Just above the Arctic Circle, Qikiqtarjuaq—“big island” in Inuktitut—rests off Baffin Island’s Cumberland Peninsula, where drifting sea ice moves through the waters of Davis Strait. Known locally as “Qik,” the community of roughly 600 residents maintains a strong Inuit identity; Inuktitut is widely spoken, and daily life remains closely tied to the land and sea.

Though Inuit families have traveled and hunted here for centuries, the modern settlement took shape in the mid-20th century. During the Cold War, a Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line radar station—known as FOX-1—was established on the island as part of a vast Arctic defense network. Its presence, along with later government resettlement programs from nearby camps, helped form the permanent community that stands today.

Icebergs carried south through Davis Strait regularly pass offshore, their size and sculpted forms shifting with wind and current. Across the water, the jagged peaks and glaciers of Auyuittuq National Park appear sharply against the horizon.

Brightly painted houses stand against rock and sea, and local art reflects stories of hunting, travel, and family.