Greenlandic Inuit are the indigenous peoples of Greenland. Approximately 89%
of Greenland's population of 57,695 is Inuit or 51,349 people as of 2012.
Ethnographically, they consist of three major groups:
Kalaallit of west Greenland, who speak Kalaallisut
Tunumiit of east Greenland, who speak Tunumiisut
Inughuit of north Greenland, who speak Inuktun or Polar Eskimo
Historically, Kalaallit referred specifically to the people of Western
Greenland. Northern and Eastern Greenlanders call themselves
Avanersuarmiut and Tunumiit, respectively.
Today, most Greenlanders speak standard Greenlandic, and most are still
descended from the original founding ancestors of Greenland. The other
Greenlanders are mostly European migrants. There are few Greenlanders who
are mixed racial origin and most of this is due to Danish colonists and other
Europeans marrying into Inuit peoples. About 90% live in the southwestern
corner of the island. Several thousand Greenlanders reside in Denmark proper.
Regions Greenlandic Inuit people are considered
to be descended from Dorset and Thule people, who settled Greenland in ancient
times. As 84% of Greenland's land mass is covered by the Greenland ice sheet,
Inuit people live in three regions: Polar, Eastern, and Western. In the
1850s, additional Canadian Inuit joined the Polar Inuit communities.
The Eastern Inuit, or Tunumiit, live in the area with the mildest climate, a
territory called Tasiilaq. Hunters can hunt marine mammals from kayaks
throughout the year. Language
The Greenlandic Inuktitut language, along with Danish, are the national
languages of Greenland. It is an Eskimo-Aleut language and one of the
Inuit languages, with three distinct dialects: Kalaallisut, Tunumiit, and
Inuktun. The Inuktitut language is taught in schools and used widely in
Greenlandic media. History
Humans are thought to have arrived in Greenland, possibly from Ellesmere
Island, around 3000–2500 BCE. Other researchers believe the first humans in
Greenland were the Saqqaq people that migrated to western Greenland from the
Canadian Arctic around 2500 BCE. Saqqaq people are unrelated to contemporary
Greenlandic Inuit people. They survived until 800 BCE.
Around 1000 BCE, people from the Dorset people settled in Greenland. Dorset
people flourished in Greenland from 600 BCE to 200 CE. The Thule people began
colonizing Greenland from the northwest in about 900 CE. Norse colonization of
the island began in 982 CE and lasted a few centuries. Denmark-Norway passively
maintained a claim to Greenland until 1721, when it resumed possession of the
territory. In 1814, possession was awarded to Denmark by the Treaty of
Kiel. In 1979, the Greenlanders voted to become autonomous. There is an active
independence movement. Society
Gender roles among Greenlandic Inuit are flexible; however, traditionally men
hunt and women prepare the meat and skins. Most marriages are by choice, as
opposed to arranged, and monogamy is commonplace. Extended families are
extremely important to Inuit society. Art
The Greenlandic Inuit have a strong artistic tradition based on sewing
animal skins and making masks. They are also known for an art form of figures
called tupilaq or "evil spirit objects." Traditional art-making practices thrive
in the Ammassalik. Sperm whale ivory remains a valued medium for carving.
Ammassalik wooden maps are exquisitely carved maps of the Greenlandic
coastline, used in the late 19th century.
See also List of Greenlandic Inuit
Demographics of Greenland History of Greenland
Inuit Circumpolar Council Notes
References Hessel, Ingo. Arctic Spirit. Vancouver:
Douglas and McIntyre, 2006 ISBN 978-1-55365-189-5
External links Inuit Circumpolar Council: Greenland
Culture and History of Greenland, Greenland Guide
Colonialism in Greenland: An Inuit Perspective