What do you know about traditional Inuit culture? Given that the Inuit are thought to currently number only about 118,000 people, and live in Arctic areas that are often difficult to travel to, we shouldn’t be surprised if we learn that your own knowledge of this culture is low.
However, if you do indeed know little about the Inuit people right now, that simply provides you with a great reason to join one of WILDFOOT’s cruises to the Canadian Arctic. Here are several examples of things that you can do there to clue yourself up on a culture that is all too easy to overlook.
Get your head around the Inuktitut language
This is the language in which the Inuit people are traditionally most well-versed, and you can learn about it on your way to the Canadian Arctic – for example, by reading a phrase book. In many cases, you won’t actually need that book after reaching your destination, as everybody there speaks English; however, you can still have fun reading the unique Inuktitut script and seeing the occasional sign in this language.
Feeling hungry? Why not try eating like the Inuit?
There are also opportunities to try traditional Inuit food, such as raw seal meat. Even today, many of the Inuit mainly obtain food by hunting, so you can turn to local hunters to buy the meat of Canadian Arctic animals before cooking it for consumption.
A place to time-travel to thousands of years ago…
Visit Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, and you can check out Crystal II. This is an Inuit camping ground that dates back thousands of years, making it a fascinating sight for travellers who want to feel transported to a very distant and different time. It continues to be used today, but you are likely to require local help in order to actually find Crystal II.
An ideal museum for just before you return home
While in Iqaluit, you can also see a huge collection of Inuit artefacts and art at the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum. This museum is located in a white and red building on the beach. It’s also the perfect place to fill gaps in whatever knowledge of traditional Inuit culture you have already amassed as a result of any of the Arctic cruises to the Canadian Arctic arranged by WILDFOOT.