Panniqtuuq (Oct 11/04) - The brightly coloured Northern hat, either knitted or crocheted, is known all over the world as a "Pangnirtung hat."

But every community in Nunavut produces these incredibly warm and beautiful hats.

Kawtsie Kakee sits while she makes a Pang Hat in Panniqtuuq. - photo courtesy of Peter Wilson

Why is it that no matter where your hat is from, it is widely regarded as a "Pangnirtung hat?"

Peter Wilson, the manager of the Uqqurmuit Centre in Panniqtuuq, certainly doesn't mind the fame his hats enjoy.

But Wilson isn't sure why every Northern hat is widely referred to as a "Pangnirtung hat."

He suggests the labels that the centre stitches into every single one of the 300-400 they produce each year is probably the reason.

The crafts centre in Panniqtuuq has been around since 1973, and since that time they have made and sold a lot of hats bearing the distinctive English name of the community: Pangnirtung.

Even if the community succeeds in getting its name changed officially to Panniqtuuq, the hat name will remain. It's too successful an endeavour at this point.

"We're just so organized," said Wilson. "We ship them all over the continent. It's just the volume, I guess."

The hats are all made by women in Panniqtuuq. The Uqqurmuit Centre charges $50 each.

Jeannie Nakoolak, the head weaver at the Uqqurmuit Centre, doesn't know why "Pangnirtung" is used widely to describe Northern hats either.

She laughs about it and figures it all comes down to the labels inside that Panniqtuuq started doing before any other community.

Meanwhile, over in Kimmirut, Tye Aqpik is working away on hats you could call "Pangnirtung hats," but they are not. Aqpik is famous in Kimmirut for the hats she knits and crochets worth $25-$30 each. She doesn't mind if people call them Pangnirtung hats, even though hers say "Kimmirut" inside.

"I guess they were the first ones to (put the labels in)," Aqpik said of Panniqtuuq crafts people.

Aqpik started making Kimmirut hats when she was seven years old.