Hunters and Gatherers:
There are almost no trees in the Arctic. There
are few plants. It is cold most of the year. The
Inuit could not become
farmers. Like the other early people who lived in the Arctic, they were hunters
and gatherers. In the short summer, they gathered berries, seaweed, and eggs.
Their main food year around was meat.
Caribou:
Because food was scarce, they could not live
in the same place all the time. They had to keep moving, following the
herds. Of all the animals, the caribou was the most important. It provided
food and warm fur to make clothes. They made thick gloves to protect themselves
from the sub-zero arctic weather. They rubbed noses to say hello instead
of shaking hands.
Daily Life:
The
Inuit life was a hard one. During the day,
they hunted for food. At night, the Inuit sheltered tent homes made of animals
skins, or in ice igloos, a skill they learned from the Central Eskimos. They
made spears, harpoons, and pipes. They carved animals from soft soapstone.
They found time storytelling. Songs that told tales of hunting and hardship
accompanied their stories.
Religion:
The Inuit believed in magical beings. They
believed that all living things had a spirit. Before a hunt, they offered
gifts to the animal they hoped to catch. These gifts were offered through
the shaman.
They believed
their shaman could talk to spirits. If the hunt was successful, the shaman
got the credit. If it was not successful, that was the fault of the people
- they had not been generous enough with their gifts.
Finger Masks:
The Inuit women wore little masks on their fingers
when dancing. This was to help attract the attention of the many spirits
in which they believed.
