inuvialuktun: Qikiqtaruk) is an island in the Beaufort Sea (part of the Arctic Ocean), which lies 5 km (3.1 mi) off the coast of Yukon in Canada, of which it is administratively a part. It is Yukon's only large offshore island.
History
Early history
The earliest evidence of human occupation unearthed so far by archaeological investigations is that of the Thule culture, dating to approximately 1000 years ago. These people are the ancestors of the present-day Inuvialuit. The Inuvialuktun word for Herschel Island is "Qikiqtaruk", which simply means "island".
The first European to sight the island was explorer Sir John Franklin, who named it on 15 July 1826. It is not clear after whom the island was named. Franklin's journal records states that he wished to honour the name Herschel, of which three persons are notable for their scientific accomplishments: Sir William Herschel, his sister Caroline Herschel, and his son Sir John Herschel.; At the time of Franklin's explorations there were three Inuvialuit settlements on Herschel Island. Estimates of the number of people living on the island (and along the Yukon North Slope) at that time ranged from 200 to 2000. The island was used as a base for hunting, fishing and whaling.
The whaling period
In the late 19th century, whalers discovered that the Beaufort Sea was one of the last refuges of the depleted bowhead whale, which was prized for its baleen (whalebone), blubber, and oil. Commercial bowhead hunting in the area began in 1889. In order for the short Arctic whaling season to be profitable, it was necessary to overwinter in the area. Herschel Island was found to have a good harbour for large whaling ships. In 1890 a Euro-American settlement was established at Pauline Cove. At the height of the Beaufort Sea whaling period (1893–94) the number of residents on the island was estimated at 1,500, making it the largest Yukon community at that time. Though several frame buildings had been constructed, most residents continued to live on whaling ships.
In 1893, the Pacific Steam Whaling Company (PSW Co.) constructed a building called the Community House at Pauline Cove. With a recreation room, an office for the manager and storekeeper, and storage facilities, the Community House became the most prominent building on the island. In 1896 the company offered the house to the Anglican church, who used the building until 1906.
In 1903, Francis Joseph Fitzgerald was the first North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) officer assigned to the area, who later died in the famous "Lost Patrol".
In 1911, the Royal North-West Mounted Police purchased all Herschel Island assets of the PSW Co. for $1,500. The Community House still stands, and is believed to be the oldest frame building in Yukon. It remains in excellent condition, and is now used as a park office and visitor centre.
Application of law to Indigenous population
In 1909, the Herschel Island police hired their first special constable. Generally, the cooperation of the Inuvialuit population, who worked as specials, and the general support the Mounted Police by the local population enabled the policing system on Herschel Island.
The police administered the law and extended the reach of British justice, most seriously to allegations of murder. Anxious to extend order and end what they perceived as savagery, the police investigated and brought to trial suspicious cases. After courts in southern Canada had been lenient in early murder trials, dangerous precedents from the police perspective, there was a growing determination to demonstrate the meaning of the law to the “Eskimo.” In 1923 a number of murder cases were tried at Herschel Island. Two Koglucktuit men, Tatamagana and Alikomiak, were convicted of killing a policeman and Hudson’s Bay Company trader, and executed in February, 1924. The lesson however was misconstrued by many in the audience. Recent interviews with elderly Inuvialuit women, who would have been young girls at the time of the trial, indicate conflation of these cases with an infanticide conviction of a few years afterwards. These women remembered the seemingly random application of law. They recalled that white men often took Inuvialuit girlfriends but dropped them when they became pregnant. The women asserted that the police would then threaten to put them in jail and hang them unless they married an Inuvialuit man. Cross-cultural understanding of justice took a long time to bridge this gap.
This period represented the first Inuit tried and executed for murder under Canadian law. In December 1921, Corporal W.A. Doak, accompanied by Inuit members of the police, investigated some killings of Inuit by other Inuit in Kent Peninsula. A short investigation, aided by community support, resulted in the arrest of Alikomiak (aged 16–19 years) and Tatamigana (unknown age). A third man, Ikalukpiak, had been arrested earlier and was grouped with the two other men, though they were not confined as a result of a lack of lock-up. On the night of 1 April 1922, Alikomiak shot the sleeping Doak in the leg. The next morning, he shot Otto Binder, a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader. On the return of the second member of the RCMP, who had been on patrol during the shootings, an unresisting Alikomiak was tied up and brought with the other Inuit to Herschel Island for trial. Testimony from Alikomiak suggested the murder of Doak was motivated by fear of abuse, while the attack against Binder was motivated by Alikomiak's fear that on seeing Doak's body, Binder would retaliate against him.
Rasmussen, K., Intellectual culture of the Copper Eskimos (1932)One evening late in winter, while following their customary occupation of making salmon nets, they were informed that they were to be hanged next morning at three o’clock. Young Alekámiaq received the news with a smile. The other man, who was somewhat older, felt as if he was choking and asked for a glass of water; having taken a drink he too was ready to meet his fate. Just before they were to be executed they gave the wife of the police sergeant some small souvenirs carved in walrus ivory, as a sign that they bore no malice towards the police. They ascended the scaffold with great calmness and met death without fear.
There were four trials of Alikomiak and Tatamigana which followed, all of which were brief and appeared predecided. The trial was a show trial, intended as a demonstration of force by Canadian law enforcement against the Inuit, as well as a demonstration to the world of Canada's claims to sovereign rights in the Arctic. Herschel Island was chosen as the site for the trial because of its accessibility and because it was the only community along the Arctic coast that had significant buildings, a result of the whaling economy in the area. Alikomiak was eventually sentenced for killing whites, while Tatamigana was sentenced for killing an Inuit, and both were sentenced to hang. Some bishops and locals protested the sentences and recommended other punishments, particularly because of Alikomiak's young age, though local newspapers tended to favor the verdict and the Canadian government refused to commute it.
Missionaries, police, and traders
Anglican missionary Isaac Stringer first visited Herschel Island in 1893. He returned with his wife in 1896, and ministered to the people there until his departure in 1901. Stringer and other missionaries attempted to build a church on the island, but were not successful. A mission house was constructed in 1916 by Reverend Whittaker. This building still stands, but is in poor condition.
In 1903 RCMP Inspector Francis J. Fitzgerald visited Herschel Island. The following year, he and Constable Sutherland established a detachment on the island, which was at first based in two small sod huts. From 1910 to 1931 Herschel Island was subdistrict headquarters for the RCMP in the Western Arctic. Command was transferred to Aklavik in 1931, and Herschel Island was patrolled intermittently until 1948, when the detachment was reopened on a seasonal basis. On February 16, 1918, Herschel Island suffered its first loss of a police officer. Constable Alexander Lamont age 30, Badge Number 5548 Royal Northwest Mounted Police died of a duty-related illness. Constable Lamont died from typhoid fever while on Hershel Island, while attending to the needs of another victim of the disease. Sadly, on July 14, 1958, Herschel Island suffered another loss of a police officer. Constable Carl Lennart Sundell, aged 24 years, was stationed on board the RCMP supply schooner HERSCHEL at the time of his death and died as a result of an accidental shooting. He was shot while boarding the vessel which was in a cradle onshore for repairs. The RCMP post was closed permanently in 1964.
In 1915 the Hudson's Bay Company sent Mr. Christy Harding to Herschel Island to establish a post. Soon after his arrival he constructed a store, house, warehouse, and several other buildings. Business at the post was never lucrative. In 1937 the Bay closed its doors on the island, and its buildings were abandoned. None of them remain.
In 1926 the Northern Whaling and Trading Company constructed a store, warehouse and small shed on the island. These buildings still stand, though in recent years they have been moved as much as 10 meters inland, away from the receding shoreline.
Modern developments
The island did see some renewed activity in the 1970s when it became a temporary safe harbour for oil-drilling ships. Its last permanent, year-round residents (the MacKenzie family) left in 1987. Inuvialuit still use the island seasonally for hunting, fishing, and as a place to camp while travelling.
In 1978, a land claims agreement was reached in principle between the Inuvialuit and the Government of Canada. By 1984, the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA) was in place. In 1987, Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park was created by the Government of Yukon in accordance with the terms of the IFA. The Government of Yukon and the Inuvialuit share responsibility for planning, managing, and protecting Herschel Island's natural and historic resources
Geography
Herschel Island has an area of 116 km (45 sq mi). It is approximately 15 by 8 km (9.3 by 5.0 mi) between shorelines, with a rolling tundra terrain that ranges in height from sea level to 182 m (597 ft).
The island was created from sediments that were thrust up by a lobe of Laurentide glacier ice emanating from the Mackenzie Valley and moving westward along the coastal plain approximately 30,000 years ago. There is no bedrock core to the island. The island is subject to very high rates of coastal erosion due to the ice-rich nature of the underlying permafrost, and its surface heaves and rolls down its own hillsides from the effects of frost creep and solifluction.
Climate
Herschel Island has a dry-winter tundra climate (Koppen ETw) characterized by long, cold, dry winters and short, cool, moist summers. Strong steady winds are prevalent throughout the year. July is the warmest month, with a mean temperature of 7.4 °C (45.3 °F) and a mean daytime high of 12.8 °C (55.0 °F), but can reach as high as 30 °C (86 °F). January temperatures average −27 to −30 °C (−17 to −22 °F), but temperatures have been known to reach as low as −50 °C (−58 °F).
From November to early June, Herschel Island is locked in ice. Located north of the Arctic Circle, Herschel Island enjoys continuous daylight every year between May 19 and July 24. The sun does not appear above the horizon from November 29 to January 14, but significant twilight is experienced for a few hours in the late morning and early afternoon during the latter period.
Fish and marine mammals
The waters around Herschel Island are a haven for fish and marine mammals. The Mackenzie River flows into the Beaufort Sea southeast of the island. Its warm, nutrient-rich waters drift westward along the mainland shore as far as Herschel. Zooplankton feed on these nutrients, and are in turn eaten by larger fish, seals, and whales. Arctic cod, Arctic char, Pacific herring and Arctic flounder are all found in this area.
Whales travel past Herschel Island on their seasonal migration. Bowhead whales can still be seen from Herschel as they migrate westward to the Bering Sea in September, feeding close to the surface on krill. Beluga whales are also seen from the island during the open water period. Ringed seals are the most common marine mammals in this part of the Arctic, feeding on fish along the edges of the ice during the summer months.
The polar bear is a major predator of ringed seals. In summer they live along the edges of the pack ice near the island. In winter, a few female bears den on the island's northern slopes.
Land mammals
Small herds of Porcupine caribou (or Grant's caribou, Rangifer tarandus grantii) are frequently found on the island in summer. Muskox, and grizzly bears are occasionally seen, crossing to Herschel from the mainland. Lemmings, tundra voles and Arctic shrews are common. Red and Arctic foxes are also known to den on the island. Natal Arctic fox dens are found each year on the island, usually one or two, but occasionally more. Red foxes also reproduce on the island but natal red fox dens are not observed every year.
Birds
At least 94 bird species have been counted on Herschel Island, 40 of which breed there. The island hosts the largest colony of black guillemots in the western Arctic, nesting in the old Anglican mission house. Arctic terns, American golden plovers, and red-necked phalaropes make use of the tundra ponds and shingle beaches. Other birds that breed on the island include the common eider, rough-legged hawk, snow bunting, Lapland bunting, and redpoll.
Vegetation
Herschel Island is situated in the Yukon Coastal Plain ecoregion. The vegetation of this ecoregion is described as Arctic tundra, with continuous ground cover and no trees present. There are over 200 species of plants on Herschel Island, which occur in a diversity of habitats. Most of the island is composed of level to gently sloping stable uplands, vegetated by cottongrass, ground shrubs, and wildflowers.
From late June to early August, Herschel Island witnesses an explosion of colour. Its humid maritime climate during the growing season fosters a lush growth of tundra flowers, including vetches, louseworts, Arctic lupines, arnicas, and forget-me-nots.
UNESCO site
Herschel Island Territorial Park, together with Ivvavik National Park and Vuntut National Park (both on the Yukon mainland), is a leading contender to become Canada's next UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is on Canada's tentative list for a UNESCO nomination in both the cultural and natural categories.
Climate change threats
In 2007 the UNESCO World Heritage Centre published a report called Case Studies on Climate Change and World Heritage. The report states that a decrease in sea ice, and consequent increase in coastal erosion, poses a serious threat to Herschel Island's historic resources. The World Monuments Fund has placed Herschel Island on its 100 Most Endangered Sites, 2008 watch list, citing "rising sea levels, eroding coastline and melting permafrost" as imminent threats. Coastal erosion is up to 3 m (9.8 ft) per year in parts of the island's coastline. There are several active slumps or retrogressive thaw slumps of considerable size along the south-eastern shore of the island and they have increased in abundance and size over the last fifty years. In summer 2024 alone, over 700 coastal landslides slumped parts of the island into the ocean.
See also
- List of islands of Canada
- Geography of Yukon
- Ivvavik National Park, on mainland just south of island
References
- "Herschel Island". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- Zielinski, Sarah (March 2009). "Endangered Site: Herschel Island, Canada". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- Issenman, Betty (1997). Sinews of Survival: The living legacy of Inuit clothing. UBC Press. pp. 252–254. OCLC 38948647.
- Morgan, E.; Titus, L.; Small, R.; Edwards, C. (4 April 1983). "The Composition of Fatty Materials from a Thule Eskimo Site on Herschel Island". Arctic. 36 (4). doi:10.14430/ARCTIC2290. S2CID 54604836.
- ^ Burn, C. R. (2009). "After whom is Herschel Island named?". Arctic. 62 (3): 317–323.
- ^ Neufield, David (6 November 2011). "The Mounted Police at Herschel Island Nov 6". Herschel Island RCMP. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Coates, K.S.; Morrison, W.R. (20 August 1997). ""To Make These Tribes Understand": The Trial of Alikomiak and Tatamigana" (PDF). Arctic Institute of North America. 51: 220–230.
- Rasmussen, Knud (1932). Intellectual culture of the Copper Eskimos. Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandel.
- "Constable Alexander Lamont". The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
- "Constable Carl Lennart Sundell". Odmp.org. The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. 14 July 1958. Archived from the original on 24 April 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- Ruttan, R. A.; Wooley, D. R. (1974). "A study of furbearers associated with proposed pipeline routes in the Yukon Territory and Mackenzie River Valley, 1971". Biological Report Series, Canadian Arctic Gas Study Limited and Alaskan Arctic Gas Study Company. Volume 8.
- ^ Smits, C. M. M.; Slough, B. G. (1993). "Abundance and summer occupancy of arctic fox, Alopex lagopus, and red fox, Vulpes vulpes, dens in the northern Yukon Territory, 1984-1990". The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 107 (1): 13–18.
- "Ivvavik / Vuntut / Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk)". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- "Case Studies on Climate Change" (PDF). UNESCO. 2007. p. 58. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
- "On the World Monuments Fund endangered list". LA Times. 8 June 2007. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
- Murdock, James (6 June 2007). "World Monuments Fund Unveils 2008 Watch List". Architectural Record. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Lantuit, H.; Pollard, W. H. (March 2008). "Fifty years of coastal erosion and retrogressive thaw slump activity on Herschel Island, southern Beafort Sea, Yukon Territory, Canada". Geomorphology. 95: 84–102. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.040.
- Cecco, Leyland (21 November 2024). "'The land is tearing itself apart': life on a collapsing Arctic isle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
External links
- Herschel Island Virtual Museum
- The Force in the North The RCMP on Herschel
- The Bishop Who Ate His Boots Isaac Stringer Virtual Museum
- Herschel Island Territorial Park Yukon Department of Environment
- 100 Most Endangered Sites, 2008
- North Star of Herschel Island
- Rapid retreat of permafrost coastline observed with aerial drone photogrammetry
Beaufort Sea Islands | |
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World Heritage Sites in Canada | |
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Northern | |