Greenlandic Inuit

The Greenlandic Inuit are the largest and Indigenous ethnic group of Greenland. They share a common ancestry, culture, and history. They speak one of the three Greenlandic languages. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. So, people from Greenland are also citizens of Denmark and of the European Union.

Most people in Greenland are Greenlandic Inuit. They are from three main groups: the Kalaallit in west Greenland, the Tunumiit in east Greenland, and the Inughuit in north Greenland. Each group has its own language.

Many Greenlanders can speak both Kalaallisut and Danish. Some Greenlanders live in Denmark or other countries in Scandinavia and North America. Most Greenlanders have both Inuit and European ancestors.

Regions

The Inuit people come from the Thule people, who moved to Greenland long ago. Because much of Greenland is covered by ice, Inuit people live in three main areas: Polar, Eastern, and Western.

The Eastern Inuit, also called Tunumiit, live in a place with a milder climate, called Tunu or Tasiilaq. They hunt sea animals from small boats called kayaks.

Language

Kalaallisut is the official language of Greenland. It is part of the Inuit languages family. Children learn Kalaallisut in school, and it is used in Greenland's media.

History

The first people came to Greenland from Ellesmere Island around 2500 to 2000 BCE. They lived in north and south Greenland as the Independence I and Saqqaq culture. Later, the Early Dorset people replaced them around 700 BCE. These groups were not related to the Inuit.

Around the year 1000, the Thule, ancestors of today’s Inuit, moved into Greenland from the north. They survived mainly by hunting seal, narwhal, and walrus. In 1814, Greenland became a territory of Denmark through the Treaty of Kiel.

In 1979, Greenlanders voted to become autonomous, and there is an active independence movement. Over the years, Greenland’s population changed due to health programs and better living conditions. For example, efforts to fight Tuberculosis helped the population grow. By 1980, the population had reached about 41,000 people.

Society

Greenlandic Inuit have flexible roles for men and women. In the past, men often hunted, and women prepared meat and skins. Most couples choose to marry each other, and many have only one partner. Big families are important in Inuit life.

Greenlandic Inuit eat both local foods and foods from other places. Many like traditional foods such as whale skin and dried cod. People from small villages often eat more local foods than those living in cities. Some people have trouble finding traditional foods, while others want more different kinds of food or find these foods cost too much.

In the past, people hunted and ate Minke and Fin whales. These whales are watched by the International Whaling Commission, and Greenland has rules to limit how many whales can be hunted each year.

Art and spirituality

The Greenlandic Inuit are skilled artists. They make beautiful things by sewing animal skins and creating masks. They also make special figures called tupilait, which represent spirits. They often use sperm whale ivory for carving.

Art is very important on Ammassalik Island. There, people carved wooden maps of the coastline a long time ago. The Greenlandic Inuit believed that spirits lived in every part of a person's body, including joints and knucklebones.