Cultural Comparison
comparing the Inuits from Canada to the Hindu's in Sri Lanka
Inuits
The Inuits are aboriginals in Canada. Their name 'the inuit' actually means 'the people'. The Inuits are known as the people of the Arctic as when they first came to Canada all the southern land was occupied by hostile indians so they decided to settle in the north. The Inuits are a very oral culture as they communicate and have rituals which involve dances, songs and rhythm. The inuits are also traditional hunters.
They have settled in vast area's of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, coast of northern Labrador and Southern tip of Hudson Bay.
(the map shows different groups of Inuits who live in Canada)
Hindus
Hindu's can be found all around the world especially in Sri Lanka where hinduism partly originated from. Their are many different kind of groups that practice hinduism and have alot of different languages that part take in this culture. For example did you know that one of the main languages in hinduism, Tamil, has 247 letters in the alphabet. Also in hinduism they believe in not just one god but many so if you have ever been to a temple you will not just see one god's sculpture but alot of different sculptures of gods. Hindu's have a lifestyle which revolves alot around their culture. In the map below you can see the where the Hindu's have settled in Sri Lanka.
Similarities and Differences
Language
Similarities:
- In both cultures they have more than one kind of language.
- Both cultures have complex pronunciations
Differences:
- The Inuits in Canada speak Inuntitun which is spoken more in Northwest Territories and they also speak Inuktitut which is know as western Arctic talk in Nunavut and Labrador.
- The Hindu's in Sri Lanka also have multiple languages such as Tamil, Telungu and Hindi.
Gender Roles
Similarities:
- They have the traditional gender based roles where men go out and work and the women take care of the household and the children and any elderly who live in the household.
- Most of the women do stay at home.
- Nuclear Family
- women grow crops and harvest vegetables and fruits.
Differences:
- 68% of Inuit males harvest seal, whale, duck, caribou, fish and berries.
- Males go out and hunt as an Inuit.
- Females who are Inuit also help harvest the food the men capture as well as take care of the crops they grow.
- Males who are hindu are more involved working in urban areas.
Religion
Similarities:
- both cultures have a spirit/god for forces of nature.
- they both believe in another world after you die.
- Have chants in their rituals.
- Have music, instruments and dances for rituals.
Differences:
- Inuits believed in Animism; that all living and non- living things had a spirit. This included people, animals, inanimate objects and forces of nature. They believed that when anything died their spirit will continue to live in another world which they call the spirt world. Only powerful religious leaders were able to control these spirits - they were known as Sharmans or Angakoks. They used charms and dances to communicate with the spirits. The Sharmans would often times offer spirits gifts in order for anything their group wanted for example if they wanted spring to arrive earlier. Anyone who angered a spirit would be taken out of their society.
- Hindu's who's name was derived from a persian word which means river believe in not one god but multiple. They have a god who control each force of nature and have a special language known as samaskritam which is spoken by the priests or iyers who chant at temples for each god as the people please. They also have rituals such as changing the god's clothes at temples or giving the god's sculpture a milk bath often times on special occasions like New Year's. The milk represents washing away any bad spirits or anything bad and making each god pure for the year to come. Hinduism is also the oldest surviving world religion.