Stoney County
Stoney County
Ujaraup naasarninga (Itchalnu) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country |  Surrow |
| Founded | April 1, 1975 |
| County seat | Tulaktarvik |
| Government | |
| • Commissioner | Jerry Shields |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9,079.49 km2 (3,505.61 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 31,146 |
| • Rank | 2nd in Surrow |
| • Density | 3.43/km2 (8.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (Surrowese Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | not observed |
Stoney County (Itchalnu: Ujaraup naasarninga) is a county on the Surrowese Great Island, bordered to the north by Ukiuqtaqtuq District and to the south by Iqittiniq District. Established in 1975 when the Central Improvement District was promoted to county status, Stoney County is the largest county in area, and the second-most populous county in Surrow, well behind Southland County.
Etymology
Stoney County was named after the old Rythenean name for Tulaktarvik, Stoney Harbour, which derives from the rocky terrain surrounding the eponymous harbour and the absence of any trees in the area, as is common on Great Island.
In Itchalnu, Stoney County is often referred to as Ujarak, and in recent years, there has been a push by indigenous activists to changes its Rythenean name to its Itchalnu name, as was done to Iqittiniq and Ukiuqtaqtuq districts in 2015.
History
The first Auressian settlement to be established in present-day Stoney County was a Rythenean outport at Berentson Harbour in 1742, although it would remain a seasonal settlement until 1763, when a whaling station was set up at Berentson Harbour. The second Auressian settlement in present-day Stoney County was at Stoney Harbour (present-day Tulaktarvik), which was established in 1747 by the Rytheneans, as a fishing camp, although it only became a year-round whaling station in 1769, despite it only operating for a single season before being abandoned.
In 1825, Stoney Harbour would be re-established as an outport. Throughout the nineteenth settlement, these two settlements were administered as part of Northland County, which nominally controlled all of Great Island, although actual control was confined only to the outports themselves. Most of the population in those two settlements were Itchalnu schoolchildren attending the Perendist mission schools in the communities, with the remaining population being largely Auressian fishermen eking out a living.
By the 1901 census, the total population of the two outports in Stoney County were measured to only be at 48 people, although the enumerators noted that "they were unable to fully count the natives outside of the settlements." The area's population would only begin growing in the early 1920s, when Tuktooit Inlet was established in 1923 in an attempt to encourage the Itchalnu population to abandon their traditional lifestyles and adopt an Auressian lifestyle. By the 1931 census, the enumerated population of present-day Stoney County was measured to be at 72 people, with Stoney Harbour being the largest settlement.
In 1951, palladium was discovered near Tulaktarvik. This led to the Northern Integration Scheme, which saw the division of Northland County into three improvement district, with the middle third of Great Island becoming the Central Improvement District in 1953. In 1954, Stoney Harbour was renamed to Tulaktarvik, and in 1955, Uangnaq was established.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Central Improvement District was the only improvement district to see substantial population growth, as Tulaktarvik experienced substantial immigration, both from Itchalnu being resettled in Tulaktarvik, and from both Surrowese and foreign immigrants moving for economic opportunities, either with the Surrowese government or with the Tulaktarvik palladium mine.
By 1971, the Central Improvement District's population was measured to be at 14,428 people. As this was in excess of the 5,000 mark set out by the Northern Integration Act, the Surrowese government passed the Stoney County Act in 1973, which would promote the Central Improvement District into a fully-fledged county with "all the responsibilities thereof." It went into effect on 1 April, 1975, making Stoney County the second-most populous county in Surrow.
From the 1980s onward, growth began to slow, partially as the consolidation process was completed, but also due to General Armaments wanting to ensure that the palladium does not get completely extracted. However, efforts have been made to diversify Tulaktarvik's economy and to invest in Uangnaq. In 2003, the first and only paved road on Great Island opened, connecting Uangnaq with Tulaktarvik.
Government
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Stoney County is governed by a fifteen member county council (Itchalnu: katimajiit), elected every four years. Since the 2022 redistribution and the March 2023 election, thirteen councilors represent Tulaktarvik, one councilor represents Uangnaq, and one councilor represents the rest of Stoney County.
The county council is headed by a commissioner (Itchalnu: kamisina), with the current commissioner being Jerry Shields, who was first elected on April 1, 2019. Jerry Shields succeeded Victor Dawson as commissioner of Stoney County, who served in that role from 2011 until 2019.
Per the Surrowese constitution, Stoney County, like all other counties in Surrow, has power over infrastructure maintenance, trial courts, emergency services, land registration, day-to-day operations of schools, and provision of medical services. Unlike other counties, Stoney County still retains the power to declare settlements sustainable or unsustainable that the Central Improvement District had under the Northern Integration Act, although unlike the districts, there is a right to appeal the decision of the county council to determine a given settlement unsustainable.
Uniquely among Surrowese counties, Stoney County is the only county to be officially bilingual in Rythenean and Itchalnu, with it being officially bilingual since 1994.
Demographics
As of the 2021 census, Stoney County's population was measured at 31,146 people.
Racially, 22,690 people, or around 72.9% of the county population are of Auressian descent. 7,789 people, or around 25% of the county population are Native Surrowese, with estimates suggesting that around 98% of the Native Surrowese population are Itchalnu, and 2% are Chequan. 667 people, or around 2.1% of the county population belong to other races.
Religiously, 25,869 people, or around 83.1% of the county population are Perendist. 5,045 people, or around 16.2% of the county population are irreligious, making Stoney County the county with the highest proportion of irreligious people in Surrow. Finally, 232 people, or around 0.7% of the county population follow other religions, primarily traditional Itchalnu religion but also immigrant religions.
Linguistically, 29,311 people, or around 94.1% of the county population speak Rythenean as a first language. 1,293 people, or around 4.2% of the county population speak Itchalnu as a first language, while only 41 people, or around 0.1% of the county population speak Chequan as a first language. 501 people, or around 1.6% of the county population speak other languages as their first language, with 102 people speaking Tyrnican as their first language.
Settlements
Stoney County is home to one city (Itchalnu: nunalipaujaq): Tulaktarvik, with a population of 30,129 people as of the 2021 census, or around 96.7% of the county population. It is also home to a town (Itchalnu: nunalik), Uangnaq, with a population of 997 people as of the 2021 census.
Stoney County has one research station (Itchalnu: qaujisarvik) that is inhabited on a temporary basis by Breuvician scientists: Berentson Harbour Research Station, which was established in 1968 on the site of the former settlement of Berentson Harbour. As of the 2021 census, Berentson Harbour is inhabited by 20 people.