Do you want to know how the Eskimos live? Do you think there are still Eskimos in the world? The truth is that there is not much information about the Eskimos. But they they have their own culture, live in society and have their customs like any town. If you want to know more about these fascinating human beings, let's go there!
Who are the Eskimos?
The Eskimos are a group of human beings that is characterized by living in extreme conditions due to the cold. That is why Eskimos can be found in Siberia, Alaska, Greenland and Canada.
Little is known about the history of how the first Eskimos settled in these places, but the best known tribes are the Yupik and the Inuit.
All Eskimo tribes They have some common traits in terms of their lifestyle, but at the same time they are different, since we are talking about independent peoples who have lived in places far from the human population in general.
Their culture is similar in terms of political organization, some customs and lifestyle to face extreme weather conditions.
Do you want to know more about how the Eskimos live? Well then, read on.
How do the Eskimos live?
Eskimos live in extreme temperatures. Thus, can be found in almost inhospitable places for the rest of the world population. You can find them, as we have mentioned before, in Siberia, Alaska, Greenland and some places in northern Canada.
eskimo society
In Eskimo society there is no social structure as we know it in the West. The Eskimos usually move as a family, that is, the whole family lives in the same group and moves together from one place to another. They are mainly characterized by being nomadic.
Decisions within their society are made together based on the level of experience that each one has. For example, if an Eskimo knows how to fish, he will teach another. If an Eskimo knows how to pick fruit, he will teach another person from the same family to do that task. There are no defined chiefs and perhaps this makes the society of the Eskimos more democratic.
The men are dedicated to the tasks of construction, hunting and fishing. While the women are dedicated to collecting fruits or vegetables in summer, they are in charge of the herd, the kitchen and the housework. The Eskimos are artisan women, who also weave skins, to sell them in the nearby towns where they live.
The good thing about Eskimo society is that Older people have an important weight in society.
How do Eskimos eat?
The Eskimos are born hunters and fishermen. They are capable of hunting a bear, a whale or seals. Their diet is based on what they can hunt or fish. For this reason, among its most popular dishes you can find this type of meat accompanied by potatoes.
How Eskimos Live During Winter
The hardest time for the Eskimos is winter. Since because they live in remote places, the weather conditions are adverse. They can easily live in -40ºC. For this reason, the Eskimos must build houses that are very resistant to cold, the famous igloos.
These houses are very special because they are a complete engineering work. Igloos are built with blocks of ice or other materials, that the Eskimos have at their disposal, and no beams or supports are needed to keep the igloos standing.
The Eskimos can build this type of house but it is not an easy task. They must take into account certain details when building their house, since they will spend a lot of time inside them in winter. For example, care must be taken that the fire in the house does not melt the ice roof and cause a slide.
your clothing
Eskimo outerwear is very curious because it is made from caribou skin. This is a material that has been used for millions of years in the Arctic and has hardly changed the way Eskimos dress for this reason.
The skin of this animal is perfect to combat extreme cold. It is very warm and also light, repels water and lasts for many years.
It was the Eskimos who invented the parka or jacket as we know it today. Caribou hide is actually very expensive. To be able to protect yourself from winter, low temperatures or snow storms, nothing better than a caribou jacket.
In addition to jackets, they can also make pants, boots, gloves and accessories with the same skin. The women are craftsmen! They are experts in sewing and adapt the clothes to each person in the family.
The most striking thing about the Eskimos is their boots, called kamik. They are very light and warm. In addition, they are very elastic and allow you to walk a lot on the snow without feeling cold feet. No modern material can compare to the effectiveness of caribou skin.
Religion
eskimos They don't have a religion as such, but they do believe that animals and plants can have spirits. Although, currently, some Inuit are Christians due to the proximity to the western population.
Your language
Through storytelling and storytelling the Eskimos pass the information from generation to generation and in this way they can preserve their language as well as their culture. As the winter is very long, the Eskimos are inveterate readers and learn a lot about other cultures to pass on the knowledge to the younger ones.
Conclusion
Surely now you have discovered who the Eskimos are, where they live, their traditions and some curious facts. What else would you like to know about the Eskimos?