Inughuit

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Inughuit
Minik Wallace, Inuk,
c. 1890–1918, in New York
Total population
800 (2010)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Greenland
Languages
Greenlandic (Inuktun), Danish
Religion
Inuit religion, Evangelical Lutheran

The Inughuit (also spelled Inuhuit), or the Smith Sound Inuit, historically Arctic Highlanders or Polar Eskimos, are Greenlandic Inuit. They are the northernmost group of Inuit and the northernmost people in North America, living in Greenland. Inughuit make up about 1% of the population of Greenland.[2]

Language

The Inughuit speak

Eskimo–Aleut language related to the Greenlandic language spoken elsewhere in Greenland.[3]
In Kalaallisut, the official dialect of Greenlandic, Inuktun is called Avanersuarmiutut.

Population

Before 1880, their population was estimated to be between 100 and 200 people. From 1880 to 1930, they were estimated to number 250. In 1980, their estimated population was 700,[2] and it rose to 800 in 2010.[1]

History

Early history

The Inughuit are believed to be descended from the

Dundas). There were also extensive contacts with other Inuit from different regions. Around the 17th century, climate change cooled the northwest areas of Greenland, which cut off the Inughuit from other Inuit and regions.[5]

It was during this time that the Inughuit developed their unique language, culture, and fashion — all of which differ significantly from other Inuit. Around this period, the Inughuit also lost the ability and skills to build kayaks or umiaks, which inevitably further restricted travel and contact with other communities.[5]

Modern history

The Inughuit were first contacted by Europeans in 1818,

ethnologist to study the Inughuit.[7]

During the mid-19th century, Inuit from Baffin visited and lived with the Inughuits. The Baffin Inuit reintroduced some technologies lost to the Inughuit such as boats, leisters, and bows and arrows. The Inughuit in turn taught the Baffin Inuit a more advanced form of sled technology. American and European explorers in the 19th and early-20th centuries had extensive contacts with the Inughuits. Explorers Robert Peary and Frederick Cook both had Inughuits in their teams acting as guides. However, more sustained contact with outsiders changed many aspects of Inughuit life by creating a dependence on trade goods and introducing new diseases.[5]

Greenlandic anthropologist and explorer

Thule Air Base close to Uummannaq (Dundas). This forced many Inughuits to move over 116 kilometres (72 mi) north towards Qaanaaq, which proved disastrous to the cultural and social life of the Inughuit.[5]

Settlements

Inughuit people live north of the Arctic Circle on the west coast of Greenland, between 75°—80° N and 58°–74° W. The northernmost settlement was at the village of Etah (at 78° 19' N), but it was abandoned due to the extremely harsh conditions there. The northernmost constant settlement is now Hiurapaluk.

Thule Air Base, with its residents relocated to Qaanaaq. Established in 1953, Qaanaaq is the largest Inughuit settlement.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Leonard, Stephen Pax. "The disappearing world of the last of the Arctic hunters." The Guardian. 2 Oct 2010. Retrieved 25 Feb 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Inughuit: Orientation." Countries and Their Cultures. Retrieved 25 Feb 2012.
  3. ^ "Inuktitut, Greenlandic." Ethnologue. Retrieved 25 Feb 2012.
  4. ^ Martin Appelt; Jens Fog Jensen; Mikkel Myrup; Henning Haack; Mikkel Sørensen; Michelle Taube (2014). The cultural history of the Innaanganeq/Cape York meteorite (PDF) (Report). The Greenland National Museum & Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8108-6822-9
    .
  6. ISBN 978-0-19-976153-1.; (book article
    )
  7. ISBN 978-0-393-05150-6
    ., pages=323–5

External links
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