TakingITGlobal

17 I N U I T • People often think that we live in igloos and that we do not get cold. • We do not all live in the same place. The majority of our people live in 53 communities across Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland in Canada). These communities are organized into four main regions: Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. A growing number of Inuit also live in urban centres and some come from Arctic communities outside of Canada. • Colonization impacted us more recently than other Indigenous peoples in Canada. Unique experiences include issues such as: forced relocation, killing of sled dogs, Eskimo identification tags, and experimental Eskimos. • We are not part of the Indian Act and so we do not have 'status' or live on reserves. We were, however, included as 'Indians' under section 91(24) of the Constitution Act through the 1939 Re Eskimo Case. • Many people assume we are uneducated, goofy and do not take us seriously. • Lack of awareness of our hunting practices have mislead many people to believe that we are cruel to animals like the seal. Hunting is a critical part of our culture and way of life and we show our deep respect and gratitude for animals in how we hunt and use the animals. • We are often stereotyped as being drunks with bad relationships with drugs and alcohol. Some of our people may face challenges with addictions and mental health, but this is often linked to circumstances that have been caused by ongoing colonization. Poor access to health and mental health services also perpetuate these issues. • Our women are often objectified and hypersexualized without respect for the important role they play in our communities. • People assume that we all know and can teach everything about being on the land. • People expect us to look and dress a certain way. • There is a lack of awareness of issues we currently face such as overcrowded housing, climate change, food insecurity, and lack of access to internet. • Our culture and connection to religion and spirituality are different from First Nations and Métis people; smudging, powwows, sweat lodge and other ceremonies and activities are not traditional practices for Inuit. Our ways of life are influenced by Shamanism and often Christianity as well as the land, water and ice around us. • Inuit means "the people" and so saying "Inuit peoples" is redundant. • While language loss is a concern for us like other Indigenous communities, Inuktut (the Inuit language which includes Inuktitut and its many dialects) is spoken by about 60% of Inuit. • We do not need non-Indigenous people to save us.

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