aboriginal people of canada
inuit culture: by reid pickering
location
They settled in Nunavut, North West Territories, and northern Quebec. They spread out further though because they follow the migration cycles of the caribou. All of these places are very extreme climates so they had to change their lifestyle throughout the seasons. Over the years they also migrated to Greenland and the islands close to it.
food
they did not have the right climate and soil to farm so therefore they hunted and fished their food. They mostly hunted seals, whales, and caribou. In the winter the climate forced the families to come together to hunt. Once they had their food they often dried or smoked it.
social structure
In the summer they were able to thrive, hunt, and fish with only their families. in the harsh winters they needed to band together and work together to survive. Also all people were considered equal and no one was treated differently. Also even chiefs had no great autority.
economy
Most of the items they traded were food related. They traded items such as skins, bone tools, and sea animal blubber. Though they often did no trade because the worked together and each were given equal things.
religion
Their main belief is that all living things have an equal spirit. This is why when they hunted things they used and respected all the things they hunted. They also told many tales of the spirits and they often involved lessons on how all things should be loved and respected
festivals
Many of the festivals involved singing and dancing and one of the types of singing was called katajjaq. They also often used drums. The drums were made of wood and animal skins. They also had a celebration a lot like Christmas where they would give gifts and and feast.
dwellings
The Inuits houses often changed through out the seasons. In the summer they lived in sturdy tents made from wood or bone frames and animal skin covers. In the winter they lived in igloos that can hold up to 20 people. Though some people lived in stone houses through out the entire year. these stone houses had to have frames built into the ground to stay level when the ice thawed and came back.
central question
The Inuit peoples connection to and effect on their land was great in every way. It greatly effected the way they lived because of their extreme climate. For that reason they needed protection from the wind and cold with the resources they had. This made them build igloos in the winter and wood and animal skin tents in the summer. Also since the harsh conditions did not allow them to farm their diet was mostly fish and meat. They also migrated with their food such as caribou. the cold winters also made them have to come together to provide themselves with food and shelter. They are also connected by religion. this is because they believe that all thin are equal and have spirits that should be respected. This causes them to use all the parts of the animal and never waste. This is the Inuits connection to the environment.
vocab words
Quiviasukvik: A native Inuit annual celebration that closely resembles Christmas.
Caribou: A large deer like animal that the Inuit hunted
Katajjaq: An Inuit competition involving singing
Igloo: An ice made shelter used by the Inuits in the winter.
sources sited
canadahistorproject.ca
inuit book on mr. Steciuk's website