Among the Inughuit 

A different way of living in the Arctic

In the far north of Greenland, where ice contours the horizon and silence seems to envelop everything, the Inughuit live in close connection with their environment. For over 25 years, anthropologist and tour guide Christiane Drieux has been observing these communities, which are among the remotest on earth. Their way of life reveals a special relationship with time, knowledge sharing and the living world.  

What do you discover on arriving in northern Greenland for the first time? 

You are immediately struck by the vastness, of course, but also the silence. It is an almost palpable silence, punctuated by unexpected sounds, such as the cracking of the ice, and above all dogs. More than just barking, it’s actual singing, something quite extraordinary that can only be heard there.   

Inuit, Inughuit, Kalaallit: clearly distinct realities 

The Inuit are a group of peoples from the High Arctic, from Greenland to Alaska, who share common cultural and linguistic roots. The Inughuit are a much smaller group of around 700 to 800 people, living in Avanersuaq in north-west Greenland. They have their own language, Inuktun, along with specific cultural features due to their remote location. Greenlanders define themselves as Kalaallit, the country’s main ethnic group. You can be Greenlandic, Inuit and Inughuit, but not the other way round.  

What makes Inughuit culture so unique? 

Their geographic remoteness has played a decisive role; they live surrounded by natural barriers, the vast hundred-kilometre front of the Humboldt Glacier to the north, Melville Bay to the south, the ice cap to the east and Smith Sound to the west, which for a long time limited contact with the outside world. Interactions with the West are therefore more recent there than in other regions of Greenland or the Canadian and Alaskan Arctic. This explains why they have kept alive practices and lifestyles that other Inuit populations have partly lost.    

What role does the environment play in the Inughuit way of life? 

The Inughuit have retained a kind of code of conduct, more than a belief, based on the idea of a continuum between the environment, animals and humans. This continuity leads to a key principle: respect for the environment and animals alike.   

What does this mean on a daily basis? 

The environment meets three vital needs: food, clothing and protection. It provides both the food and the materials needed, particularly in winter, a season when clothing made of seal, bear or fox skin remains the most suitable, but more broadly it also governs all human activities. Hunting, fishing, travel and social life follow the rhythm of the seasons. People travel over the ice floe in winter and across the water in summer. With no roads, travel is by boat, sledge or – more recently – helicopter.  

This close relationship is even reflected in their first names. In Avanersuaq, many of them evoke natural elements such as plants, animals or berries, as well as human qualities. Niviarsiaq, for example, refers to Arctic fireweed, which is also Greenland’s national flower.  

Can we say that they have a special relationship with animals? 

Absolutely. During a narwhal hunt, a hunter explained to me that the animal had offered itself to him. By eating it, he said, the animal’s blood mingles with his own, warming and strengthening it. This is a form of symbiosis between man and animal.  

What is the Inughuit diet? 

Traditional foods such as maktaaq, narwhal skin, or kiviak, birds preserved in sealskin, are eaten on the ground, with the fingers or the tip of a knife, in ways that have remained unchanged. In contrast, products from the West are eaten with cutlery, sitting at a table. These practices coexist and mark a real difference with southern Greenland.  

The Inughuit: long-isolated communities 

The first contact between the Inughuit and the West dates back to 1818, during an expedition by British explorer John Ross, but it was a one-off event. It was not until the early 20th century that more lasting interactions were established, with the founding of a Lutheran mission in 1909, followed by the creation of a trading post in 1910 by Knud Rasmussen. In southern Greenland, on the other hand, contacts were made much earlier. They date back to the Middle Ages with the Vikings, then were strengthened in the 18th century by missionaries, particularly Hans Egede in 1721. This gap of almost two centuries has profoundly influenced the cultural trajectories between the north and south of the region.  

How is traditional knowledge passed on? 

Children are given hands-on experience very early on: they watch, try and imitate. This learning process goes hand in hand with an early sense of responsibility. For instance, they are entrusted with young puppies, both to socialise the animals and create a bond with what will become an essential working companion. Girls also take part in day-to-day activities, including dressing hides and sewing.  

 Moreover, in these now evangelised societies, children follow the rites of the Lutheran religion. Confirmation marks an important step: boys are given a gun, symbolising their entry into adulthood and their ability to provide for the community.  

How is Inughuit social life organised? 

It is very much connected to the seasons. In winter, life becomes focused in on the villages and is organised around kaffemiks, house-to-house visits over coffee and a few cakes. However, these are not formal invitations: people come and sit down, sometimes in silence. The key thing is to make an appearance. These visits can follow one after the other throughout the day, sometimes five, six or seven times. They help to maintain close social ties, allowing the community to withstand the harsh environment together.   

And in summer? 

In the summer months, the movement is in the opposite direction. Families join summer or hunting camps for a few days or several weeks. Reserves are built up, and meat is prepared for the winter, either by drying it or using various age-old techniques. But it is also a time of sharing. If a hunter has been less lucky, the game is redistributed among the families. And when a hunter returns to the village, everyone meets up on the beach, whatever time it is.  Each person gets a bite, often eaten on the spot. Hunting itself is organised along the principles of mutual aid: collective for big game, individual for seals.  

Making concessions to the modern world 

In just a few decades, the daily lives of the Inughuit have radically changed. Snowmobiles and quad bikes now make it easier to get around for hunting and fishing, while creating new needs, such as buying fuel. The Internet has also come into its own, particularly with Facebook, which has become essential for communicating between villages despite the weather conditions. All the same, a guiding principle remains: embracing what makes everyday life easier, without abandoning traditions.  

Is this relationship with the land and traditions the same elsewhere in Greenland, particularly on the west coast? 

The further south you go, the more these practices are dying out. On the west coast, traditions still exist, but they are more a cultural expression than a genuine way of life, as is the case with the Inughuit. The national costume is worn for celebrations, kaffemiks continue to take place, and fishing remains central. The major difference with the Far North, particularly around Qaanaaq and Thule, comes down to the more westernised way of life. Communities are mobile, with motorboats and even cars, despite the lack of roads.  

Last but not least, dogs hold a special place: they may be less essential than in the north, but they are still a marker of identity. In Uummannaq and Disko Bay, many people still own a small pack of hounds for winter outings.   

Is there such a thing as an identity specific to Uummannaq and the Disko region? 

Uummannaq, whose name means “the heart”, immediately stands out with its unmistakable mountain and a feature that is unusual in Greenland: the town has always kept its original name, whereas many others were renamed during colonisation.  

As is often the case in Greenland, life here has a close-knit feel, with fishing as the main activity. Another notable feature is that there is no airport. The island is linked to Disko Bay (which is more developed and open to tourism) by helicopter from the main island, reinforcing its truly separate character.  

Photos credits: ©C. Drieux; ©PONANT / M.Kuhr / J. Fabro / V. Vauchelle ; ©StudioPONANT / T.  Garnier / M. Monneret / O. Blaud / G. Robin ;

Set off to meet the peoples of the Far North