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Kalaallit make up the largest group of the Greenlandic Inuit and are concentrated in
Kalaallit historical art collections
National Museum of the American Indian
Kalaallit archaeology art collections
National Museum of the American Indian {{DEFAULTSORT:Kalaallit Indigenous peoples in the Arctic Greenlandic Inuit people Inuit groups
Kalaallit make up the largest group of the Greenlandic Inuit and are concentrated in Kitaa
Kitaa, originally Vestgrønland ("West Greenland"), is a former administrative division of Greenland. It was by far the most populated of the divisions, being home to almost 90% of the total population. The divisions were de facto replaced by st ...
. It is also a contemporary term in the Greenlandic language
Greenlandic ( kl, kalaallisut, link=no ; da, grønlandsk ) is an Eskimo–Aleut language with about 56,000 speakers, mostly Greenlandic Inuit in Greenland. It is closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada such as Inuktitut. It is the m ...
for the indigenous people living in Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland ...
(Greenlandic ''Kalaallit Nunaat'').Hessel, 8 The Kalaallit (singular: ''Kalaaleq'') are a part of the Arctic Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territorie ...
. The language spoken by Inuit in Greenland is Kalaallisut Kalaallisut may refer to:
* Greenlandic language
* West Greenlandic
West Greenlandic ( da, vestgrønlandsk), also known as Kalaallisut, is the primary language of Greenland and constitutes the Greenlandic language, spoken by the vast majority of ...
, also called Greenlandic.
Name
Probably adapted from the name '' Skræling'', ''Kalaallit'' historically referred specifically to Western Greenlanders. On the other hand, Northern and Eastern Greenlanders call themselves Inughuit and Tunumiit, respectively. About 80% to 88% of Greenland's population, or approximately 44,000 to 50,000 people identify as being Inuit.Hessel, 20Regions
As 84% of Greenland's landmass is covered by theGreenland ice sheet
The Greenland ice sheet ( da, Grønlands indlandsis, kl, Sermersuaq) is a vast body of ice covering , roughly near 80% of the surface of Greenland. It is sometimes referred to as an ice cap, or under the term ''inland ice'', or its Danish equi ...
, Kalaallit live in three regions: Polar, Eastern, and Western. In the 1850s some Canadian Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territorie ...
migrated to Greenland and joined the Polar Inuit communities.Hessel, 11
The Eastern Inuit, or ''Tunumiit'', live in the area with the mildest climate, a territory called ''Ammassalik''. Hunters can hunt marine mammals from kayak
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word '' qajaq'' ().
The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each s ...
s throughout the year.
The Northeast Greenland Inuit
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...
are now extinct. Douglas Clavering
Captain Douglas Charles Clavering RN FRS (8 September 1794 – mid-1827) was an officer of the British Royal Navy and Arctic explorer.
Biography
Early life and career
Clavering was born at Holyrood House, the eldest son of Brigadier-General H ...
(1794–1827) met a group of twelve Inuit, including men, women and children, in Clavering Island
Clavering Island ( da, Clavering Ø) is a large island in eastern Greenland off Gael Hamke Bay, to the south of Wollaston Foreland.
The Eskimonaes ''(Eskimonæs)'' radio and weather station was on this island. It was staffed by Danish scientists ...
in August 1823. There are many remains of former Inuit settlements in different locations of the now desolate area, but the population died out before mid-19th century.
Art
The Kalaallit have a strong artistic tradition based on sewing animal skins and making masks. They are also known for an art form of figures called '' tupilaq'', or "evil spirit object." Traditional art-making practices thrive in the ''Ammassalik''.Sperm whale
The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the sperm whale famil ...
ivory remains a valued medium for carving.Hessel, 21
See also
*List of Greenlandic Inuit
This is a partial list of Greenlandic Inuit. The Arctic and subarctic dwelling Inuit (formerly referred to as Eskimo) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples.
* Arnarsaq, translator, interpreter and missionary
* Arnarulunnguaq (18 ...
* Demographics of Greenland
* History of Greenland
Notes
References
* Hessel, Ingo. ''Arctic Spirit.'' Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre, 2006External links
Kalaallit historical art collections
National Museum of the American Indian
Kalaallit archaeology art collections
National Museum of the American Indian {{DEFAULTSORT:Kalaallit Indigenous peoples in the Arctic Greenlandic Inuit people Inuit groups