Presentation on Canada- Inuit Structure: 1) Introduction 2) History/ Derivation of the Inuits -definition -historical stuff 3) Changes and conflicts

in our world Focus 1) Definition Inuit (similar to Natives in US) inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada (Northwest Territories, Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut, Nunatukavut), Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Siberia) and the United States (Alaska). Inuit means the people Inuktitut language An Inuk - an Inuit person The Inuit language one of EskimoAleut languages 2) Origin and History 7000-5000 BC ,people came to North America by boats, crossing from Siberia across the Arctic Ocean to Alaska Archaeologists call these people the pre-Dorset Culture. 4500 BC, left Alaska when a warming period melted some of the Arctic ice Greenland about 2500 BC. 1000 BC, second wave of people migrated into the Arctic from the west Archaeologists call these people the Dorset Culture( Inuit called them Tuniit) 500 BC , they seem to have reached Greenland, on the Atlantic coast 200 AD, the Tuniit seem to have abandoned Greenland again, and then around 1000 AD they began to migrate back south into Greenland 1000 AD, Arctic was getting warmer ice melted and made it easier for outsiders to invade Tuniit land. the Tuniit people conquered by a third wave of people who were moving east from Alaska along the Arctic Circle. These people the Inuit 1400 AD The Inuit seem to have reached the Atlantic coast Viking people settled in Greenland first European contact 1350 AD, Little Ice Age Vikings abandoned their last settlement in Greenland Inuit moved into southern Greenland the Inuit began to move gradually south By 1500 AD, they were beginning to move into southern Labrador, near Newfoundland (which is still pretty far north

3) Changes and conflicts in our world

Context 21 p. 14/15
problems the Inuit have to suffer from are: unemployment, overcrowded housing, crime, violence, suicide, substance abuse major problem: unemployment is very high because the U.S. started to search for petroleum etc. Inuit had to get used to a new system: a modern society where one has to pay with money not much opportunities to get a job besides hunting unemployment is very high and Inuit have not got enough money they often have to get government subsidies Concluding: Inuit have to struggle from many problems

mainly because they got confronted with a more modern world now they are really dependant of the government to help them maintaining their lifestlye Acculturation and Accomodation: Inuit acculturation and accomodation patterns were more the result of coercion than choice education is a main tool of assimilation schools have been set up by the state these schools discourage the learning of native languages they learn english in the past: learning of native languages was even forbidden another point of acculturation: they also learn about the globalized world by listening to the radio or watching TV often Inuit feel lost because they cannot travel or interact with other global players young Inuit are caught between the modern society they get confronted with and their parent's traditions identity crises another reason for one of the problems mentioned before suicides in the last few years the trend was reversed Inuit organized themselves, demanded more influence have more local autonomy now traditional dances are taught and ancient festivals are celebrated at schools

It is yet to be seen if the old cultural heritage can be re-instituted after more than a century of assimilation

Vocabulary Aids BC- before christ AD- after death substance abuse- drug abuse government subsidies- help from the government for poor people coercion- if s.o. forces you to do s.th. this is called coercion Pictures and Sources

http://www.planet-wissen.de/politik_geschichte/voelker/inuit/index.jsp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/before1500/history/inuit.htm http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Inuit.html http://www.dmpibooks.com/book/inuit-modern Bertelsmann Jugendlexikon (Ausgabe 2000)

Changes and conflicts in our world -book p. 14/15 deals with it -1870 whaling operations increased -brought alcohol (lead to substance abuse) and diseases to the Inuit one of the numerous things Inuit suffer from -other things are: unemployment, overcrowded housing, crime, violence, suicide -biggest problem seems to be the unemployment, which leads to some of the other problems: unemployment is very high because the U.S. Started to search for petroleum, plumb, gold and other goods Inuit had to get used to a new system:a modern society where one has to pay with money -as there are not much opportunities to get a job besides hunting, unemployment is very high and Inuit have not got enough money -they often have to get government subsidies -Concluding: Inuit have to struggle from many problems -mainly because they got confronted with a more modern world -now they are really dependant of the government to help them maintaining their lifestlye Now we want to consider the issue of Acculturation and Accomodation: -Inuit acculturation and accomodation patterns were more the result of coercion than choice -whereat education is a main tool of assimilation -children have to travel a lot to get to the schools set up by the state -but, schools discourage the learning of native languages learn english; in the past: speaking native languages was even forbidden -another point of acculturation is that they learn about the globalalized world by listening to the radio or watching tv -however they are caught and cannot just go to holidays, the feel somehow lost cannot interact with other global players -young Inuit are caught between the modern society they get confronted with and their parents traditions (who often even don't speak english) another reason for one of the problems mentioned before suicide -identity crisises among teenagers have lead to disturbingly high numbers of suicide -although one has to say: now the trend was reversed

-Inuit have more local autonomy now, they organized themselves and demanded more influence -they also teach traditional dances and ancient festivals are celebrated at schools -it is yet to be seen if the old cultural heritage can be re-instituted after a century and more of assimilation