Indigenous Nation of North America
Indigenous people in North America are settled in ten cultural areas including; Plateau, Arctic, Subarctic, Northwest Coast, great basin, California, South East, Southwest, Great Basin, Eastern woodlands also known as Northeast, and Plains. Out of the ten cultural areas, six areas are found within the borders of Canada, which include Plains, Plateau, Arctic, Subarctic, Eastern woodlands, and Northwest Coast. Canada, therefore, hosts indigenous people in North America. Three groups of indigenous people found in Canada exist. These people are also referred to as aboriginal people and have lived in Canada since time immemorial, and inhabited Canada before the Europeans arrived in North America. Indigenous people in Canada include the Inuit, the Metis, and First Nations. The Inuit live in the northern part of Canada occupying much of the land, water, and ice in the Arctic region. The Metis, on the other hand, occupy Prairie Provinces and Ontario mostly but are also found in other parts of the country. The Metis are a mixture of Europeans and other indigenous cultures. First Nations live in the south of the Arctic region, and were the original inhabitants of Canada.
The Inuit people were initially referred to as Eskimos by the Abnaki Indians meaning, “eaters of raw meat.” The Inuit people afterward started calling themselves Inuit meaning, “The people.” The Inuit have eight indigenous ethnic groups. The ethnic groups include the Labradormiut, Nunavummiut, Baffin Island, Inglulingmuit, Inuinnait, Netsilingmuit, Inuvialuit, and Kivallirmuit. The Inuit language is known as Inuktitut and has five main dialects namely Inuvialuktun which is mainly spoken by the Inuvialuit people, Nunatsiavumiuttut spoken by Nunavummiut people, Inuinnaqtun which is spoken in the western region of Nunavut, Inuktitut spoken in eastern Nunavut dialect, and Inuktitut spoken in Nunavik dialect[1]. The Inuit native land is known as Inuit Nunangat, and the Inuit people are known as Inuk. The Inuit people were among the last indigenous people to enter North America.
The Inuit people engaged in various economic activities to sustain their livelihood. The Inuit people survived on hunting and fishing. The Inuit people were so generous to the extent that any animal that was hunted was shared among the hunters. The Inuit people lived in harmony with each other and were able to survive for long during harsh environmental states due to their sharing culture[2]. Children were not left out and were taught necessary survival skills to survive in the cold Arctic region during winter and how to hunt and fish. Children were also shown to make effective tools, and these skills were passed on from generation to generation, guaranteeing continuity of life and culture with time. The Inuit people also learned the art of making warm clothes that they were using during winter seasons. The Inuit people were self-reliant and made close to everything that they used.
Inuit people lived in small communities comprising of relatives. The small community would form a unit hunting group, and one was obliged to share what they had with the relatives. The more relatives one had, the higher the chances of not sleeping on an empty stomach. The people shared all they had within the small communities, hence provided some form of insurance that one will not lack even during poor hunting seasons[3]. The hunting groups did not formally have leaders, and decisions arrived at a consensus. However, experts possessing some particular skills gave direction, for example, an expert in navigating during a storm. A nuclear family was, however, the basic unit in the Inuit community and the oldest male was considered the family’s spokesman. Marriage united families and parents also pledged their children for marriage in the future. Children were also named after deceased persons, and this created ties in the community. Children in the Inuit community were treated nicely, and parents were supposed to be patient with them. Scolding of children rarely happened, and other modes of punishment such as withdrawal of affection were used to instill discipline among children. No specific rules were governing the Inuit people, but taboos and rituals kept them on toes. People feared being rejected by the community. Negative behavior was discouraged and condemned.
Education in the Inuit community was passed orally, and there was no written form of education. Skills were explained to children. For example, when hunters came from hunting, they explained the process to boys mainly and taught them how different animals react. Patience was a valued virtue among the Inuit society, and children were taught the same. Inuit people relied on herbs to treat common ailments and used animal byproducts to cure some diseases too[4]. Inuit people also believed in supernatural beings. Inuit people believed in spirits, and their traditional medicine men and women were mandated to protect them from evil spirits. When the sea goddesses were angry, it was the duty of the traditional medicine men and women to appease them. Inuit people also believed in life after death, and they believed that the spirits of the deceased continued to live.
Inuit people did not spend their entire life working only. The people spared some time to carry on their leisure activities. The children played games such as hide and seek. During winter other internal games were being played within their igloos. Games helped in boosting emotions of both the young ones and the old members of the community[5]. Bonds were created while gaming. Some games also sharpened the wits of the young ones since they tested not only the physical aspect of the children but also their innovativeness. Inuit people also had storytelling sessions. The stories appreciated legends in their community and even passed on moral lessons to the young ones. Music and dances were also part of Inuit’s culture. Drums were made from skins, and women sang melodiously and competed with one another in singing[6]. Leisure time in the Inuit society was a time to have fun and learn.
Inuit people have managed to maintain their sharing culture. Food is still shared amongst households. Foods grown in their country and imported goods are shared within families, and there is little difference in income, and the only difference is that some houses have more hunting and fishing equipment compared to others[7]. Food security in the Arctic region has remained constant owing to their generous and sharing culture. Equality also cuts across among the Inuit people since sharing is a core pillar in their beliefs and customs.
Parents have also maintained a good relationship with their children and consistently supported the discipline of their children. Some parents have put a smoking restriction in their homes, an indicator showing how they are enthusiastic on having disciplined kids. The elders are still teaching children the Inuktitut language. Public health is somehow compromised because of living in congested homes, which may be detrimental for young children[8]. The need for improved housing and public health care to improve the quality of lives of Inuit people is crucial. The living standards of the Inuit people have however, improved due to westernization.
Hunting was the primary source of livelihood among Inuit people; however, there is a limitation on their hunting habits in the present day. The response of bears changed and they started attacking human beings. Polar bears are intelligent creatures that even read human thoughts and actions. The bears began leaving the area leaving hunters unsuccessful. Climate changes around the region has also contributed to a reduction in the population of bears around the neighborhood. The trade involving polar bear skins was threatened, and Inuit people were at risk of losing an income-generating activity. Hunting of bears has been limited to killing a specific number of polar bears at one particular time. Regulation of hunting of polar bears was necessary to prevent their extinction[9]. Inuit people are forced to adjust their hunting mechanisms.
The Inuit people are faced by various challenges. Since they were moved to permanent housing, congestion has been a great menace in that area. There are situations where more than one family are living in one household. Having more than one family in the same house has, in turn, brought congestion related problems like airborne disease. Challenges on the increase in sexually transmitted infections among Inuit people arose. Teenage pregnancy has also become a menace, and parents, on the other hand, are finding it challenging to communicate with their children on sexual health[10]. The family unit was a source of vital information in the ancient days, and they provided guidance and counseling to their children. Inability to talk to their children about some issues has hurt society at large.
In conclusion, Inuit people had a rich culture, and still maintain some values they believed in the ancient days. Inuit people also interacted with other people like the European who later came to North America and interacted with them bringing development and Christian religion to the region. Inuit people also benefitted in acquiring education and standard health care services
Bibliography
Browner, Tara. 2010. Music of the First Nations: Tradition and Innovation in Native North America. University of Illinois Press.
Dowsley, Martha. 2009. “Inuit-Organised Polar Bear Sport Hunting in Nunavut Territory, Canada.” Journal of Ecotourism 8 (2): 161–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724040802696049.
Egeland, G. M., N. Faraj, and G. Osborne. 2010. “Cultural, Socioeconomic, and Health Indicators among Inuit Preschoolers: Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey, 2007-2008.” Rural Remote Health 10 (2): 1365.
HARDER, MIRIAM T., and GEORGE W. WENZEL. 2012. “Inuit Subsistence, Social Economy and Food Security in Clyde River, Nunavut.” Arctic 65 (3): 305–18.
Healey, Gwen. 2014. “Inuit Parent Perspectives on Sexual Health Communication with Adolescent Children in Nunavut:‘It’s Kinda Hard for Me to Try to Find the Words.’” International Journal of Circumpolar Health 73 (1): 25070.
“Inuit | The Canadian Encyclopedia.” n.d. Accessed June 21, 2019. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuit.
Ready, Elspeth. 2018. “Sharing-Based Social Capital Associated with Harvest Production and Wealth in the Canadian Arctic.” PloS One 13 (3): e0193759.
Uprety, Yadav, Hugo Asselin, Archana Dhakal, and Nancy Julien. 2012. “Traditional Use of Medicinal Plants in the Boreal Forest of Canada: Review and Perspectives.” Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 8 (1): 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-8-7.
[1] “Inuit | The Canadian Encyclopedia.” n.d. Accessed June 21, 2019. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuit.
[2] Ready, Elspeth. 2018. “Sharing-Based Social Capital Associated with Harvest Production and Wealth in the Canadian Arctic.” PloS One 13 (3): e0193759
[3]Ready, Elspeth. 2018. “Sharing-Based Social Capital Associated with Harvest Production and Wealth in the Canadian Arctic.” PloS One 13 (3): e0193759.
[4]Uprety, Yadav, Hugo Asselin, Archana Dhakal, and Nancy Julien. 2012. “Traditional Use of Medicinal Plants in the Boreal Forest of Canada: Review and Perspectives.” Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 8 (1): 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-8-7.
[5] Browner, Tara. 2010. Music of the First Nations: Tradition and Innovation in Native North America. University of Illinois Press
[6] Browner, Tara. 2010. Music of the First Nations: Tradition and Innovation in Native North America. University of Illinois Press.
[7]HARDER, MIRIAM T., and GEORGE W. WENZEL. 2012. “Inuit Subsistence, Social Economy and Food Security in Clyde River, Nunavut.” Arctic 65 (3): 305–18.
[8]Egeland, G. M., N. Faraj, and G. Osborne. 2010. “Cultural, Socioeconomic, and Health Indicators among Inuit Preschoolers: Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey, 2007-2008.” Rural Remote Health 10 (2): 1365.
[9]Dowsley, Martha. 2009. “Inuit-Organised Polar Bear Sport Hunting in Nunavut Territory, Canada.” Journal of Ecotourism 8 (2): 161–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724040802696049.
[10]Healey, Gwen. 2014. “Inuit Parent Perspectives on Sexual Health Communication with Adolescent Children in Nunavut:‘It’s Kinda Hard for Me to Try to Find the Words.’” International Journal of Circumpolar Health 73 (1): 25070.