Eskimo

A group of North American aborigines forming part of the Eskimoan linguistic stock. They inhabit the coasts and islands of arctic North America, from eastern Greenland and Labrador to western Alaska and Siberia. The name "Eskimo" comes from one of the Algonquian languages, most likely Montagnais or Naskapi. The Eskimo of arctic Canada call themselves INUIT, meaning "people." They constitute a distinct physical type whose language, Inuktitut, and customs are relatively homogeneous throughout the arctic and subarctic zones. Ethnological groups differentiated on the basis of territory are, however, recognized by the Inuit.

See also NATIVE PEOPLE, ARCTIC.

Author RENÉ R. GADACZ

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge
The website for the Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge, which features Canada's largest essay writing competition for Aboriginal youth (ages 14-29) and a companion program for those who prefer to work through painting, drawing and photography. See their guidelines, teacher resources, profiles of winners, and more. From the Historica-Dominion Institute.

Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples
The website for the "Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples." Click on the links for feature articles about Canada's many multicultural communities, access to their extensive digital archives collection, learning modules, and much more. From "Multicultural Canada."

Charlie Panigoniak: Eskimo Music in Transition
An article about traditional Eskimo drum dance songs by ethnomusicologist Lynn Whidden. A summary in French is included at the end of the article. From the “Canadian Journal for Traditional Music.”