Have you ever heard of the Inuit tribe? The tribe is a native of the North Pole. Usually, people also know him as the Eskimo tribe. Maybe for some people believe if the North Pole is an uninhabited place.
But it turns out that this assumption is wrong, because the North Pole is inhabited by about 4 million people the majority are villagers, and the rest is indigenous peoples such as the Inuit. So, what is the life of the Inuit in the Arctic-like? Check out the facts below.
1. Don’t like being called Eskimos
If you hear the name of the Inuit tribe, it may sound more foreign. However, never call them Eskimos. Because they will consider it an insult and racist.
The Inuit are a tribe that lives in the Arctic circle. Some of them also live in Greenland and Northern Canada. The name ‘Eskimo’ itself is said to have been given by the French or Danes which means ‘meat eater’. While Inuit itself means ‘people’.
2. The residence named Igloo
An igloo is a building made of chunks of ice and snow. That is the home of the Inuit. Maybe ordinary people, they will feel cold when they enter the Igloo. But the Inuit people are used to the house. Generally, a family has more than one igloo.
3. Have a unique way of greeting
This tribe will greet each other by sticking their noses together. At first glance, it will look like you are rubbing your nose.
But actually, they were sniffing hair and cheeks to remember the scent of the person in front of them. According to Inuit culture, this way of greeting is called Kunik. However, this way of greeting is only done with people who are really close.
4. Have weapons
Living in an area with harsh challenges made the Inuit great hunters. Even when they get game, they will not only take the meat.
But bones, fangs, to other hard body parts to be used as weapons. The women of the tribe like to carry an Ulu, which is a knife that can be used to cut frozen meat. Meanwhile, the men will bring Kakivak.
5. Can eat anything, including polar bears
It’s no secret that the North Pole is the coldest place in the world. So living in a place with temperatures up to -49 degrees Celsius is not an easy thing. Because in addition to having to be friendly with the cold, the process of finding food is also not easy.
Even the Inuit people cannot raise livestock or garden because of the extreme temperatures. As a result, they eat any animal they find, including polar bears if they are found.
Generally, large animals will be processed by smoking and then drying, and cooking with oil. In fact, they do not hesitate to eat fish in raw conditions after being caught.
Ah, those are some interesting Inuit facts. Remember, if one day you meet them, don’t call them Eskimo.