|
Inuit simply means "people." Inuit were earlier known by Europeans as "Eskimos" - a pejorative roughly meaning "eaters of raw meat". They are one of the original groups to inhabit the northern regions of Canada populating small, scattered communities and villages throughout the Arctic from Alaska to eastern Greenland. In 2006 Statistics Canada estimated that 50 485 people, about 4% of the aboriginal population, identified themselves as Inuit . Almost half of the Inuit population in Canada lived in Nunavut (49%), 19% in Quebec, 6% in the Northwest Territories, and 4% in Labrador. Statistics Canada reported that between 1996 and 2006, the First Nations population increased 29% which is 3.5 times the growth rate of 8% for the non-Aboriginal population of Canada.
Tribal Groups
There are 8 main tribal groups: the LABRADOR, UNGAVA, BAFFIN ISLAND, IGLULIK, CARIBOU, NETSILIK, COPPER and Western Arctic Inuit (who replaced the MACKENZIE INUIT). There are five main Inuit language dialects in Canada, Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun, Inuttitut, Inuttitut, and Inuttut that are collectively known as Inuktitut or Inuttituut. (see NATIVE PEOPLE, LANGUAGES) In the last census 32 580 people or reported Inuktitut as their mother tongue (first language learned). Traditionally, the Inuit were hunters and gatherers who moved seasonally from one camp to another. Large regional groupings were loosely separated into smaller seasonal groups: winter camps (called "bands") of around 100 people and summer hunting groups of fewer than a dozen. Each band was roughly identified with a locale and named accordingly - eg, the Arvirtuurmiut of Boothia Peninsula were called "baleen whale-eating people." During roughly 4000 years of human history in the Arctic, the appearance of new people has brought continual cultural change. The ancestors of the present-day Inuit, who are culturally related to Inuppiat (northern Alaska), Katladlit (Greenland) and Yuit (Siberia and western Alaska), arrived about 1050 AD. As early as the 11th century the NORSE exerted an undetermined influence on the Inuit. The subsequent arrival of explorers, whalers, traders, missionaries, scientists and others began irreversible cultural changes. The Inuit themselves participated actively in these developments as guides, traders and models of survival. Despite adjustments made by the Inuit over the past 3 centuries and the loss of some traditional features, Inuit culture persists - often with a greater reflective awareness. Inuit maintain a cultural identity through language, family and cultural laws, attitudes and behaviour, and through their acclaimed INUIT ART.
 Inuk HunterSome Inuit still follow a nomadic way of life, while others are involved in the administration and development of northern Canada (Corel Professional Photos).
 Inuit ManPhotograph by Robert Flaherty, 1911, who found in him "a humanity so golden that he carried it with him ever afterward as a touchstone of judgement" (courtesy British Library).
 Inuit Whale HuntGroup preparing for the hunt (courtesy Lewis Parker).
 Inuk and Pack DogThe First Nations brought dogs with them to the Americas (courtesy Library and Archives Canada).
Ignored Group
 InukshukInukshuks were stone cairns erected by the Inuit to serve as landmarks or to fool the caribou in hunting (Corel Professional Photos).
The Inuit have never been subject to the INDIAN ACT and were largely ignored by government until 1939, when a court decision ruled that they were a federal responsibility.The Inuit have negotiated the new NUNAVUT territory ("Our Land") with the federal government to define Inuit and DENE lands in the NWT. Some Inuit still follow a nomadic way of life, but others are involved in the administration and development of northern Canada - in business, local and territorial politics, teaching, transportation, medicine, broadcasting and the civil service. See also NATIVE PEOPLE, ARCTIC.
Author
MINNIE AODLA FREEMAN
Links to Other Sites
Government of Nunavut
Your source for information about Government of Nunavut programs, regional tourism and local business opportunities. Also check out the links to Inuktitut language resources.
The Barren Lands
This site documents two exploratory surveys of the Barren Lands region west of Hudson Bay, in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the area now known as Nunavut. A very extensive digital collection of documents, photographs, maps and more. From the University of Toronto.
Art of this Land
A virtual exhibit devoted to Aboriginal art within the permanent collection of Canadian art at the National Gallery of Canada.
Holman: Forty Years of Graphic Art
This Virtual Museum website showcases the life, culture, and work of Inuit artists who reside in the northern Canadian community of Holman. Printmaking techniques and an extensive collection of their captivating art are also featured. Developed by the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Arctic String Figure Project
Try creating these traditional arctic string figures. From the International String Figure Association.
Legends Project
Listen to dramatizations of oral histories, including ancient legends and myths, that Inuit and First Nations elders would have shared during family gatherings and activities in their communities. The series of recordings on this website were originally broadcast on the CBC Radio 1 program “Ideas.”
Avataq Cultural Institute
This extensive Avataq Cultural Institute website features a fine collection of Inuit art, stories, and artifacts. Also included are maps, background historical information, and an Inuttitut lexicon.
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."
Map of Amerindian and Inuit communities
A detailed interactive map of Amerindian and Inuit communities in Québec. From the Secrétariat Aux Affaires Autochtones du Québec.
Canadian Inuit History
This Canadian Museum of Civilization website about Inuit history focuses on relations between Inuit and European communities in Canada.
The Spatial and Historical Evolution of Iqaluit
Explore the history and development of Iqaluit in this interesting multimedia website from Natural Resources Canada. Check out the many cartographic visualization features and the Historical Research section, which includes an interactive tutorial about the history of the Iqaluit region. Requires Adobe Shockwave Player.
Tagak Curley
A biography of Nunavut MLA Tagak Curley. From the website for the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.
Yukon Native Language Centre
A superb multimedia site that offers an introduction to native languages in the Yukon. Features the Gwich'in, Hän, Kaska, Northern Tutchone, Southern Tutchone, Tagish, and Upper Tanana languages. Includes information about training programs for teachers and the public.
ArcticNet
ArcticNet is devoted to the study of the impact of climate change and globalization on local societies and coastal ecosystems in the Canadian High Arctic, the Eastern Canadian Arctic and the Hudson Bay region.
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.”
Inuvialuit Place Name Virtual Exhibit
A fascinating multimedia exhibit on Inuvialuit place names, including the village of Kitigaaryuk. Meet the Inuvialuit people, their land and their traditions, as you journey along the Mackenzie Delta region. From the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.
Angulalik Kitikmeot Fur Trader
Learn about Inuit fur traders, the Hudson's Bay Company, and more at this multimedia website from the Kitikmeot Heritage Society.
Inuit Circumpolar Conference
This international organization is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Inuit people who inhabit the Arctic. Also concerned with environmental conservation in the Arctic region.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) is the national Inuit organization in Canada. Represents four Inuit regions – Nunatsiavut (Labrador), Nunavik (northern Quebec), Nunavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories. Their extensive website covers regional political, economic, cultural, and environmental issues. Also offers online articles from the magazine "Inuktitut" in Inuktitut, English, and French.
Terra Incognita: Exploration of the Canadian Arctic
A multimedia historical retrospective of 19th and early 20th century expeditions to the Canadian Arctic. From the McCord Museum of Canadian History.
Arctic Archaeology
An illustrated website about archaeological research and prehistoric culture in the Canadian Arctic. From the University of Waterloo.
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples represents off-reserve Indian, Inuit, and Métis people, and acts as an advocate for the rights of all Aboriginal peoples. Their website offers background notes, reports, and articles about current programs and issues.
Frozen Ocean
A superb online exhibit about the search for the Northwest Passage. Historic maps and images from books show how the Inuit assisted foreign led expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and how European explorers gradually accepted Inuit techniques of travel and survival. Contemporary maps show the lasting achievement of the expeditions: the mapping of the Canadian Arctic. From the Toronto Public Library.
Our World - Our Way of Life
Learn about Haida and Inuit culture as revealed through oral histories, works of art, and photographs in this extensively illustrated Virtual Museum exhibit.
Kabloona Talk
About Sharon Pollock’s compelling play based on early 20th century court proceedings involving two Inuit hunters charged with the murder of two Catholic priests. From the website for the Stuck in a Snowbank Theatre in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Igloolik Isuma Productions Inc.
Video clips from feature films, documentaries, and other productions offer an intimate introduction to Inuit culture. Includes films by Zacharias Kunuk, co-founder of Igloolik Isuma Productions, Canada’s first Inuit-owned independent production company. Also provides learning aids for students and their teachers.
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
View vivid photos from "Atanarjuat," Canada's first feature-length fiction film written, produced, directed, and acted by Inuit. Check the menu on the left for information about the film, interviews, videos, and more.
Inuit Sled Dogs
Final Report: RCMP Review of Allegations Concerning Inuit Sled Dogs. From the RCMP website.
Inuit Truth Commission
CBC News article: Inuit truth commission begins hearings on sled-dog deaths.
above&beyond
Peruse illustrated online articles from "above&beyond," a magazine devoted to the North’s cultural diversity and history, tourism and recreation, and emerging trends in business, government, and the arts.
Tanya Tagaq Gillis
The website for Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq Gillis.
Glossary: Inuktitut Words
A glossary of Inuktitut words from the website for "Holman Forty Years of Graphic Art," the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Glossary: Archaeology
This glossary has been prepared as a resource for Interpreter/Translators who may be required to translate materials dealing with the prehistory and history of Arctic North America, as well as a primer for northern students interested in the science of archaeology. From the website for the Translation Bureau, Government of Canada.
Ilititaa : Bernier, His Men and the Inuits
Explore the life and times of Joseph-Elzéar Bernier at this online exhibit from the Virtual Museum of Canada website.
Listening to Our Past
This multimedia website explores the many facets of Inuit Traditional Knowledge. Produced by the Francophone Association of Nunavut.
Glossary: Aboriginal Studies
This glossary is adapted from Alberta's Aboriginal Studies 10–20–30 program. The terms and definitions, while not prescriptive, take into consideration Aboriginal diversity and also relate to the overall generic understandings of Aboriginal historical chronology. A Government of Alberta website.
Life at the Top of the World
A background piece about Glenbow Museum's exhibition "Inusivut: Our Way of Life." This show features images of the Inuit community, the Lomen brothers, and others. Also focuses on the Canadian Reindeer Project and Lloyd Binder, reindeer herder. From Maclean's magazine.
Tammarniit (mistakes): Inuit Relocation in the Eastern Arctic, 1939-63
Excerpts from the book "Tammarniit (mistakes): Inuit Relocation in the Eastern Arctic, 1939-63." From Google.com.
Canada’s First Nations
This extensive multimedia website profiles the history, culture, and language of Canada's First Nations peoples. Also examines the impact of European contact on First Nations communities. A joint project of the University of Calgary and Red Deer College.
Sikusilarmiut Place-Name Project
The Sikusilarmiut Place-Name Project draws from the expertise of Inuit living in the present-day community of Kinngait, meaning mountains or high hill.
Inuit were moved 2,000 km in Cold War manoeuvring
This news feature chronicles the outcomes of the federal government's 1950's relocation of the Inuit to the High Arctic wastelands of Ellesmere and Cornwallis Islands, 2,000 kilometres from their home.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| David Thompson was an outsider, struggling to find a foothold in the empire that had consumed his country... |
|
| Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Evangelical Christian Church, often called the Christian Church (Christian Disciples), is a denomination stemming from ... |
|
|
| The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of self-proclaimed modern artists. The original members - ... |
|
|
| Sears Canada Inc, headquartered in Toronto, is a Canadian retailer incorporated in 1952. In 1953 operating under the ... |
|
|
| John Ware, "Nigger John," horseman, rancher (b near Georgetown, SC 1845; d near Brooks, Alta 11 Sept 1905). ... |
|
|
| Land claims are dealt with by a process established by the federal government to enable INDIANS, INUIT and ... |
|
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
| THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA |
|
| Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators' Association. An informal movement during the 1930s, its chief aim was to promote, encourage, and assist Canadian adjudicators, thus counterbalancing the predominance of British adjudicators ... |
|
|
