During the 1950s, the caribou population west of Hudson Bay changed its migration patterns. Inuit hunted at traditional crossing places, and, when the caribou did not come to those exact places, many people starved. The Government of Canada moved people from their hunting areas to places where services could be provided, including rations. One of these places was Itivia, about one km from the minesite and current community. Here, people lived in canvas or caribou skin tents, and some small houses.

In the 1970s, the government of the Northwest Territories moved its administration offices from Churchill to Rankin Inlet. Rankin Inlet developed into quite an entrepreneurial center with a number of private businesses, many owned by local Inuit. With a population of about 2500, Rankin is the administrative, transportation, and medical services center for the Kivalliq Region today. Rankin Inlet boasts the first birthing center in Nunavut, and a new Health Centre now serves as a small hospital for the region.