Inughuit
Encyclopedia
The Inughuit or Polar Eskimos are the northernmost group of Inuit
, and the world's northernmost people. They were first contacted by European peoples by the expedition led by Sir John Ross
in 1818; Ross dubbed them "Arctic Highlanders". In 1908 and 1909, the Inughuit were instrumental in assisting both Frederick Cook
and Robert Peary
on their claimed conquests of the North Pole
. They call their language Inuktun
; in the official Greenlandic language it is referred to as Avanersuarmiutut. The northernmost settlement was at the village of Etah
(at 78° 19' N), but it was abandoned due to the extremely harsh conditions there. The northernmost constant settlement is now Hiurapaluk
.
Dundas, or Thule to Europeans, was the chief settlement of the Inughuit until 1953 when it was displaced by the United States
' Thule Air Base
, with its residents relocated to Qaanaaq
; the Inughuit have brought a claim in Danish and international courts against the United States, which they won, but as the United States does not recognize these courts, there is little chance of compensation.
Dane Erik Holtved
was the first university-trained ethnologist
to study the Inughuit.
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, and the world's northernmost people. They were first contacted by European peoples by the expedition led by Sir John Ross
John Ross (Arctic explorer)
Sir John Ross, CB, was a Scottish rear admiral and Arctic explorer.Ross was the son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, minister of Inch, near Stranraer in Scotland. In 1786, aged only nine, he joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice. He served in the Mediterranean until 1789 and then in the English Channel...
in 1818; Ross dubbed them "Arctic Highlanders". In 1908 and 1909, the Inughuit were instrumental in assisting both Frederick Cook
Frederick Cook
Frederick Albert Cook was an American explorer and physician, noted for his claim of having reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. This would have been a year before April 6, 1909, the date claimed by Robert Peary....
and Robert Peary
Robert Peary
Robert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole...
on their claimed conquests of the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
. They call their language Inuktun
Inuktun
Inuktun is the language of approximately 1000 indigenous Inughuit, inhabiting the world's northernmost settlements in Qaanaaq and the surrounding villages in northwestern Greenland. All speakers of Inuktun also speak Standard West Greenlandic and many also speak Danish and a few also English...
; in the official Greenlandic language it is referred to as Avanersuarmiutut. The northernmost settlement was at the village of Etah
Etah, Greenland
Etah is an abandoned settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northern Greenland. It was a starting point of discovery expeditions to the North Pole, and the landing site of the last migration of the Inuit from the Canadian Arctic.- Geography :...
(at 78° 19' N), but it was abandoned due to the extremely harsh conditions there. The northernmost constant settlement is now Hiurapaluk
Siorapaluk
Siorapaluk is a settlement in the Qaanaaq area of the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northern Greenland and is one of the world's northernmost inhabited settlements. It has a population of 68 speaking the Inuktun language of the Polar Inuit as well as Standard West Greenlandic...
.
Dundas, or Thule to Europeans, was the chief settlement of the Inughuit until 1953 when it was displaced by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' Thule Air Base
Thule Air Base
Thule Air Base or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport , is the United States Air Force's northernmost base, located north of the Arctic Circle and from the North Pole on the northwest side of the island of Greenland. It is approximately east of the North Magnetic Pole.-Overview:Thule Air Base is the...
, with its residents relocated to Qaanaaq
Qaanaaq
Qaanaaq is the main town in the northern part of the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of the northernmost towns in the world. The inhabitants of Qaanaaq speak the West Greenlandic language and many also speak Inuktun. The town has a population of 626 as of 2010...
; the Inughuit have brought a claim in Danish and international courts against the United States, which they won, but as the United States does not recognize these courts, there is little chance of compensation.
Dane Erik Holtved
Erik Holtved
Dr. Erik Holtved was a Danish artist, archaeologist, linguist, and ethnologist...
was the first university-trained ethnologist
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
to study the Inughuit.