Eskimos Occupying the entire coast of Alaska

Eskimos

Occupying the entire coast of Alaska with the exception of the Aleutian Islands and Southeast Alaska, Eskimos inhabit a wide variety of environments ranging from the North Slope arctic tundras and coasts to the Bering Sea lowlands and the mountainous, forested coasts of South Alaska. Eskimos are known today under a variety of names, "Eskimo" or "Inuit" in Alaska, "Inuit" in Canada, and "Kalaadlit" in Greenland. The geographic extent of their Alaskan territory covers thousands of miles of coastline. To the east, peoples closely related to Alaskan Eskimos occupy the vast expanse of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland, and to the west, across Bering Strait, they inhabited coastal regions of Chukotka.

This distribution, more than 6, 000 miles (as the raven flies) across the top of the North American continent, made Eskimos the most widespread aboriginal population in the New World. Throughout this huge region the unity of Eskimo culture is enhanced by their possession of similar languages, similar physical and genetic characteristics, and to a lesser extent, possession of a common cultural base, the core of which is adaptation to arctic and subarctic maritime environments. Technological, social, and ritual practices surrounding the hunting of arctic marine animals are the foundation on which most Eskimo cultures rest. For those reasons Eskimo peoples on opposite sides of the North American arctic find more in common with each other than they do with immediately adjacent Indian groups who are their closest inland neighbors.

Eskimo-Aleut is a language family. Eskimo. Aleut is a language family native to Greenland. Eskimo-Aleut is a language family native to Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, and parts of Siberia. Also called Eskaleut (Eskaleutian, Eskaleutic), Eskimoan or Macro-Eskimo, it consists of the Eskimo languages (known as Inuit in the north of Alaska, Canada and Greenland, and as Yupik/Yup'ik in western and southwestern Alaska and in Siberia), and the single Aleut language in western and southwestern Alaska and in Siberia), and the single Aleut

Eskimo is an exonym of Algonquian origin and is a deprecated name, but is retained to speak of the Yuit. Yup'ik-Inuit as a whole. Within Canada, Inuit is preferred. In Alaska, Yup'ik, Inupiaq, or Inuit is preferred, depending on who is being referred to.

Traditionally, the Eskimo languages family was divided into Inuit and Yup'ik (or Yup'ik. Yuit). However, recent research suggests that Yup'ik by itself is not a valid node, or, equivalently, that the Inuit dialect continuum is but one of several languages of the Yup'ik group. However, although it may be technically correct to replace the term Eskimo with Yup'ik in this classification, this would not be acceptable to most Inuit. Also, the Alaskan-Siberian dichotomy appears to have been geographical rather than linguistic.

FOOD: The cold waters of the Arctic provided the Eskimos with a great deal of their food. They lived on seals (the single most important part of their diet), salmon, cod, whales, and other sea life. On land were caribou and geese in the summer. (You had to go inland to find caribou. ) During the winter they hunted polar bears, foxes, and hares. Their favorite foods were seal and caribou meat, walrus liver, and the skin of whales. SHELTER: In order to find those animals, it was necessary for the Eskimos to live a wandering life, following their migrations. Generally, they would have a summer home and a winter home. Tents made of skin (seal or caribou) provided shelter during the summer months. In winter, most of them built sod houses. A dome-shaped snow house was built by some groups as temporary shelter when traveling or hunting. This would consist of blocks cut from the snow and built upward in a spiral shape. Outsiders would call this an "igloo, " although to the Eskimo any place for living can be called by that name.

FOOD: Tradition and modern - Traditional: Fishing in summer Seal Hunting: Use kayak or dogsled to get to frozen lake/sea * Stand over breathing hole: where the seals come up for air * Stab with a harpoon: long stick with a detachable knife-like object Modern: - Buy food from stores - If Eskimos do hunt, only for recreation (like us) - Use guns, snowmobiles, & motor boats

CLOTHING: Animal skins provided clothing for the Eskimos; their favorite was caribou because it was warm and lightweight. Lacking caribou they would settle for seal, polar bear, or even Arctic fox. Styles varied from area to area, but in all regions everyone wore the same combination: a hooded jacket, trousers or leggings, socks, boots, and mittens. Sometimes goggles made from wood or bone were worn. In winter two sets of clothes were used. The inner layer would have fur next to the skin. The second layer would have fur on the outside. Air between the two layers helped keep body heat in and allowed perspiration to evaporate. A single layer was enough during summers.

Eskimo a general term used to refer to a number of groups inhabiting the coastline from the Bering Sea to Greenland the Chukchi Peninsula in NE Siberia. A number of distinct groups, based on differences in patterns of resource exploitation, are commonly identified, including Siberian, St. Lawrence Island, Nunivak, Chugach, Nunamiut, North Alaskan, Mackenzie, Copper, Caribou, Netsilik, Iglulik, Baffinland, Labrador, Coastal Labrador, Polar, and East and West Greenland. Since the 1970 s Eskimo groups in Canada and

Greenland have adopted the name Inuit, although the term has not taken hold in Alaska or Siberia. In spite of regional differences, Eskimo groups are surprisingly uniform in language, physical type, and culture, and, as a group, are distinct in these traits from all neighbors. They speak dialects of the same language, Eskimo, which is a major branch of the Eskimo-Aleut family of languages. Their antiquity is unknown, but it is generally agreed that they were relatively recent migrants to the Americas from NE Asia, spreading from west to east over the course of the past 5, 000 years

Much of what we know about the life and culture of the Eskimo people of North America in the early part of the Twentieth Century comes from the Fifth Thule Expedition led by Professor Knud Rasmussen, a Danish anthropologist. The songs and stories given here are extracts from the reports of this expedition, which crossed North America from east of Baffin Land to Alaska. Rasmussen continued across the Bering Straight to Siberia to talk with the Chukchi, who also follow the Eskimo way of life.

Sharing & Caring for Each Other - Traditional: Work together, hunt together, share food when needed During the hunting season, if the hunt is bad, the hunter is the last to die - Modern: Hunting groups split up; more on your own Many have permanent jobs; can’t find time to hunt

Others terms to know Niliakchok: Story told to kids; A legend god of seals Bola: Three bags of caribou skin with feathers used to hunt birds Ulu: Carving knife used on animals

A number of distinct groups, based on differences in patterns of resource exploitation, are commonly identified, including Siberian, St. Lawrence Island, Nunivak, Chugach, Nunamiut, North Alaskan, Mackenzie, Copper, Caribou, Netsilik, Iglulik, Baffinland, Labrador, Coastal Labrador, Polar, and East and West Greenland. Since the 1970 s Eskimo groups in Canada and Greenland have adopted the name Inuit, although the term has not taken hold in Alaska or Siberia. In spite of regional differences, Eskimo groups are surprisingly uniform in language, physical type, and culture, and, as a group, are distinct in these traits from all neighbors. They speak dialects of the same language, Eskimo, which is a major branch of the Eskimo-Aleut family of languages. Their antiquity is unknown, but it is generally agreed that they were relatively recent migrants to the Americas from NE Asia, spreading from west to east over the course of the past 5, 000 years.

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