The Inuit Way: A guide to Inuit culture
The Inuit Way was originally published in 1989 by Pauktuutit Inuit Women’s Association. Early in our mandate, we recognized that a significant cultural gap existed between Inuit and non-Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. It had become apparent that non-Inuit were encountering challenges in some of their interactions with Inuit, challenges that had as their basis a lack of understanding and familiarity with our culture. Pauktuutit decided that a broader understanding of and empathy for Inuit culture would turn challenges into opportunities and enhance more positive interaction between members of both cultures.
Description above and download available here:
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: What Inuit Have Always Known to Be True
“Inuit have experienced colonization and the resulting disregard for the societal systems, beliefs and support structures foundational to Inuit culture for generations. While much research has articulated the impacts of colonization and recognized that Indigenous cultures and worldviews are central to the well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities, little work has been done to preserve Inuit culture. Unfortunately, most people have a very limited understanding of Inuit culture, and often apply only a few trappings of culture — past practices, artifacts and catchwords —to projects to justify cultural relevance.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit — meaning all the extensive knowledge and experience passed from generation to generation — is a collection of contributions by well- known and respected Inuit Elders. The book functions as a way of preserving important knowledge and tradition, contextualizing that knowledge within Canada’s colonial legacy and providing an Inuit perspective on how we relate to each other, to other living beings and the environment.”
Description taken from: https://atlanticbooks.ca/books/inuit-qaujimajatuqangit/#
Qallunaat: Why White People are Funny
“This documentary pokes fun at the ways in which Inuit people have been treated as “exotic” documentary subjects by turning the lens onto the strange behaviours of Qallunaat (the Inuit word for white people). The term refers less to skin colour than to a certain state of mind: Qallunaat greet each other with inane salutations, repress natural bodily functions, complain about being cold, and want to dominate the world. Their odd dating habits, unsuccessful attempts at Arctic exploration, overbearing bureaucrats and police, and obsession with owning property are curious indeed.”
Description taken from Youtube video to the right.
The Inuit Year
“Each of the six (sometimes more) seasons on the Inuit calendar have different environmental conditions important for the local area. Wildlife observations, such as the return of migratory birds, and natural events, such as the breakup of sea ice, typically define the start and end of each season in a local context.
In general, the Inuit seasons consist of ukiuq (winter), upirngassaq (early spring), upirngaq (spring), aujaq (summer), ukiassaq (early fall), ukiaq (fall).
Interestingly, the spelling of the seasons changes with different local dialects. The criteria for each season also changes between different eco-regions throughout the Arctic. This emphasizes how seasonal calendars were understood and used in the local area they were describing.
In order to survive and thrive in the arctic climate, people had to develop a keen understanding of seasonal cycles and a diverse set of skills for successful harvesting of wildlife and plants. They had to know the timing and specific geography of food availability and adapt to changing and unpredictable conditions year after year. What people ate was governed by the seasons, by their ability to harvest, as well as by cultural and personal preference.”
Source of graphic:
https://www.qhrc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/QHRC-Inuit-Year-Calendar-Poster-EN_web.pdf
Source of description:
https://education.arcticeider.com/edu_uploads/seasonal-resources-teacher-web.pdf
