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= __﻿ Inuit﻿ __ = = __﻿Language __ = The language of the Inuit is Inuktitut. Inuktitut means "the language of the people" and Inuit means "the true people". The language is built around the Arctic field of view. This lets the Inuit talk without using their hands. This language is rarely taught to children today. In parts of the Artic, some of the Inuit speak English.

=__Behaviors __= The Inuit have to change their way a living depending on the climate. When it was colder they build igloos out of blocks of snow. There weren't any other building materials aorund so that is why they ahve to use snow. When is was warmer they would make tents out of animal skins. The Inuit had to invent new things like tools and ways to survive. They have to hunt for their food since there are no plants around and they can't grow any either. All the Inuit eat is meat like fish and seals. The Inuit have to wear very heavy clothing made of animal skin and fur to keep them warm in the cold weather conditions.

=__Values __= Family and community are very important to the Inuit. Their social groups were determined by which season it was. When it was warmer they were in smaller groups. When it was colder they were in larger groups. The Inuit also value their storytelling. By telling stories, generations after generations were told the important information about the Inuit.

=__Beliefs __= The Inuit's beliefs are storytelling, mythology and dancing. Stories were passed down from one generation to the next. The original religion of many Inuit was shamanism. Shamanism is still practiced in secret, but most Inuit have converted to Christianity. The Inuits also do carvings of spirits and animals. The Inuits belive that spirits are all around them.

=__Cultural Change __= The Inuit today live very different than the Inuit in the past. In the past they had very little contact with the Europeans. Today they have a lot of contact with the Europeans which effects trading. The invention of airplanes made it easier for people to get to the Artic. In the 1950's, the Inuit were encouraged to change their lifestyles and move to larger northern communites to get social security benefits and permanent housing. Health care centers and schools were built in the area. With better health, the population of the Inuit increased. Christian boarding schools were eventually introduced to the Inuit. Children were required to go to school in some places. New ways of living have effected the younger generations of the Inuit. They are not taught the language that the Inuit speak so communitcating with each other is very difficult. The younger generations don't follow the same traditions and customs as the older generations do.



=__Resources __= __**Journal **__ Kilbourne, John. "Teaching social studies through storytelling: the enduring spirit of the Arctic." Social Education 72.6 (2008): 322+. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.
 * This source was a journal about the culture of the Inuit. It shared the religion and the behaviors of the Inuit people.

__**Interview-Primary Source **__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Watson, Christine. "Autobiographical writing as healing process: Alice Masak French in conversation with Christine Watson." Hecate 25.1 (1999): 169. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was an interview of a woman who wrote about her life as an Inuit person. She spoke about the language that they spoke and how their culture is now changing.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Picture-Primary Source and Secondary Source **__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Inuit Culture, Traditions, and History." Windows to the Universe. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. [|http://]www.windows2universe.org/earth/polar/inuit_culture.html


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This website had a picture of the Inuit building an igloo. It also showed the clothes that had to wear to stay warm and the tools that they used.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also on this website was information about the Inuit's traditions and where they live. It also says about their behaviors and how their culture is changing.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Print Source **__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Waterman, Jonathan. "Arctic Crossing: One Man's 2,000 ... - Google Books." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was a book written by a guy who went to live with Inuit for awhile. It tells about eberything he learned about the Inuit and their culture.