Nunavut Parks & Special Places – Editorial Series January, 2008

Kugluk/Bloody Falls Territorial Park

Kugluk/Bloody Falls Territorial Park has been an important place for the of the commemorates a dark day in western for centuries. Here, history. Here, on July 17, 1771, a group of char heading upstream are forced into shallow Inuit were camped at a beautiful cascade on the channels, enabling people to take them with Coppermine River, where they had been taking traditional hooks and fish spears. Generations of fat char with long fish spears. Masked by the roar Copper Inuit have traveled here to fish, and to of the water, a group of their traditional enemies, hunt caribou on the surrounding hills. the , crept down from upriver, and An 8.5 square kilometre area around Bloody fell upon the little camp. Using knives, arrows, Falls was designated as a Territorial Park due and spears, they killed every one. This massacre to its importance to Inuit of the area, to the was witnessed by a terrified , scenic beauty of the area, and its abundant who was being guided by this group of warriors. wildlife. Rolling tundra-covered hills and rocky Hearn reported the massacre in the journal of escarpments are characteristic of the area. The his journey. valley is known for its lush displays of wildflowers This turbulent part of the Coppermine became in July, and the rocky shelves along the river known as Bloody Falls. Where the Coppermine make wonderful places to picnic, fish, and enjoy River rushes over resistant rocks, it forms a the beauty of the land. Caribou and muskox are magnificent cascade. This narrow channel with frequently seen, as well as red and arctic foxes, vigorously boiling rapids and twisting eddies and, occasionally, wolves or grizzlies.

Aussi disponible en français xgw8Ns7uJ5 wk5tg5 Pilaaktut Inuinaqtut ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a q listen to the land aliannaktuk en osmose avec la terre

birches, bronze of Labrador tea, and maroon to the lush river valley, and still farther of the blueberries. Families go out to the downstream, the river flows through arctic park in the fall, picking berries and fishing tundra with wetlands at places along in the river. the river.

ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a q There are many old campsites in the area, It is, without a doubt, one of the premiere listen to the landand archaeological evidence of use of the arctic rivers for the advanced novice paddler, aliannaktuk area by the Pre-Dorset, the Thule, modern or for those adventure seekers who want a en osmose avec la Inuit,terre and even by the Taltheilei Indians, guided river trip with good scenery, wildlife, who came to the coast from near Great Slave signs of past cultures, and want to learn Lake, hunting caribou. more about the river’s important place in history. Due to its historical and cultural ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a aPaddle q through history listen to the land importance, its value to wildlife, and its The Coppermine River has long been a incredible recreational experiences, the Birds in the area include peregrine aliannaktuk falcons, travel corridor for the indigenous peoples en osmose avec la terre Coppermine River has been nominated as gyrfalcons, rough-legged hawks, and of the North – ancient campsites are a Canadian Heritage River. Parks golden and even bald eagles. Any of these common along the river. Because there has and Kugluktummiut are developing a river can nest on cliffs along the river. Small been so little change since then, today’s management plan, a requirement of the tundra birds such as Lapland longspurs, river paddlers experience the land much as CHRS program, and are working towards horned larks, redpolls, savannah sparrows, Hearne, Franklin, and the Inuit and full Canadian Heritage River designation, and white-crowned sparrows enliven the did almost two centuries ago. expected in 2008. summer tundra with their songs. Yellow- A paddling trip flows through gorgeous billed, Pacific, red-throated and common Travelling to the Park wilderness and crosses the Arctic Circle on loons can be seen along the river, as well A somewhat rough road connects Kugluk/ its way to the . It runs through as long-tailed ducks and red-breasted and Bloody Falls Territorial Park with lands rich in wildlife, where muskox and common mergansers. , some 13 kilometres north. This caribou graze on the sparse vegetation road is seldom passable for ordinary vehicles, A small yellow daisy-like flower, the of the uplands, and where wolves and but all-terrain vehicles can access the park. black-tipped groundsel, is common in the grizzlies patrol the river banks, ever alert Operators in Kugluktuk can organize park. This plant was named by Dr. John for a stranded fish or drowned caribou. trips by ATV to the falls, or by boat on the Richardson of the first Franklin expedition; On the upper reaches of the Coppermine, Coppermine. Boats can travel upstream he called it Senecio lugens. “Lugens” comes many small rivers and streams flow into from the mouth of the river to about one from the Latin “lugeo” (to mourn), and by the main river through hills thinly covered kilometre below the falls, so this makes a naming it this, Richardson commemorated with stunted spruce and dwarf birch. wonderful outing. Check with the Visitors’ the people who died here in the conflict Downstream, the hills are covered with Centre in Kugluktuk regarding trips to with the Chipewyans in 1771. Other tundra, while the boreal forest is limited the falls. wildflowers, among them the mountain avens, several louseworts, rhododendrons, the striking blue arctic lupine and many Because there has been so little change since then, today’s river more, bloom in profusion nearby. paddlers experience the land much as Hearne, Franklin, and the In the fall, the entire area blazes with colour – the scarlet of the bearberry, yellow Inuit and Dene did almost two centuries ago. of willows, salmon colour of the dwarf Winter trips into the park are sometimes For more information on Kugluk/Bloody Nunavut Parks available, and residents of Kugluktuk Falls Territorial Park and the Coppermine & Special Places Y • often go there by snowmobile, sometimes River, check the Nunavut Parks website at 867.975.7700 867.975.7747 traveling upriver on the river ice. Caribou www.nunavutparks.com, or call Nunavut [email protected] are frequently seen in springtime, and Tourism at 1-866-NUNAVUT to request www.nunavutparks.com sometimes all winter. the Nunavut Travel Planner, which lists all Kugluktuk Heritage licensed tourism operators, accommodations and Visitors’ Centre and services. Y 867.982.3570 • 867.982.3573

Nunavut Tourism Y 866.NUN.AVUT • 867.979.1261 (1.866.686.2888) [email protected] www.nunavuttourism.com

Arctic Coast Visitors’ Centre Y 867.983.2224 [email protected]

USA

Safe and Sustainable Travel in Nunavut Nunavut’s Territorial Parks offer some of the most breathtaking scenery and magnificent wildlife imaginable, but there are risks when traveling in a remote area. You must be self-reliant and responsible for your own safety. The extreme environment can change quickly, challenge your survival skills and face you with an emergency. Also remember, when you travel in Nunavut you are in polar bear country. Polar bears are strong, fast and agile on ice, land, and in water. For more information on Safe and Sustainable Travel and Polar Bear Safety in Nunavut please visit our website at www.nunavutparks.com.

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ Nunavut Parks Nunavummi Parcs et endroits ᐊᕕᑦᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒥᕐᖑᐃᓯᕐᕕᖏᑦ & Special Places Unnagiurhiqviit spéciaux Nunavut ᐊᓯᖏᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᔪᑦ Department of Environment & Inniiturliit Ministère de l’Environnement ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ Government of Nunavut Havakviat Avatiligiyikkut Gouvernement du Nunavut Y 867.975.7700 ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖓᑦ P.O. Box 1000, Station 1340 Nunavut Kavamatkut Case Postale 1000, Succursale 1340 • 867.975.7747 ᑎᑎᖅᑲᖃᐅᑖ 1000 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 Qiuqutaa 1000, Nayugaa 1340 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 [email protected] ᑎᑎᖅᑲᖃᕕᖓ 1340 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 nunavutparks.com ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ X0A 0H0