The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Siberia) and the United States (Alaska). Inuit means “the people” in the Inuit language. An Inuk is an Inuit person. In Alaska, the term Eskimo is commonly used. In Canada and Greenland, the Natives prefer the word Inuit. As they consider "Eskimo" pejorative, it has fallen out of favour. THE INUIT

INUIT DIET The Inuit have traditionally been hunters and fishers. They still hunt whales, walrus caribou, seal, polar bears, muskoxen, birds, and at times other less commonly eaten animals such as the Arctic Fox. The typical Inuit diet is high in protein and very high in fat, Inuit consumed an average of 75% of their daily energy intake from fat. While it is not possible to cultivate plants for food in the Arctic, the Inuit have traditionally gathered those that are naturally available. Grasses, tubers, roots, stems, berries, and seaweed were collected

The Inuit lived in an environment that inspired a mythology filled with adventure tales of whale and walrus hunts. Long winter months of waiting for caribou herds or sitting near breathing holes hunting seals gave birth to stories of mysterious and sudden appearance of ghosts and fantastic creatures. Some Inuit looked into the aurora borealis, or northern lights, to find images of their family and friends dancing in the next life.

Although Inuit life has changed significantly over the past century, many traditions continue. Inuit traditional knowledge, such as storytelling, mythology, music and dancing remain important parts of the culture. Family and community are very important. The Inuktitut language is still spoken in many areas of the Arctic and is common on radio and in television programming. Recently, there has been an identity struggle among the younger generations of Inuit, between their traditional heritage and the modern society which their cultures have been forced to assimilate into in order to maintain a livelihood.

Leg Wrestling : The object of this activity is to cause your opponent to roll over while you remain flat on the mat. Opponents lay side by side, in opposite directions, and interlock their inside arms. On a count of three, each person brings up their inside leg and both must interlock their legs at the knee region. If the competitors cannot lock their legs together, this will be done by the judge. The winner is the person who wins the best two (2) of three (3) contests. The first contest is done with the right leg, the second with the left, and if a third is necessary it is decided with a coin which leg is to be used. To leg wrestle, you will need : - suitable mats - a judge

Owl Hop : This is a simple activity and is great for students of all ages. The goal is to hop as long as possible on one foot. The instep of one foot must be placed behind the knee of the hopping leg. The participant must only use one leg throughout the activity, and each hop must completely clear the floor. Set to music and with a crowd cheering, this is a popular activity - especially with younger children.

Back to Back : The objective of this event is to push your opponent over selected markings on the floor using your hands, back, and feet. You and your opponent sit back to back on the floor with feet spread. One hand is placed on the floor between your legs, the other outside your legs. The contest begins as both people try to push the other. Your bottom should not rise up more than a few inches from the floor.

Seal Crawl : To start the race, students line up along a line on the floor, on their belly. On the start command, they straighten their arms and use only their hands and stiff arms to crawl forward with their crossed legs limp and body trailing. If your knees touch the floor, or if your arms give out, you are out of the race. The winner is the person with their head over the finish line first.

The Knee hop Kneel on floor with toes straight. Swing arms back.... and launch your body up and out... to a squatting position. The furthest distance wins.

The Airplane Lying face down with arms stretched outwards, the player is lifted up by his ankels and wrists and carried. The player who can maintain the airplane position the longest wins.

The walrus Twist your arms backwards and drag your feet.

The Knuckle hop The player lies face down on the floor and positions himself like doing push ups with his hands like fists, putting all the weight on the knuckles. Lifting up his legs off the floor the player bounces forward on his fists. The player who goes the furthest distance wins.

The Musk Ox Push With both players on their hands and knees, and heads bent down against each others' shoulders, they attempt to push each other forward out of a designated area. Hands must be kept on the floor.

One Foot High Kick One of the most difficult and visually impressive events, the one foot high is accomplished by sweeping arms from behind to front, jumping from two feet as high as possible while kicking a hanging target then coming down to a controlled landing on the kicking foot.

Two Feet High Kick Basically it is the same concept as the one foot high kick only the target is kicked with two feet and the player must land on two feet.

Alaskan High Kick 1. To play this game, the player sits on the floor with one hand holding the opposite foot. The target is above the player. 2. The player places his free hand onto the floor and then jumps up and tries to kick the target as high as he can with his free foot. 3. If the player has successfully kicked to target he must then land in his original position.

Stick pull In this event, two athletes face each other sitting on the ground with their feet pressed together and knees bent. A stick is placed between them where their feet meet. Each athlete grabs the stick, positioning their hands so that one person's hands are on the inside, and the other's hands are on the outside. All hands must be touching. Using the legs, arms, back, and a sure grip, the contestants then attempt to pull the stick away from their opponent. The winner is that person who is either able to pull the opponent over, or who can pull the stick out of the opponent's hands. Each round, the athletes will alternate positioning of their hands. Strength is important when bringing a seal up from the hole in the ice.

The traditional Northern Games originate from the time when the Inuvialuit were still semi-nomadic and are played for both fun and survival, developing strength, endurance, and resistance to pain, or when groups from different areas visited. Today, the annual Northern Games keeps the traditions of celebration, gathering, and sharing alive.

Materials Virtual Museum of Canada (descriptions of traditional Inuit games): Copies of directions on playing traditional Inuit games: CBC Archive, “Arctic Winter Games”: Arctic Winter Games Website: Inuit Cultural On Line Resource: Beyond pinguins and polar bears: Arctic Classroom Travel Resources: Kativik School Board