Gjoa Haven Hospitality

Gjoa Haven is named for Arctic explorer Roald Amundsen's ship Gjoa, and this is where he overwintered for two years during his famous explorations.

Today we visited this small community which currently has some 1,500 Inuit inhabitants.  We were very warmly welcomed, and treated to some traditional drumming, singing, dancing, and throat singing, along with being offered samples of local food -- caribou soup, arctic char soup, and bannock (a type of bread most likely introduced here by Scottish whalers).

Artifacts relating to Franklin's expedition were found near here, and the wrecks of the Erebus and Terror have recently been located not too far away.