The name Keewatin comes from Algonquian roots—either kīwēhtin (ᑮᐍᐦᑎᐣ) in Cree or giiwedin (ᑮᐌᑎᓐ) in Ojibwe—both of which mean 'north wind' in their respective languages.

The federal government created the District of Keewatin on the advice of Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba Alexander Morris.

Upon creation of the District of Keewatin, the Government of Canada decreed that intoxicants such as alcohol were forbidden to be imported into the territory.

[6] The government made this decision in regards to active law enforcement to curb the whisky trade running rampant in the Northwest Territories.

[citation needed] The territorial laws created by the Council of Keewatin were enforced by the North-West Mounted Police.

After the boundaries of Ontario and Manitoba were extended northward in 1912, Keewatin largely consisted of treeless lands in the Arctic.

Because of the harsh winters and lack of inland roads, settlement of the isolated district by non-indigenous people was poor, and even the Inuit population was sparse.