Inuvialuit means “the real people” and it is believed that the population descended from the Thule people, who once lived in the Arctic. They migrated from the Bering Sea region and settled on the edge of the Beaufort Sea, at the mouth of the Mackenzie River, some 800 years ago. Drawing on ancient cultural traditions, they adapted to new resources and challenges.

Today, many of the 5,000 Inuvialuit reside in the ISR communities of Aktlarvik (Aklavik), Inuuvik (Inuvik), Paulatuuq (Paulatuk), Ikaahuk (Sachs Harbour), Tuktuuyaqtuuq (Tuktoyaktuk) and Ulukhaktuuq (Ulukhaktok).