Ms. Ross Socials 9 Simran
Name: _________________ FIRST PEOPLES GROUPING ‐ ______________________________________ HOUSING ‐describe the structure and materials used ‐size ‐describe the interior ‐# of people/families that live inside FOOD ‐identify main sources of food Inuit
Summer
Inuit Tent-
driftwood or poles, and animal skin(caribou or seal). The tents were easy to
build
and take down which was necessary because the Inuit were nomadic.
There
wear boulders holding down the animal skin.
Igloo The
igloo is a dome shaped shelter made out of snow blocks. Some are
temporary
and some are permanent. The permanent igloos reach 4 meters in
diameter
and 3 meters in height. The snow is cut into blocks and piled in a
shape leaning in slightly. This usually takes 20-30 mins. Sleeping
spiral
platforms were usually made out of ice blocks covered in fur.
Inuvialuit
House The
Inuit of the west arctic (Inuvialuit) built permanent log and sod houses
which
were mostly used in the winter. They made a hole in the ground and set
a ring of vertical poles. The poles were tilted inwards at the top so the
up
blocks
of sod could be piled over them and stay. The result was a partially
subterranean log and sod hut with the floor underground to preserve warmth.
Villages of 10-20 of these houses were set up.
These
houses all housed 1 family
Inuit were mainly hunters, and relied heavily on the animals of the Arctic as their main source of
The
food.
Since
very little vegetation could survive in the Arctic climate, the Inuit could not depend solely on
plants
for food. The Inuit were skilled hunters, and caught food year-round, even during the harsh
winters.
The Inuit were able to hunt for food year-round, so depending on the season they would hunt for
different animals.
• Sea Mammals
• Sea mammals were usually hunted during the winter when they were out on the ice. However, some
sea mammals, like whales, were hunted in the open water.
• Some sea mammals - seals, walruses, beluga whales, narwhals
• What they were hunted for:
• Seal: meat and skin
• Walrus: ivory (tusks), and meat (mostly for the dogs)
• Beluga Whales: skin, food like muktuk (outer skin and blubber)
• Narwhal: ivory, meat for dogs
• Land Animals
• Some land animals that were hunted - caribou, musk oxen, arctic fox, polar bear, arctic hare, arctic
birds
The Summer Inuit tents were triangular in shape. They were made with
TOOLS ‐identify materials used to create tools ‐describe the different uses of tools TRANSPORTATION ‐are your people nomadic or settled? ‐forms of transportation and materials used to make them tools that the Inuit used were made out of stone, or parts of animals, like bone, ivory, antlers,
Most
and horns.
teeth,
When
fishing, the Inuit attached sealskin floats to harpoon heads (with lines), which kept the animal
close
to the surface after being killed.
Most harpoon heads were made out of ivory from walrus tusks or whalebone.
For hunting, the Inuit used spears, bow and arrows, clubs and stone traps.
The Inuit used knives for cutting meat, and also snow and ice.
A special knife that the Inuit used was called an 'ulu'. Ulus was used for skinning animals, preparing
animal skins, and buthchering.
the
Inuit had different methods of travel depending on the season.
The
In the winter they traveled across the frozen Arctic either by foot or dog sled.
During
the summer they took advantage of the open water and traveled by boat.
• The Inuit lived nomadic lifestyles, so they did not stay in one place for an extended period of time.
• Since hunting and fishing was their main source of food, they were forced to move around,
following the seasonal migration patterns of area animals.
• Caribou, muskoxen, and seals all gathered in large groups for their seasonal migrations, and the
Inuit followed them closely.
• During the winter the Inuit mostly lived in coastal areas where they could hunt seals.
• Temporary winter camps or villages had up to 100 people living there.
• They used sleds pulled by dogs to travel great distances on the ice, and lived in temporary
snowhouses (igloos).
• During the spring and summer months, the Inuit started moving inland in smaller groups, usually
fewer than a dozen people. There, they spent more time fishing and hunting caribou.
• In the summer the lived in animal skin tents and traveled by foot and boat.
• The Inuit people made two types of boats: the kayak and the umiak.
• Umiaks were open, wooden, skin-covered boats.
• Kayaks were one-person wood frame boats covered with sealskin.
• To catch fish they also used fishing lines, nets, leisters and three-pronged spears.
RELIGION/SPIRITUAL BELIEFS ‐identify spirits honoured ‐identify roles of different people who communicate with the spirit world CEREMONIES ‐name and describe one key ceremony inanimate objects, and forces of nature.
• When a spirit died, it continued living in a different world- the spirit world.
• The only people who had enough power to control the spirits were the powerful religious leaders called the
Shamans or 'Angakoks'. Shamans used charms and dances as a means to communicate with the spirit world.
• Shamans also wore carved masks-mostly representing animals- while performing their rituals. It was believed
that masks had powers that enabled them to communicate with the spirits.
• To appease the spirits the Shamans would make recommendations. They would suggest offering gifts to the
spirits, moving away, and sometimes would fine the person for breaking the rules and angering the spirits. One
of the most important spirits in Inuit culture was Sedna, the Goddess of the Sea
• Rules of the Spirit World:
• Women were not allowed to sew caribou skins inside igloos on sea ice during the winter.
• The Inuit people did not eat sea mammal and land mammal meat at the same meal.
• A knife used for killing whales had to be wrapped in sealskin, not caribou skin.
• After killing a seal, melted snow had to be dripped into its mouth to quench the spirit's thirst.
• The Inuit saved the bladder of the hunted animals, because the belief was that the spirit was found inside.Bad
weather, illnesses, and a bad hunt were all blamed on displeased spirits.
• There were certain guidelines that the Inuit were supposed to follow to make the spirits happy.
• They had rituals for hunting and eating food to deal with the spirits that lived in the animals.
• They had to pay a deep respect to the spirit of the animals that they hunted, so that the spirit reappeared in
another animal that could sacrifice its life again. If they did not pay their respects to the spirit, the spirit would
reappear as a demon.
• Humans also had souls that could be lost or stolen (causes of illness and madness). The belief was that
humans were made of three parts: a body, a name, and a soul. When a person died, it was only the body that
died, the spirit and name could continue living in a new body. The names of dead relatives were given to
babies, ensuring that the soul and name could continue living.
•
•
• A ceremony called a 'Bladder Dance' was often held after a large hunt.
• The Inuit believed that the soul of the animal was found inside the bladder, so if the
bladder was honoured and returned to the sea, then the animal's spirit would find a
new body.
• The Inuit believed in animism: all living and non-living things had a spirit. That included people, animals,
ART ‐identify different types of art ‐identify resources used to make art SOCIAL STRUCTURE ‐describe how society was structured ‐who is in charge of making decisions and how do they get their position? • Inuit art played an important role in their culture.
• They used resources that were available to them, such as, parts of animals, stone,
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• and driftwood.
Carvings were made out of stone, bone, and ivory (from walruses and whales).
Most of their carvings were of Arctic animals, people, or spirits.
Most masks were made out of driftwood or whalebone.
Masks were used in ceremonial dances.
Yup'ik masks represent encounters with the spirit world. They were made to show
what spiritual leaders, like the Shamans, saw while they were in a trance.
Inukshuks were large rock Cairns made from balancing rocks that were heaved to
the surface by the frozen earth (permafrost).
Baskets were made out of Arctic grasses.
The Inuit lived in smaller family groups with no real leader or Chief, unlike other
First Peoples groups in Canada.
During the winter, families would live and hunt together in larger groups (several
families), but during the summer they would split up to follow the hunt.
Loose alliances would occur between different families (non-relatives), forming
larger 'bands' or groups.
There was a sense of community in Inuit culture. Food sources, game and fish,
were considered to be community property, and it was expected that individuals
always help one another and share any wealth.