To many outsiders the Arctic is pictured as a deserted, blank piece of land with no life. Little did they know that the Arctic Region is actually inhabited by many native Alaskan groups, and that still to this day continue practicing their subsistence lifestyle. Native Alaskan groups such as the Gwich'in Indians, Inupiat Eskimos, Yup'ik and Aleut still depend on the geographic features of the Arctic. For not only their subsistence lifestyle, but also the preservation of their culture. The word "Eskimo" means "those who eat their meat raw" in the Algonquian language; it also is another name for the Inuit. The word Inuit means "raw meat eaters". Which was actually true since most diet of the Inuit was eaten raw. Ocean and tundra animals were traditionally the target of the Inuit. Since plants did not grow in the Arctic environment, meat and fish was the main diet. The Inuit used kayaks to capture their food that lived in the ocean. Sizes of the animals did not seem to matter considering that whales were one of the animals that subjected in their hunts. Just like most of the native Alaskan groups the Inuit respected the animals. Before or after their usual hunting, they would often perform their traditional rituals in memory of the appreciation of the hunted animals. Years before electricity or any modern technology entered the Arctic region; The Inuit lived in circle domes called "igloos". There were no wood available out where they lived, so they had to get creative and use the snow that surrounded them. In which they had molded into gigantic blocks as a substitute instead. During the summertime they traded out their igloos for tents as shelter. At times they would add animal skins on their tents if it wasn't warm e... ... middle of paper ... ... Religion in the Arctic region of Alaska have two major components, Shamanism and Anamism. The Inuit being strongly connected to land and environment, because of their hunting reflected onto their religion. The Shaman is a strong figure in the native tribes of the Arctic region of Alaska. Most of the time the Shaman is a he, but a female is also allowed. The Shaman acts as the doctor, the protector, and seen as the wise one. At the beginning of the twentieth century many missionaries came to spread Christianity to the natives. It was successful many native Alaskan groups especially the Inuit refer to themselves as Christians to this day. Works Cited http://www.arcticcentre.org/InEnglish/SCIENCE-COMMUNICATIONS/Arctic-region/Arctic-Indigenous-Peoples http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/polar/myths_arctic.html http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_arctic.html
Inuit Odyssey, by CBC’s: The Nature of Things covers the long and eventful journey of the Inuit people. Canadian anthropologist, Dr. Niobe Thompson searched for the answers to questions about who the modern day Inuit are, where did they come from, how did they survive and who did they conquer along the way? Thompson explored the direct lineage between modern day Inuit and the Thule people, and their interactions with the Dorset and Norse Vikings in their search for iron. Thompson is ultimately concerned with how the current warming climate will affect the Inuit people therefore, he decides to retrace the creation of the Inuit culture, starting his journey in the original homeland of the Thule people.
The unit readings argue that anthropologists insist that global flows also partake in affecting local practices. The beliefs and customs of the Inuit are accounted for their interaction with the environment, but these factors also interrelate with neighbouring societies, global capitalism, and international NGOs, as Martha of the North describes. The Inuit were used by the Canadian government in a form of racism and cruelty. To affirm sovereignty in the vast arctic land, Canada had to have permanent residences residing within these territories. They had created a façade that they were providing the Inuit with the opportunity of a better life when in reality, they did not care about them at all. The government had less than honest intentions. What the people who represented the nation did to the relocation of the Inuit is unacceptable and its effect can be explained through holism but also goes beyond the concept on an international scale. Global practices influenced the local practices of the Inuit in the High Arctic. The government representatives of Canada at that time did not value the lives of these people and only cared about their own
In www.firstpeopleofcanada.com it states that the the Inuit lived in the Arctic, the Haida lived in Haida Gwaii and Iroquois lived in Manitoulin Island.
Human settlement has been a part of Katmai National Park for a long time. Tribes have been living in Katmai since before the last ice age, before the time of written record. On the Pacific slope lived the Koniag people, and the Peninsular Eskimos lived west of the Aleutian Range. In the Bristol Bay area lived the Aglegmiuts. The Russians invaded soon after, displacing the Peninsular Eskimos and Aglegmiuts. These last native people of Katmai hunted, fished, and gathered,...
Hunting, which was the primal source of food, goes far beyond satisfying the physical body. Therefore societies, such as the Eskimo, handle every aspect of their food in a `special' and symbolic way. This is what Gill was explaining and the ceremonies, as well as, the way of life in regards to the food are evidence of this.
The Arctic is an area above the imaginary line of the Arctic Circle, which is latitude 66.6° north (Smith, 2009). This is a hostile and unforgiving place, with freezing temperatures and 24 hours of darkness in winter (Smith, 2009). Nevertheless, one particular place of interest is Devon Island, which has many seasonal hunting grounds such as Cape Liddon – see exhibit one. Although Devon Island is uninhabited today, past settlers survived harsh conditions by exploiting coastal and inland resources for thousands of years. Interestingly, between 1982 and 1987, archaeologists found 163 sites on the island (Helmer, 1991). These sites contained thousands of animal bones, various stone and bone tools dating back 4500 years (Helmer, 1991). Coincidently, the multipurpose ulu knife – see exhibit two – originates from the similar time period, which is traditionally used for processing animals for food and clothes (Crowell & Prusinski, n.d.). Also, it is believed that indigenous people created carvings such as small face masks, for interacting with spirits (Zságer, 2010). Funnily enough, a modern day mask – see in exhibit three – looks similar to a 3500 year old ivory face mask found on Devon Island (CMCC, 2013). Nonetheless, today some people call this traditional ecological knowledge, which refers to knowledge, beliefs and practices, in sustainable use of ...
"Subsistence Hunting Activities and the Inupiat Eskimo | Cultural Survival." Subsistence Hunting Activities and the Inupiat Eskimo | Cultural Survival. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. .
The tundra artic plains completely covering most of the earth’s lands north of the coniferous forest belt. The tundra’s ecosystem is very sensitive. It doesn’t have a good ability to restore itself. Controlled by sedge, heath, willow, moss, and lichen. Plains that are pretty much alike, called alpine tundra, occur above the timberline in the high mountains of the world. Even the Antarctic area has a couple of its own arctic regions itself.
Alaskan culture is full of a variance of characteristics. The Alaskan people have a deep sense of respect, pride and honor. This is as a result of the need and ability to adapt to an ever changing environment and still find a way to thrive. The Alaskan people are a strong representation of the American spirit of perseverance. The research done in this paper allowed me to view the Alaskan Native in an entirely different manner. My intent with this paper is to inform the reader on Alaskan culture, geographical breakdown, beliefs, as well as highlight the advancements of the Alaskan way of life throughout the years.
The Arctic Tundra The Tundra is located in the northern regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. as well as a few regions of Antarctica. The Tundra is the second largest vegetation. zone in Canada. It can be divided into three different sections: the High Arctic Tundra, the Low Arctic Tundra and the Alpine Tundra.
When you mention Alaska and the Arctic Circle, one envisions igloos, dog sleds, and invariably, Eskimos. However, little do most know, that what most refer to as Eskimos is actually a generalization representing three distinct groups. In order to understand the societies that live in this region and acknowledge their cultural differences we must explore the different groups that inhabit this region of which there are two: the Inuit, and the Yupik.
When European settlers arrived on American shores to settle a New World, around 7 million Native Americans had been settled in the wilderness north of present-day Mexico for some time. It is believed that the first Native Americans arrived during the last Ice Age, approximately 20,000 - 30,000 years ago, by crossing the Bering Strait from northeastern Siberia into Alaska. Over thousands of years, “spiritual kin-based communities” had survived by living off the land and bartering goods. Their diversity was reflected by their societies, which ranged from small, mobile bands of hunter-gatherers in the Great Basin to temple-mound builders in the Southeast (DiBacco, 1995).
Inuit stone carving is a very popular technique used by the inuit tribe and has been for many years. It is one of the most frequently talked about art forms in the Inuit culture due to its minimalistic and intricate aspect. The idea of stone carving has been around since before the early 1840’s for the Inuit tribe and still lives in today. The beginning of Inuit art simply began with the people of the Inuit tribes interpretation on life and their views on society's struggles to survive. The Europeans came in contact with the Inuit tribe during the opening of the Hudson Bay company. Europeans started to create fur trade posts and was introduced to the soapstone carving of which the Inuit tribe specialized in. These stone carvings lead a
The Cree live in the subarctic region, Quebec and plains region in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The plains Cree lih is long cone-shaped that will ease its packing up and move to another place and it's made of buffalo skin. The woodland Cree live in Wigwams which were made of birch bark. Usually is made of materials from existing nature elements in that environment so it was the easiest shelter for them to build.
The Arctic tundra, a vast plain of ice and water, is located on the northern poles of the Earth. Characterized by its low precipitation, minimum sunlight, and a layer of permafrost- a thick layer of ice that never thaws away- this biome is very cold, with temperatures as low as negative 70oC. One specific population that has adapted to this harsh environment is the polar bears.