Debbie Taketa HAW8 5-15-12 Survival of the Inuit Cold, desolate landscapes are the last place you

would think to find large groups, or even small families living. However, the Inuit have survived in the far north for hundreds of years by developing special clothing, housing, and ways of hunting. They also formed a unique culture while separated from the rest of the world. The Inuit managed to survive because of their amazing ability to adapt to their frozen environment. It was imperative for the Inuit to create special clothing in order to be able to live on the Arctic tundra and coastline. The Inuit were one of the first peoples to discover how to cut and sew their clothes together instead of wrapping the skins over themselves (Oakes). Hunting provided a wide range of animal skins for various uses, most importantly clothing. Caribou skins were the favored type of fur that would be sewn into warm clothing (Inuit). Much of their clothing was similar to our regular cold weather clothing such as mittens and socks. However, the Inuit also invented special goggles out of wood or bone with small slits to see through in order to help with the glare off of the ice. Otherwise, they would be blinded. Besides using clothes to keep warm, the Inuit also built special shelters. Igloos, or snowhouses, were built out of ice blocks which also acted as good insulation to keep inhabitants warm (Inuit). These small igloos were only used during hunting because they were fast and easy to construct. Permanent snowhouses were much more complicated with multiple rooms for storage and hallways that led to other families (Inuit). By using natural resources such as animal skins and ice, the Inuit kept themselves warm and safe from the freezing cold of the arctic.

Hunting was the main drive for the Inuit. They would be on the move for most of the year in order to follow herds of caribou, or they would follow the coastline in search of whales. Seals and whales were important for their blubber and oil which provided fuel for their soapstone lamps (Inuit). The Inuit had hunting down to a precise art. In order to hunt seals, they would follow the seals by imitating their movements, slowly getting closer and closer until a harpoon could be thrown (Inuit). Hunting was also a very spiritual event in Inuit culture. Before a whale hunt, ash would be spread out over the ice to ward off evil spirits (Native). Ceremonies such as feasts and dances would be held after a successful catch. Hunting had both practical uses for food and clothes, and also spiritual meaning for the Inuit culture. Because of the Inuits isolation from other Native American groups, they developed their own unique culture. For example, the Inuits identified different groups by the place they lived, not by a clan or tribe name (Arctic). The Inuit seldom had any contact with outside cultures. Any contact with foreigners was usually hostile (Inuit). In this way, the Inuit culture was kept separate from influence of others. Families consisted of a married couple with their children and their families (Inuit). Inuits had a strong sense of community whether it was within a single family or spread throughout a large group. Their most important traditional rule was for each individual to help with everyday activities to help with the groups survival (Inuit). While trying to survive in a land where food is mostly scarce and hard to catch, everyone needs to be able to contribute to the group. By assisting in the groups survival, one also ensures personal survival. Eating habits were also very different from other Native Americans. In their cold environment, freezing food was much easier than cooking it, so Inuit would often eat meat frozen or raw (Inuit). Fires were seldom used for cooking. Some parts of Inuit culture seem strange, such as food being eaten while frozen, but the Inuits really had their focus on family and community.

Although the Inuit had a unique culture and adapted to a very different environment to survive, they had their similarities with other civilizations too. Iolani encourages people to help with their community. Many times, service projects are arranged to give students the opportunity to give back to others. In Inuit culture, serving the community was not only encouraged, it was basically mandatory. In the seemingly barren landscapes of the Arctic in North America, the Inuits not only adapted and formed strong communities, but their very survival depended on it.

Works Cited "Arctic." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 14 May. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/

EBchecked/topic/33100/Arctic>. "Inuit." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 08 May. 2012. "Native American dance." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 07 May. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/665630/Native-American-dance>. Oakes, Jill. "Inuit and Arctic Dress." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 242-246. Gale World History In Context. Web. 14 May 2012.