Inuit
The Inuit are a group of people indigenous to sub-polar regions of North America and Greenland. Because of the region in which they lived contact was not made with these peoples until long after many people farther south. Substantial contact was not made until after the 15th century except in Greenland. Once contact with Europeans was made though it would cause a dramatic change in many aspects of daily life for the Inuit people. Prior to European contact beginning mainly in the 16th century the Inuit peoples were prominently migratory, following the different species of game which were vital to their existence; caribou. Aside from caribou however the Inuit people actively hunted a number of different animals such as musk oxen, polar bears, salmon trout, seals, and occasionally other animals such as sea gulls. The specific animals and hunting methods used by these people varied depending on geographical location and time of year. When hunting caribou, for example, a number of different methods were employed. These methods were based on the behavior of the caribou and the location in which the hunt was to occur. If a herd was migrating across a body of water and the location of such a crossing was known, hunters would w
This meant that caribou could only be relied on as a source of food when their migration patterns crossed bodies of water. This strong desire for European goods was a source of conflict on some occasions however as "[hostility was] brought on by the Natives' eagerness to secure iron and other European goods by whatever means necessary" (Trigger 1996:340). These tools were easy to make and the materials were easy to come by. In portions of Alaska many Inuit constructed homes of wood, as timber was a readily available resource in that part of the world. In order to catch the seal a hunter need first find such a hole and wait with spear in hand. Over time the Inuit lost many of their long held beliefs and conformed to a more European style of thinking. The most productive fishing occurred when cracks would form in the ice and fish would collect around these cracks and provide an easy meal for the waiting Inuit. The skins of caribou were used for making moccasins and the sinew, bone, and antlers were used to make a variety of tools such as knives and bows. During a seal hunt when a seal was caught it was removed from the hole and cut open and the kidneys removed. The hunters who paddled the fastest would often kill ten or more caribou using this method. These items included practical vises such as guns, wool clothing, metal knives and cookware, and nets to more frivolous items including tobacco and alcohol, the latter was said to have wide ranging ill-effects on some. As more and more trade occurred between Inuit and Europeans thee effects it was having became more obvious. The main type of seal captured by the Inuit was the ringed seal, however the much larger and more difficult to capture bearded seal was occasionally seen. Similar to the methods used in fishing were the methods used for capturing seals.
Common topics in this essay:
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spear head stone,
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Acceptance Essays
