Taloyoak

Taloyoak, Nunavut, incorporated as a hamlet in 1981, population 899 (2011c), 809 (2006c). The Hamlet of Taloyoak, formerly known as Spence Bay, is located in a narrow inlet on the west side of the BOOTHIA PENINSULA. The hamlet takes its name from a caribou blind which is a local landmark. Inuit settled at the site in 1948.

Taloyoak was the location of a well-known legal case in 1966, when 2 Inuit were tried after executing an insane woman. The execution had been carried out according to traditional custom. The outcome of the trial blended Western law with Inuit tradition, with one man acquitted and the other receiving a suspended sentence.

Residents of the community, Inuit and non-Inuit alike, hold positions with the local or territorial governments or operate small businesses. The Inuit still follow traditional ways, trapping, hunting and fishing.