Inuit

by Cherry Alexander, Bryan Alexander, Susie Brooks (Editor)

Way up in the Arctic Circle—where many of us would prefer never to go—the Inuit people have carved out a culture rich in mythology and long held traditions. This book introduces your readers to the hardy people of upper-Canada and Greenland, while correcting any misconceptions they may have about them. Your readers will be frozen to the page in fascination.

45 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an informative book about the Inuit peoples, for readers of all ages! It includes a map, a time line, lots of pictures, a glossary and an index!

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not recommend this resource for Canadian students. The strong bias and “us and them” thinking, as though the Inuit are not Canadian people make this a poor choice. Although the book is quite new it contains outdated information regarding linguistic theory in relation to the word eskimo. It also presents the idea that the Inuit people came to North America over the “Bering Land Bridge” as fact without ever mentioning this is one of several theories. There are multiple survival and cultural references that are slightly less than complete, for example the concept that Inuit often run behind their sleds to warm themselves is presented, but it doesn’t add that the Inuit know that to break a sweat is dangerous as that will make them colder in the long run.

The Inuit are presented in a stereotypical way and there is no information available on the authors, neither in the book, nor that I have been able to discover on line, to suggest they have personal cultural knowledge on which to base their bias.

The word choices reflect a very non-Inuit view point, and although the author doesn’t come right out and say it, there is a negative undertone present in many passages. “Eating handfuls of raw, bleeding seal liver is nothing new for these Inuit girls.” The word choices suggest a sense of judgment and imply a savageness that is not accurate. This same information could be conveyed in a much more informative and less judgmental way, explaining the importance of maintaining vitamin and energy levels while living in such a harsh climate and that cooking meat is not always possible or necessary.

“These children are playing a risky game on broken sea ice”: The use of the word risky creates a negative undertone and sense of judgement. For someone from Southern Canada to play this game it would definitely be risky, however for Inuit children who live on the coast, learning to understand the sea ice is essential to their survival and part of their education. There parents have certainly taught them ice safety.
The headings on the photos of students attending school are rudimentary “Girl on Computer” and seem to reflect a level of surprise that the Inuit children are attending modern school and learning these skills. Another heading is “Do the Inuit Eat Well?” again the author has placed judgement on the Inuit lifestyle through their word choice, whether intentionally or not. What they of course meant to communicate was the question “Is a traditional Inuit diet, which is very protein heavy healthy, and does it provide all the nutrients an individual needs?”

Contents

Who are the Inuit?
Timeline
Where do the Inuit get their Food?
Do the Inuit eat well?
How do the Inuit survive the cold?
Do the Inuit have families like ours?
Do the Inuit live in houses?
What do the Inuit wear?
Do the Inuit go to work?
What do the Inuit do in their spare time?
Do boys and girls go to school?
Are the Inuit artists?
Do the Inuit write books?
Do the Inuit go to the doctor?
Do the Inuit believe in life after death?
How do the Inuit travel?
How have we affected the lives of the Inuit?
What is happening to the Inuit?