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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 for the indigenous people living in 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 Territories, ...
. The language spoken by Inuit in Greenland is Kalaallisut, also called Greenlandic.
Name
Probably adapted from the name ''Skræling
''Skræling'' (Old Norse and Icelandic: ''skrælingi'', plural ''skrælingjar'') is the name the Norse Greenlanders used for the peoples they encountered in North America (Canada and Greenland). In surviving sources, it is first applied to the ...
'', ''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, 20
Regions
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 equ ...
, 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 Territories, ...
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 kayaks throughout the year.
The Northeast Greenland Inuit are now extinct. Douglas Clavering (1794–1827) met a group of twelve Inuit, including men, women and children, in Clavering Island 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 * Demographics of Greenland * History of GreenlandNotes
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