Ittoqqortoormiit Village

Constable Point provides all the air transport for the local village of Ittoqqortoormiit. You’re likely to meet some of the local people whilst flying in and out of the base. It is also possible to visit the village as an add-on to your expedition. 

The Village

This small Inuit settlement is only home to around 400 people. The village has lost population over time, with many younger people leaving for education or work, on the West Coast or in Denmark. Ittoqqortoormiit has a small hospital and shop, together with a local museum and art shop. A guesthouse provides accommodation for any visitors.

Local Culture

The ancient hunting traditions of the Inuits are still alive in Ittoqqortoormiit, with several of the local people being licensed to hunt a small quota of polar bears each year. In line with tradition, all parts of the polar bear are used – even being worn as trousers! Many local people have dog sled teams and hunt musk ox and other animals.

History

The Danish name of the town is Scoresbysund, named after the English whaler William Scoresby who first mapped the area in 1822. Ittoqqortoormiit was founded in 1925 on the initiative of Ejnar Mikkelsens. The foundation was partly a counterbalance to Norway’s growing interests in Northeast Greenland. It was also an attempt to create better conditions of life for inhabitants from the more southerly town of Ammassalik, by moving them to a new and better area for hunting. The municipality of Ittoqqortoormiit, which means “the place with the big houses”, is one of the most remote yet smallest populations in Greenland, but is still the third biggest municipality area in Greenland.