The Arctic Aboriginal Culture Group in Canada The Arctic Aboriginals are also known as the Inuit peoples. Originally they were referred to as the Eskimos, which is the Native American word for “eater of raw meat.” The Inuit were the last of the native peoples to arrive in North America. They were unable to settle in the south where the land was fertile, because it was inhabited by hostile peoples and were therefore forced to settle in the Arctic. The land in the Arctic was left inhabited because the climate there is extremely harsh and the winters are hard to survive in. Fortunately, the Inuit were able to adapt to the cold winters and harsh conditions. The Inuit have a unique culture from other First Nations peoples in Canada. The Canadian Inuit were split up into eight main groups: Labrador Inuit, Ungava, Baffin Island, Igloolik, Caribou, Netsilik, Copper and Western Arctic Inuit. The Inuits believed in animism, which is the belief that all living and non-living things have a spirit and a soul. They believed that when a spirit died it continued to live in a different world- the spirit world. The only people who had the power to control the spirits were powerful religious leaders called the Shamans. To communicate with those in the spirit world Shamans used charms and dances. Masks were thought to have powers that allowed the Shamans to communicate with the spirits and the Shamans wore them while performing rituals. To please the spirits the Shamans would offer gifts, and punish people who broke the rules resulting in angering the spirits. Various prohibitions were taken to make sure that when animals were killed for food it followed certain rituals and the spirit was not offended. However, in arctic Canada a large number of Inuit have converted to Christianity.
The Inuit had different ceremonies for different parts of life. Many of the Inuit ceremonies were composed of music and dancing. The main instrument of Inuit ceremonies and dances was the shallow, one sided drum. The drums were mostly made up of caribou skin or walrus stomach spread over a large wooden hoop. During the songs and dances they told stories of the spirits to the younger generation. Some dancers were religious, while others were used in times of welcoming travellers or celebrating a successful hunt. Another component of singing and dancing ceremonies wad throat singing. Throat singing was performed by two women who were in competition using different sounds in their throat and chest. Many ceremonies revolved around religion; the shamans performed healing ceremonies in a house called a “Kashim.” In the Arctic, the elders enjoyed telling stories to the younger generations to teach them life lessons and knowledge of the land. The Inuit are well known for beautiful stone carvings which often showed the creatures and characters from these stories.
The Inuit peoples did not necessarily have a written down physical book of sacred writings. They usually passed on their stories and religious ceremonies through oral teachings. The younger generation learned their culture and religion through ceremonies such as the songs and dances, throat singing and healing ceremonies through watching their elders perform them. The Shaman were able to interpret the causes of sicknesses or even lack of hunting success.
A milestone for the Inuits as a nation was the Western Arctic Claims Settlement Act which was approved by Parliament in 1984. Its goal was to protect the areas wild life and culture and give Inuit people complete control over their natural resources. This was a moment in time where the Inuit people were being recognized as a nation. This was an important milestone as it promoted the independence and recognition of a nation that had spent so many years in the dark. A milestone in the life of an Inuit was coming of age rituals that boys and girls went through when they turned a certain age. Boys usually have their lips pierced in order to insert decorative labrets. Girls might get their chin tattooed to show that they are prepared for marriage. Another milestone in the Inuit culture is death. When a person perishes their body was taken far away from the village. Their belongings were beside them so they would be able to take it with them to the afterlife. The body was covered with small stones and the body was surrounded with stones in a circle. Kashims are a ceremony house used in the healing ceremonies. They were sometimes buried in the ground and the only person who know the precise location was the Shaman. Kashims were also used for sweat baths, council meetings, entertainment and funerals. Elaborate ceremonies were also performed here. Essentially the Kashims were used to bring the Inuit closer together as a nation.

Bibliography http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_inuit1.html http://www.athropolis.ca/arctic-facts/fact-inuit-beliefs.htm