The Inuit People Essay - 1383 Words

The Inuit People The word Eskimo is not a proper Eskimo word. It means eaters of raw meat and was used by the Algonquin Indians of eastern Canada for their neighbours who wore animal-skin clothing and were ruthless hunters. The name became commonly employed by European explorers and now is generally used, even by them. Their own term for themselves is Inuit which means the real people. The Inuit developed a way of life well-suited to their Arctic environment, based on fishing; hunting seals, whales, and walruses in the ocean; and hunting caribou, polar bears, and other game on land. They lived in tents or travelled in skin-covered boats called kayaks and umiaks in summer, and stayed in†¦show more content†¦Although some groups are settled on rivers and depend on fishing, and others follow inland caribou herds, most Eskimos traditionally have lived primarily as hunters of maritime mammals (seals, walrus, and whales), they have always been situated near the sea. Settlement In all Eskimo areas a yearly cycle took place in which groups spent the winter together in a larger group and then moved into smaller groups. Such seasonal congregating and breaking up of settlements occurred even in Greenland and western Alaska ; during the summer, people would leave the permanent communities and live in animal- skin tents at favourite spots for seal hunting, for fishing, or for collecting birds, eggs, and plants. The igloo (from an Eskimo word meaning home) was constructed of packed snow and used only during the winter, villages of igloos were built on the firm ocean ice of the central Arctic to help seal hunting through holes in the ice. They were also used as temporary structures in Greenland and in parts of Canada and Alaska. Food The traditional method of hunting seals during winter through the frozen ocean ice was most typical of the Eskimo of north central Canada. Since seals are mammals and must breathe, they scratch a number of holes through the ice as it begins to freeze and periodically return to them for air.Show MoreRelatedThe Adaptation of the Inuit (Eskimo) People: Cultural and Biological646 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ The Adaptation of the Inuit (Eskimo) People: Cultural and Biological The Inuit people are also known as Eskimos. They have lived in the Artic area; the Tundra, where the climate is cold and too severe for trees to grow, for over a thousand years. Over the thousands of years living in the Artic environment, the Inuit people have adapted culturally and biologically. Among the biological adaptations, their bodies altered permitting them to adapt to the environment in five ways. In addition to biologicalRead MoreComparing the Inuits and the North-West People Essay1725 Words   |  7 PagesComparing the Inuits and the north-west people We have been studying the people of the North West and Inuits. In this essay I will describe their differences and explain why they are different. They have a large variety of differences which had a large effect on lifestyles. Housing The Inuits lives in snow houses known as Igloos. They houses were made out of snow as it was plentiful in the area they lived in. The snow was many metres thick so it was ideal for insulating Igloos; this meant theyRead MoreFirst Nations And Inuit People Often Eat A Diet That Consists1734 Words   |  7 PagesFirst Nations and Inuit people often eat a diet that consists of â€Å"country foods†, which are traditional foods including: arctic char, seal meat, whale, and caribou (http://icor.ottawainuitchildrens.com/node/19). Today country foods are still a vital food source of nutrition in northern communities, and can provide a cultural connection to people in those communities as well as those who have migrated to urban areas (http://icor.ottawainuitchildrens.com/node/19). 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For the Inuit people of northern Canada, racism presented through colonial violence and acculturation has caused a crippling affliction. The effect of this violence has manifested itself into various other forms of viciousness; domestic violence, substance abuse, neglect and self-harm are only a fewRead MoreEthnic Signatures And Release Phases Of The Denes ?ï ¿ ½ Ine Adaptive Cycle1493 Words   |  6 Pagesthis means controlling access to waterways (Speck 1931:577). If people can control a travel way, then they can monitor access to resources. The control of fisheries directly relates to the control of travel routes (Pike 1896:213-214; Pà ©nard 1929:20-24). Social conflicts and their resolution can evidence territorial frontiers. Throughout the oral traditional, there ar e instances of tense to aggressive conflicts between DenesÃ… ³Ã…‚inà © and Inuit that highlight cultural frontiers (Janes 1973:39-54; 1974:7-10)Read MoreKinship Systems of the Inuit Culture1259 Words   |  6 PagesRUNNING HEAD: INUIT CULTURE 1 Kinship Systems of the Inuit Culture Marcus Sims Ant 101 Instructor Geoff Wood Aug 12, 2012 INUIT CULTURE 2 Kinship Systems of the Inuit Culture The Inuit people live in the harsh conditions of the Arctic region of North America. Once referred to commonly as â€Å"Eskimos,† Inuit’s are spread out in different regions across the Arctic. As a foraging culture, the Inuit’s live and operate in wide range of terrains as they forage and hunt. This