Despite overwhelming odds, Greenlanders have survived and safeguarded Inuit culture for many thousands of years. If a family did not get a bird, fish, or seal within a few days, the entire community starved to death in the forbidden icy tundra of the far North. Greenlanders traveled light, moved with only what was necessary, and kept their populations down to carrying capacity. 

Their most famous stories are about the Mother of the Sea who watches over Nature’s creatures. When people do not respect nature, she gathers all the species-- fish, seals, birds, and the polar bear-- and draws them into her hair in the deep sea. The people must then send an emissary--the shaman--who will have to make amends and promise that the people will never disrespect nature again. Then the Mother of the Sea releases her creatures and the people once again have food and company.

If you ask an Inuit about their ancestors they will say:

They were wise people. They knew that in creation, humans are small and that nature is vast and big and unpredictable. Understanding this was the key to survival. 

They were engineers. They displayed great ingenuity and co-created with what nature gave them. Tools for hunting were fashioned out of bones and skins and they were beautifully crafted to insure human survival. Snow houses were carefully designed for warmth and ventilation. The kayak was sewn in such an ingenious way that it would not leak. This made it an ideal boat for hunting on the rough seas.

They were masters in martial arts. They used the high kick to jump from ice floe to ice floe. They did a body flip to right an overturned kayak when they were head down in the icy waters. They walked or ran with sure pacing to guide their dog sleds across the uneven ice.

Inuits were and are musicians par excellence. Every Greenlander knew songs that told stores about real life, songs connected to the spirit world through drums that brought the sacred into their daily life.

They were environmentally conscious. Every part of a hunted animal and fish was used from the skin, to the fur, to the meat and oil. There was no waste and the balance of nature was always respected.

Inuit ancestors were natural computers. Every bit of knowledge was stored in the human brain. Their memory had to be sharp because nothing was written down. Gifted shamans are said to have used their minds to travel far and wide beyond the physical body to restore balance.

They were courageous. Every day was a challenge to find enough food to survive. 

Inuit ancestors were community builders. A single human could not survive without being part of a family or clan. Each person contributed to the whole and helped to complete the circle of life.

They honored relations. Life was always based on relationships rather than objects. Too many possessions meant less freedom of movement. And being able to move from place to place helped insure survival. 

Inuits understood that life is precious. They were grateful to be alive in such a challenging harsh environment. Their relationship to nature gave them a deep sense of meaning and understanding that they are a part of everything that exists. As the northern lights shone down upon them at night, and still do, they could connect to the vastness not only of the snow and tundra, but also to the sky and cosmos.

MARTI PHOTO. Nuka Alice, drummer, storyteller, musician, Sisimiut GREENLAND.