Who Are the Inuit?
The Inuit are the indigenous people of the Arctic, numbering approximately 180,000 across Greenland (51,000—majority population), Canada (65,000—in Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, Inuvialuit), Alaska (16,000 Iñupiat), and Russia's Chukotka (1,500). They speak Inuit languages (Inuktitut, Inupiaq, Kalaallisut, others)—part of the Eskimo-Aleut family—with varying vitality. The term "Inuit" means "the people" and has replaced "Eskimo" in Canada and Greenland. Inuit developed remarkable adaptations to Arctic life—kayaks, igloos, dog sleds, hunting technologies—enabling survival in Earth's harshest inhabited environment. Their circumpolar homeland now faces climate change's most dramatic impacts.
Arctic Adaptation
Inuit ancestors migrated from Siberia across the Arctic around 1000 CE, developing the Thule culture that spread from Alaska to Greenland. They perfected Arctic survival: hunting seals, whales, caribou, and fish; building igloos and sod houses; crafting kayaks and umiaks (large boats); using dog sleds for transportation. Clothing from caribou and seal provided warmth to -40°C. The qulliq (seal oil lamp) provided heat and light during polar night. This technology enabled not just survival but flourishing—complex social organization, rich oral literature, and distinctive art. Few peoples have adapted so completely to such extreme environments.
Colonial Impact
European contact (10th century Norse in Greenland, 18th-19th century elsewhere) brought trade, disease, missionaries, and eventually government control. The 20th century was devastating: Canadian government relocated communities, sent children to residential schools (cultural genocide), and slaughtered sled dogs. Greenland underwent Danishization. Traditional economy was disrupted; dependency, alcohol, and social dysfunction followed. By mid-20th century, many Inuit lived in permanent settlements, languages weakened, and traditional knowledge was threatened. Yet Inuit organized: the Inuit Circumpolar Council (1977) united Inuit across four countries to advocate collectively.
Self-Government
Inuit achieved remarkable political gains. Greenland gained Home Rule (1979) and Self-Government (2009)—potentially leading to independence. Canada created Nunavut territory (1999)—a largely Inuit jurisdiction the size of Western Europe. Land claims settlements (James Bay, Inuvialuit, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut) transferred land, resources, and self-governance rights. Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (1971) provided land and money, though without self-government. These arrangements give Inuit more autonomy than most indigenous peoples, though challenges remain—limited economic opportunities, federal dependencies, and capacity constraints in small, remote communities.
Climate Change Frontline
The Arctic warms twice as fast as global average. Inuit witness melting sea ice (threatening seal hunting), thawing permafrost (damaging buildings), coastal erosion (forcing community relocations), and changing wildlife patterns. Traditional knowledge—reading ice, weather, animal behavior—becomes unreliable. Food security is threatened; some communities must relocate. Yet climate change also opens economic opportunities (shipping routes, mining, fishing) creating complex trade-offs. Inuit voices have been prominent in climate advocacy, bringing indigenous perspective to global debates. How Inuit adapt to rapidly transforming environment while maintaining culture and achieving sustainable development defines their future.
References
- Damas, D. (ed.) (1984). Arctic (Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 5)
- Stern, P. (2010). Daily Life of the Inuit
- Watt-Cloutier, S. (2015). The Right to Be Cold: One Woman's Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic, and the Whole Planet