Central Inuit Explained

Central Inuit are the Inuit of Northern Canada, their designation determined by geography and their tradition of snowhouses ("igloos"), fur clothing, and sled dogs. They are differentiated from Alaska's Iñupiat, Greenland's Kalaallit,^[1] and Russian Inuit.^[2] Central Inuit are subdivided into smaller groupings which include the Caribou, Netsilik, Iglulik, and Baffinland Inuit.^{[3] [4]} Though Copper Inuit are geographically located in the central Arctic, they are considered to be socially and ideologically distinct from the Central Inuit.^[5]

The Central Inuit conception of the world's structure has gender qualities. Women are connected to the sea, sea mammals, sea tools, and winter. Men are connected with the land, land animals, land tools, and summer. Gender concept also affects burials.^[6] They do not commonly create images of supernatural powers, preferring instead to make amulets using pieces of things including animals.^[7]

Central Inuit lived in multiple types of dwellings. In addition to igloos, they also lived in qarmaqs.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of Native American tribes. 28 August 2011. September 2006. Infobase Publishing. 978-0-8160-6274-4. 115–.
2. Book: Shadian. Jessica. University of Delaware. Reconceptualizing sovereignty through indigenous autonomy: A case study of Arctic governance and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. 28 August 2011. 2006. 978-0-542-81197-5. 57–.
3. Book: Cummins, B.D. . Faces of the North: the ethnographic photography of John Honigmann . Toronto . Natural Heritage/Natural History . 2004 . 149 . 1-896219-79-9 . 2007-12-27.
4. Book: Issenman, B. . Sinews of survival: the living legacy of Inuit clothing . 1997 . Vancouver . UBC Press . pdf . 136 . 0-7748-0596-X . 2007-12-27.
5. Book: Fossett, Renée. In Order to Live Untroubled: Inuit of the Central Arctic, 1550-1940. 9 December 2012. 2001. University of Manitoba Press. 978-0-88755-171-0. 17–.
6. Book: Ruggles, Clive L. N.. Clive L. N. Ruggles

   . Clive L. N. Ruggles. Ancient astronomy: an encyclopedia of cosmologies and myth. 28 August 2011. 2005. ABC-CLIO. 978-1-85109-477-6. 193–.

7. Book: Auger, Emily Elisabeth. The way of Inuit art: aesthetics and history in and beyond the Arctic. 28 August 2011. 2005. McFarland. 978-0-7864-1888-6. 54–.
8. Book: Stern, Pamela R.. Historical dictionary of the Inuit. registration. 28 August 2011. 2004. Scarecrow Press. 978-0-8108-5058-3. 129–.