Canadian Heritage: Inuit
The Inuit people live in the far northern
areas of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland.
Everything about the lives of the Inuit is influenced
by the cold ​tundra​ climate where they live. In
Canada, they currently live in mostly Nunavut.
What kind of homes did they live in?
The usual materials for making homes such as wood and mud are difficult to find in the
northern frozen climates. The Inuit people learned to make warm homes out of snow and
ice for the winter. During the summer, they would make homes from animal skins stretched
over a frame which they made from driftwood or whalebones. The Inuit word for home is
igloo​.
What was their clothing like?
In order to survive the cold weather, the Inuit needed thick
and warm clothing. They used animal skins and furs to keep
warm. They made shirts, pants, boots, hats, and big jackets
called ​anoraks​ from caribou and seal skin. They would line
their clothes with furs from animals like ​polar bears​, foxed,
and rabbits to add extra warmth.
What did the Inuit people eat?
The Inuit people were unable to farm and grow their own food in the harsh frozen desert
of the tundra. They mostly lived off meat from animals that they hunted. They used
harpoons to hunt seals, walruses, and the whales. They also ate fish and found wild berries.
A high percentage of their food was fatty, this would give them more energy to stay warm
in the cold weather.
Transportation
On land and ice they used dogsleds called
qamutik​. They bred strong sled dogs from
wolves and dogs to pull the sleds that they
made out of whale bones and wood. These
dogs became the husky dog breed we have
today.
On the water, the Inuit used different kinds
of boats for different activities. For hunting
they used small single-passenger boats called ​kayak​s. They also built larger, faster boats
called ​umiaqs​ that were used to transport people, dogs, and goods.
Interesting Facts about the Inuit
● In order to mark areas and to keep from getting lost, paths were marked with a pile
of stones called an ​inukshuk​.
● Inuit women were responsible for cooking, making clothes, and raising the children.
The men were responsible for providing food by hunting and fishing.
● In the 1800s, the majority of the Inuit population in Western Alaska died from
disease after they first came into contact with Europeans.
● After hunting, they would perform rituals and sing songs in honor of the animal’s
spirits.
1. The Inuit people live in the far
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2. Inuit people made their homes from ____ and ___ because wood and mud
was hard to find in the North. The Inuit word for home is: _____.
3. Why did Inuit people need thick and warm clothing? And what did they use?
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4. What did Inuit people eat? How did they get their food?
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5. On land, they used dogsleds called _______ for transportation.
6. On water, they used ______ or ______ for transportation.
7. Tell me what your favourite interesting fact about Inuit people is:
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ANSWER KEY
1. The Inuit people live in the far
northern areas of ​Alaska​, Canada, Siberia, and Greenland.
2. Inuit people made their homes from ​snow​ and ​ice​ because wood and mud
was hard to find in the North. The Inuit word for home is: ​igloo​.
3. Why did Inuit people need thick and warm clothing? And what did they
use?
The Inuit needed thick and warm clothing to survive the cold weather. They
used animal skins and furs to stay warm.
4. What did Inuit people eat? How did they get their food?
The inuit people ate meat from animals, fish and wild berries. The men hunted
for the food.
5. On land, they used dogsleds called​ qamutik ​for transportation.
6. On water, they used ​ kayaks​ or u​ miaqs​ for transportation.
7. Tell me what your favourite interesting fact about Inuit people is:
Answers will vary​___________________________________________________
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