Sanikiluaq

The Belcher Islands lie in the southeastern waters of Hudson Bay, a maze of low islands and channels inhabited by Inuit for centuries. Archaeological sites also bear traces of Dorset and Thule peoples. Seals and eider ducks provided food and materials, while journeys to the mainland linked the islanders to other communities across the bay.

Henry Hudson sighted the islands in 1610. From around 1749 many islanders made annual visits to the Hudson's Bay Company post at the mouth of the Great Whale River to trade and meet others on the mainland. In winter they crossed the ice by dog team and sled; in summer they could make the hazardous passage by kayak. Sealskins were among the goods they carried to exchange.