On ice and snow, subjected to temperatures down to -45 °C. The word “Eskimo” refers to ethnic groups that have occupied the far north of the planet since 5,000 BC Currently, there are about 150,000 people, occupying a coastal strip of about 3,000 km in length, which covers Siberia, Alaska , northern Canada and Greenland. Among dozens of ethnic groups, the Inuit are the most populous. They are so common in Canada and Greenland that “Inuit” defines residents of cold areas there. The term “Eskimo” is pejorative – it would mean “eater of raw meat”. But, according to Anna Berge, a linguist at the University of Alaska, “It is not certain that this is the origin of the word. They don’t call themselves ‘Eskimos’”. In general, they are short, 1.60 m tall, with short, strong arms and legs. They tend to be peaceful and supportive: everyone works for the good of the community, and there are no social classes.
DIVIDED TASKS
Women run the village, while men travel to get food.
husband and wives
The more possessions, the more wives the Eskimo can have – in general, a maximum of three. Children, considered reincarnations of ancestors, are carried on their mothers’ backs to avoid the cold wind. In traditional communities, they do not go to school and learn their parents’ activities in practice
carnivore diet
The meat-based diet of the Eskimos is used as an example to justify the no-carb Atkins diet. As the cold inhibits agriculture and cooking (because it takes time and requires a lot of energy), people eat a lot of smoked meat, prepared by women in holes in the ground.
wooden igloo
In fact, the word “igloo” means “house”, and the most common type is not made of ice, but of wood. Each one is usually about 25 x 15 m, with a sloping roof to prevent collapse due to the accumulation of snow. The village also has a shed where women make clothes and boats.
kicking ass
The basis of clothing is seal, bear and fox fur. To improve heating, the hairs are turned inwards. Manufacturing is the responsibility of the women, who chew the leather and leave it to tan in their urine. To facilitate the sewing, the tendons of the animals themselves are used.
Depending on the region, clothing is more rustic – stained with urine – or more uniform and with ornaments, a result of contact with the urban environment.
fishing in race
Depending on the region, ice peoples hunt salmon, seal, bear, fox, or whale. Groups that live in the Canadian Arctic fish for large clams in dangerous natural caves that appear, once a year and for a few hours, in the ice that covers lakes and seas. In Alaska, whaling is done with small boats and harpoons.
When they find a whale in the shallows (generally feeding their young), the Eskimos surround it and throw weapons until they overcome the animal due to exhaustion.
fabricated cave
Ice igloos, only on hunting and fishing trips. They are made with large blocks of compacted snow, cut into the ground. The bricks are arranged in a spiral, rising to the ceiling and covered by a block that, at the same time, seals and supports the construction. The “cement” is also ice – melted with whale oil lamps
The rounded shape prevents snow from piling up and tipping over the igloo – which can accommodate up to 20 people
can come hot
The entrance, dug into the ground, blocks out the icy air. Beds are as high as possible. A fire provides lighting and heating, increasing the temperature from -45°C to a pleasant 16°C. In addition, the internal heat melts the snow slightly, which runs off and freezes again, reinforcing the seal.
au-car
To move around layers of ice up to 2 km thick, the best means of transport is sleds pulled by dogs – malamutes predominate in the Canadian region, and ruskies, in Siberia. The vehicles, for up to four people, reach 40 km/h. Navigation is done with whaleskin boats.
ICE ALL THE WAY
Eskimos don’t have hundreds of words to refer to snow.
The diversity of dialects among ethnic groups has helped to spread the myth that Eskimos have hundreds of words for “snow”. For each people, there are between five and seven words. in the vocabulary inuitand so:
TLAPA Very fine, powder
TLAMO Falls in large flakes
TLATIM Falls in small flakes
KRIPYA Snow that has melted and refrozen
TLAYING mixed with clay
KRIPLYANA Hard, blue snow
CONSULTANCYAnna Berge, a linguist at the University of Alaska, and Luciana Whitaker, a journalist and author of 11 Years in Alaska