Both Lake Melville and Hamilton Inlet are encircled by mountains, with primary settlements at Happy Valley-Goose Bay, North West River, and Sheshatshiu.

Fort Smith (present-day North West River) was the seat of the Hudson's Bay Company factor for the surrounding territory.

Fish and fur prices plummeted with the stock market crash beginning in 1929, weakening the meager though meaningful subsistence-based economy.

Construction of an air base at Goose Bay in 1941 and radar installations along the coast offered Southern Inuit their first wage employment.

A ferry service runs on Lake Melville and Hamilton Inlet, connecting a number communities including Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Rigolet and Cartwright.