# Uvayuq

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Uvayuq
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Uvayuq.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvayuq
> Source revision: 1355600036
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Mountain in Nunavut, Canada

"Mount Pelly" redirects here. For other uses, see [Pelly Mountain](/source/Pelly_Mountain_(disambiguation)).

Uvayuq Ovayok Mount Pelly Uvayuq, north of Cambridge Bay (Victoria Island) Highest point Elevation More than 200 m (660 ft) Coordinates 69°10′27″N 104°42′43″W / 69.17417°N 104.71194°W / 69.17417; -104.71194[1] Geography Uvayuq Nunavut, Canada Geology Mountain type Esker

**Uvayuq**,[1] formerly *Ovayok*[2] or *Mount Pelly*,[3] is an [esker](/source/Esker)[4] in the [Kitikmeot Region](/source/Kitikmeot_Region), [Nunavut](/source/Nunavut). It is located in [northern Canada](/source/Northern_Canada) on [Victoria Island](/source/Victoria_Island_(Canada)) within the [Ovayok Territorial Park](/source/Ovayok_Territorial_Park).[5] The hill, which is more than 200 m (660 ft) high, is located 15 km (9.3 mi) north east of the hamlet of [Cambridge Bay](/source/Cambridge_Bay), Nunavut.[5]

## History

The area around *Uvayuq* has long been used by [Inuit](/source/Inuit) for hunting and there are over 120 [archaeological](/source/Archaeology) sites on the esker. These include *pirujaq* (storage cache), campsites and a grave. The oddest find was a stack of [loon](/source/Loon) bones that had been "cut at every joint". This find, which the local elders indicated was something they had never seen and must have happened before their grandparents were alive, fitted in with an Inuit legend. The legend indicated that people in the area were starving and they were saved only when a skilled hunter killed a loon. To feed all the people the bones had to be broken at the joints so all could be fed.[6]

## Modern history

The esker was given its English name by [Thomas Simpson](/source/Thomas_Simpson_(explorer)) and [Peter Warren Dease](/source/Peter_Warren_Dease) in 1839 to honour [Sir John Henry Pelly](/source/John_Pelly), governor of the [Hudson's Bay Company](/source/Hudson's_Bay_Company). Simpson and Dease had travelled from [Great Bear Lake](/source/Great_Bear_Lake), down the [Coppermine River](/source/Coppermine_River), to [Back River](/source/Back_River_(Nunavut)). In 1850-51 [John Rae](/source/John_Rae_(explorer)), while searching the south coast of Victoria Island for clues to the [lost expedition](/source/Franklin's_lost_expedition) of [John Franklin](/source/John_Franklin), climbed to the top of Mount Pelly.[6]

## Traditional belief

Inuuhuktu (Baby Pelly) and Amaaqtuq (Lady Pelly)

Northwest of Uvayuq are two more eskers called Inuuhuktu (Baby Pelly) and Amaaqtuq (Lady Pelly). Inuit legend says that the three hills are a family of starving [giants](/source/Giant). They were crossing Victoria Island looking for food and the father, Uvayuq, died first. Next the son, Inuuhuktu (English; "teenaged boy"[7]), died and was followed by the mother, Amaaqtuq (English; "packing baby",[7] see [amauti](/source/Amauti)), who was carrying her baby.[6]

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Uvayuq](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Uvayuq).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-coord_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-coord_1-1) ["Uvayuq"](https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique?id=OECAL). *[Geographical Names Data Base](/source/GeoBase_(geospatial_data)#Geographical_Names_Data_Base)*. [Natural Resources Canada](/source/Natural_Resources_Canada).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Ovayok"](https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique?id=OEABG). *[Geographical Names Data Base](/source/GeoBase_(geospatial_data)#Geographical_Names_Data_Base)*. [Natural Resources Canada](/source/Natural_Resources_Canada).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Mount Pelly"](https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique?id=OAMRP). *[Geographical Names Data Base](/source/GeoBase_(geospatial_data)#Geographical_Names_Data_Base)*. [Natural Resources Canada](/source/Natural_Resources_Canada).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Nunavut parks, QIA seek nominations for parks committees](https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674nunavut_parks_seeks_nominations_for_ovayok_park_committee/)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nunpark_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nunpark_5-1) ["Ovayok Territorial Park"](https://nunavutparks.com/parks-special-places/ovayok-territorial-park/). Nunavut Parks. Retrieved 12 October 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ood_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ood_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ood_6-2) David F. Pelly & Kim Crockatt, ed. (1999). *Uvajuq The Origin of Death*. Elsie Anaginak Klengenberg (illustrator). Kitikmeot Heritage Society. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-9690783-8-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9690783-8-8).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-translate_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-translate_7-1) Ohokak, G.; Kadlun, M.; Harnum, B. [*Inuinnaqtun-English Dictionary*](https://web.archive.org/web/20211222095215/http://en.copian.ca/library/learning/nac/nac_dictionary/nac_dictionary.pdf) (PDF). Kitikmeot Heritage Society. Archived from [the original](http://en.copian.ca/library/learning/nac/nac_dictionary/nac_dictionary.pdf) (PDF) on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2019-10-18.

v t e Mountains of Nunavut Kitikmeot Region Uvayuq Shaler Kivalliq Region Minto Qikiqtaaluk Region Apex Polar Sun Spire Arctic Cordillera Adam Angilaaq Angna Arthur Asgard Baffin Baldr Bastille Battle Beaufort Biederbick Blackwelder Blue Boulder Breidablik Bruce Byam Martin Challenger Commonwealth Conger Cunningham Douro Everett Garfield Geodetic Grinnell Grogan Morgan Haddington Hartz Inglefield Innuitian Jeffries Joy Kisimngiuqtuq Krag Krieger Midnight Sun Nukap Odin Osborn Outlook Precipitous Prince of Wales Princess Margaret Qiajivik Sawtooth Scoresby Stokes Stokes Swiss Thor Thorndike Thule Torngat Treuter Ukpik Victoria and Albert White Crown White Triplets British Empire Range Arrowhead Ayles Barbeau Highpointer Oxford Whisler United States Range Eugene Mountains portal Canada portal

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Uvayuq](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvayuq) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvayuq?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.